Pure Market Express

Pure Market Express is a relatively new raw food company. instead of serving it in a restaurant, like Ecopolitan, they make pre-packaged raw food meals.

I’d had some samplings of their food at a co-op’s gluten-free tasting sometime last year, and was immediately in love with the jalapeno poppers. they’re jalapenos, with the insides removed and oils rinsed off, then filled with a raw nut “cheese” and pieces of  eggplant “bacon”. they weren’t at all strong tasting~ surprisingly the jalapeno itself tasted more like a green pepper. they were so good that I could’ve eaten the whole tray.

I tried a few meals from sold at the co-op after that, and that’s when I fell in love with the lasagna. they have a pesto twist in it that literally makes me unable to stop eating it until I’ve finished it off completely.

and recently, I decided to order the Weekly Menu from them online, which allows a person to choose from several items in each category. this is a great way to get an assortment to try. so far my new favorites from this order are the donut holes (comprised mostly of brazil nuts), the banana cream pie, and the chocolate cheesecake. of the other entrees, some I enjoyed, some not as much, but overall my favorite is still the lasagna!!

other choices they offer on their website are sampler packages, such as the “cheese” and dessert samplers. there are a few other package deals to choose from as well. also, they have platter-sized portions for entertaining. I’m sure I’ll order some donut holes and lasagna for a party at some point! and if you enjoy wine tastings, but are vegan or raw or simply have dairy allergies, the crackers and artisanal “cheeses” could be of interest to you.

as I’ve alluded to, there are several ways to order their food. the first option is delivery, which is a flat $10 for orders over $50.  I’m not exactly sure what their delivery area is, but I believe that it used to be a 7-state surrounding area and was later expanded to most of the country. but I’m not certain on that. you may want to call them and ask about the specifics if you’re interested.

the second option is to pick up your order from their store, which is in the suburb of Chaska, which is south and west of the Minneapolis / St Paul metro. this option is free of charge. and even better, if you place a large order, like the Weekly Menu, they will allow you to pick it up in pieces, so you don’t feel rushed to eat it all as quickly as possibly (although the meals seem to be meant to last a week, in general). per their instruction, I just left in the comments which items I wanted to pick up immediately, and then emailed them each time I wanted to pick more of it up.

the third option is to buy the packaged meals at a Fresh & Natural grocery store in the metro area (Plymouth, Shoreview, or Hudson). this is a great option because you can try just one or two things, without having to load up, pay for shipping, or go all the way to Chaska.

their products are certified gluten-free and of course are dairy-free (as they’re vegan). I hope you’re able to find some favorites as well!  …I just love the creativity that raw foodists have in preparing their dishes!