Who receives the containers of beets in the opening pages of the novel, Jitterbug Perfume?

The book begins with people in Seattle (Priscilla), New Orleans (Madame Devalier and V'lu) and Paris (Marcel and Claude LeFever) all receiving beets. The beets are just left at the doorstep or tossed in through an open window. In Paris, they are delivered with the mail.