HAPPY FARM BOX DAY! Thanks for being here with us - we’re so stoked to connect with you week after week. We hope your broccoli in your box today surpasses all your wildest dreams, and thanks for letting us unload our last big harvest of this wonder veggie.

This is Leah, she is an absolute wonder woman. She first caught our eye when frequenting The Farm Cart. She brought us a huge heap of reusable straws for free to give out to our customers. After this, we just knew we had to get to know her. We were lucky enough to collaborate with Leah and offer a super rad giveaway to her followers on instagram. Read below to get to know this rad woman and her mission to a greener life. Thanks for letting us interview you Leah! Make sure to checkout her blog & instagram listed below.

1. Who are you? What do you do for work? 
   Hi I'm Leah Thomas! I'm the PR Assistant at Patagonia and I run a blog, Green Girl Leah where I cover the environment, sustainable living and wellness. I grew up in the midwest and moved to Southern California for college in 2013 and studied environmental science and policy. I first became interested in agriculture and how it relates to sustainability after doing an internship with the National Parks Service in 2015 in a farming community in rural Kansas. Having conversations with farmers and being immersed in that environment gave me a snapshot into the lives of U.S. farmers and made me think a lot more about the food I ate and how I could support local farmers. 

2. We love your blog GreenGirlLeah, it is so inspiring & a helpful resource! How did it come to life?
   I loved writing in college and was freelancing for a wellness blog when I realized I could make my own. At first it was called, GreenGirlFood, and I tried to post only about healthy and sustainable food until I realized I wanted to post about the other aspects of my life, not just pretty açaí bowls that took too long to make and were mushy after I finished photographing them! I started to post about thrifting, eco-travel and getting involved with environmental activism. I really enjoyed being a resource to point people in the right direction and provide a criteria to consume more responsibly. 

3. What are your top tips for having a greener kitchen? 
   I would recommend getting a good amount of mason jars and sustainably made containers for leftovers as well as reusable cloth napkins for cleanup. I also love eco-friendly cleaners that you can refill vs. buying new cleaners. I'd recommend checking out your local refill shop and getting your cleaners and household goodies from them. 

4. Where do you draw your inspiration for a greener lifestyle?
   I don't like feeling weighed down by too much stuff and I've always tried my best to live minimally. I also feel really terrible about the state of the earth and that motivates me to do what I can. Nature has been a big point of inspiration for me throughout the years and I'd like to see it protected for future generations. 

5. How can we follow along with you? You can follow me on instagram @GreenGirlLeah.

Click the photos below to head to Leah’s blog! :)

As one site put it best, Romanesco appears to be, “one part psychedelic broccoli, and one part alien life form.” Romanesco is an edible flower that is part of the broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage family. To us, the taste and feel is similar to cauliflower or broccoli. Its stunning appearance always makes it a crowd favorite at a dinner party. Each spiral on this flower contains smaller buds that make up a rhythmic pattern. If you remember learning in school the Fibonacci Sequence, well here it is, in its most visible form, its spirals follow this logarithmic pattern. We can’t get enough of it!

Enough of the facts… so how should you cook it? We treat it just like broccoli or cauliflower. Roast it whole, roast it in bits, sauté it lightly, or chop it up for a raw salad with a citrus dressing. Our favorite way is roasting it whole - rub the whole head evenly in olive oil, season with salt & pepper, stick in the oven @ 425 for 15 min or until golden brown, and BOOM. Eat it as is, or make a butter sauce to drizzle on top. Enjoy this dazzling display of nature - we can’t wait to see what you do with it! Tag us on instagram with your Romanesco creations!