Slow Food Upstate

In preparing for the Slow Food National Volunteer Day, my husband and I paid a visit to the Project Host Soup Kitchen, and wow, were we impressed.

Running like a Swiss clock, the volunteers were chopping cutting, baking, washing pots and pans and preparing for the beautiful faces already forming a line at the door by 10 am.  We were shown the whole operation, kitchen to garden, to cooking school.  Not only does this kitchen address hunger but also addresses the root causes of hunger, and the cooking school offers a life changing experience to those who would like to work in the food service industry but never had proper training.  Lynn Denny, the head of the school, trains folks in a twelve week program to cook, budget, manage conflicts, develop interview and resume' skills in order to maintain employment at the completion of the course.  All of this is free of charge to those in need.

The school and the kitchen are able to choose fresh vegetables from their enormous garden, maintained by the Master Gardeners program, and it  is  full of tomatoes, squash, peppers, and herbs, plenty to make any gardener jealous.

The Upstate is a vast Universe, and difficult to pull everyone in to one place for one day of volunteering.  We are asking you to participate with all of the Slow Food Chapters across the United States in National Volunteer Day, “Dig In! Breaking Ground, Breaking Bread” and to join your fellow friends of Slow Food Upstate as we direct our mission towards Soup Kitchens and Food Banks all across the Upstate.

Here are ways you can help:

• Donate food from your garden, from your farmer’s market or retail grocer
• Donate your Time-call your local soup kitchen or food bank to make an appointment.
• Donate your money-send a check to your local food bank or soup kitchen.
• Donate your used cook books or write down your favorite recipes and send them to Lynn Denny, cooking class instructor at Project Host Soup Kitchen in Greenville.

Please e mail us and let us know your experiences and send us your photograph and we will post them on the Slow Food Upstate website blog. Here is a list of area locations where you can help.

Soup Kitchens and Food Banks

…and how to cook Collard Greens

According to Bob Polomski, Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Clemson University, it is time to start your fall vegetable garden if you live in the Piedmont (Upstate) of South Carolina. Starting plants from seed or young plant is an inexpensive way to add fresh organically grown vegetables and fruit to your table, as you can harvest much, and enjoy the pleasure of food grown at home, picking it at the height of maturity and waltzing it direct from the garden to the kitchen without having to stop at the store on your way home from work. If you live in an area with limited planting space, try a container garden. Many plants can make the most of vertical space. Try a pot with stakes for the branches to climb like pole beans, ready to eat after 60-70 days or peas, ready 65-80 days after planting. Visit this link for more information on Planning a Garden.

How to Cook Collard Greens, contributed by Renato Vicario

If you have more space, try a Southern favorite, Collards, and plant July 1-Aug. 30. As they grow choose some leaves for a quick sauté. According to Renato Vicario, Slow Food Upstate Board member-and a really good cook- To prepare, pour a small amount of good olive oil in a pan in order to prevent sticking, and warm at medium heat, adding when warm, a sliver or two of Habanero pepper. This hot pepper with a floral and citrus like flavor being an acid will decrease the bitterness of the collards and create an interesting heat that does not remain on your pallet unlike the flavor of the Jalapeno. Add a bit of fresh garlic for taste and a sliver of fresh ginger. Ginger contains gingerols, an oil in the plant which increase the motility of the gastrointestinal tract, and helps to break down the fibrous quality of the collards and aid in digestion, by stimulating production of saliva. The Gingerols also have analgesic, sedative, and antibacterial properties and have been shown to fight skin cancer and ovarian cancer. You may also opt to add a sliver or two of lemon peel, yellow only, for an added tanginess. The pepper, ginger, garlic and lemon peel should go into the heated oil before the collards, as the oil will extract the properties of the ingredients. Then toss the cleaned and dried leaves of the collards and sauté until wilted, turning with a spoon until the leaves are mixed well in the oil and spices without overcooking. Remove from heat and eat while hot.

Resources: The Archives of Family Medicine, http://archfami.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/7/6/523#SEC8 and http://www.thefoodpaper.com/features/health/ginger.html