Saving The Potatoes

Quinn and Sierra sorting potatoes.

Volunteers Quinn and Sierra did a great thing at The Wednesday Community Meal today.

They sorted through 60 pounds of potatoes that were gleaned from The Oregon Food Bank and to put it nicely, the potatoes were on their very very last leg. Some had gone over the edge and some were still good. They just needed careful examination and some loving care.

Sorting the potatoes wasn't a pleasant job and Sierra and Quinn were so great about taking it on.  But that's not all, they then peeled and washed every single one that was salvageable. Their hard work allowed us to serve delicious potatoes as a side dish today and prevented edible food waste which is a real problem in our country.  It would have been so much easier to toss the potatoes, buy more and rationalize that they're not that expensive, but that wouldn't have been the right thing to do. As I most often find is the case,  the right thing isn't the easiest thing.

According to estimates from the National Institute of Health, as a nation, we waste 40-percent of the food we produce. It's a real shame and something that needs to change.

Every week at the Wednesday Community Meal, we utilize gleaned food and serve hundreds, a well-rounded, four-course meal. It's not an easy task, but saving food enables us to serve a crowd on a tight budget and do a little bit of good for our World too.

I am grateful to Sierra and Quinn and all of the wonderful volunteers who work hard and help make a difference each week — It takes teamwork and I most definitely couldn't do it without you! We served 267 meals today.

Making Imperfect Work

Baked chicken, roasted potatoes and fresh fruit.

We served 221 beautiful and well-rounded meals today at the Wednesday Community Meal  using wholesome ingredients that just needed a a bit of attention and care.

We served baked chicken seasoned with herbs and garlic to the first 180 or so guests and then it was onto turkey breast drizzled with a homemade gravy.

Slices of turkey breast drizzled with a homemade gravy.

As a side we served crispy oven roasted potatoes, a favorite of our guests.

The potatoes came from the Oregon Food Bank and were just fine despite needing a slight makeover.

The potatoes came in all kinds of sizes from one to six inches in diameter. And, more than a few had some blemishes. But after a good wash and a bit of paring and dicing, they looked good as new. It just took some time and attention from volunteers Mary, Leah and Ann.

Before

After

Utilizing the food we get would be impossible without a strong team of volunteers who work well together. Dealing with less than prime produce is doable but it does take effort. It's worth it though because we are saving good and nutritious food that would be a shame to waste. And, perfect is overrated.

Soup For Everyone

There was soup for everyone today at the Wednesday Community Meal at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Good Samaritan Hospital is so kind to donate their leftovers and this week they gave us lots and lots of homemade and hearty soup — ham and bean and beef minestrone. Many guests asked for seconds and we were happy to oblige.

In addition to the soup,  we served 206 meals.  A bit of a lower number than usual but not surprising with it being the first Wednesday of April. We consistently feed more people towards the end of the month when money is running out.

Our menu changed quite a few times today so that we could use what we had. It's all about feeding people and preventing waste.

From the Oregon Food Bank, we had apples, eggs, herbs and potatoes so we made a frittata, roasted apples and biscuits for the first group of guests.

Then we had more food gleaned from Good Samaritan Hospital and some from Phil's Meat Market. Our later guests got barbecued chicken, baked chicken, meatballs, beef stir fry or catfish served with rice and a salad.

For dessert there was homemade chocolate banana cake with buttercream frosting.

There was plenty for everyone.

Pass The Chicken

The Wednesday Community Meal at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral was extra busy today. We served 323 meals.

We had six donated cases of chicken quarters so we oven roasted them and served them with a salad, roasted tomatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy. The guests were kind and appreciative as usual. It's a wonderful community.

We expected a large crowd with it being the end of the month when money is typically tighter but we didn't expect the sun which I suspect drew even more guests out and into our dining room. Good thing it was Spring Break and we had lots of extra help from young volunteers in the kitchen. Thank you Micah, Zane, Olivia, Iris, Sierra, Elise and Eleanor! You were a big help.

Last Wednesday

Every Wednesday, I enter the kitchen at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Northwest Portland sometime between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. and the wonderful mayhem begins.

With a lot of help from a crew of the nicest and the most dedicated volunteers, we pull together a full meal for an unknown number of hungry guests using gleaned food, donated food and purchased food from the Oregon Food Bank.  I don't know all the ingredients I'll have to work with until the day before so it's kind of like an Iron Chef competition. Stressful but fun. Anyone can eat at Trinity between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Wednesday. 

Last week we served 268 meals. On the menu for the first 180 guests was a plate of frittata, roasted tomatoes, toast, homemade chunky apple sauce and bread pudding for dessert. Then it was onto our wonderful leftovers from Good Samaritan Hospital. The next group got roasted pork and a salad and the next taco rice casserole and a salad. And finally there was sweet and sour chicken and enchiladas.

Every Wednesday, there is a miracle in the kitchen. I don't know how it happens but we always seem to have enough for everyone.

Please come back for more stories from the kitchen of the Wednesday Community Meal at Trinity.  What will I have to cook with this week?