I am not used to taking a lunch to work with me and with my wacked schedule this week, I walked out the door without my left over linguine this morning.
Surprisingly I made it through the day on just my my morning cup of coffee and a little bit of water.
About 3:30 this afternoon I left the office to visit the site of tomorrow's garden installation volunteer project with Abby Weglarz, our AmeriCorps VIP member. She commented that when you fast, you eventually lose your appetite. That was happening to me today.
I think about moms and dads that go without a meal so their children can have something to eat and it makes me sad. There are too many in San Diego County that do without when they are surrounded by abundance. Ours is not a supply issue but one of access.
This morning I had a meeting with Michael Lawson and Paul Hammans, my food bank team. Paul told me a story about a small agency that began coming to the food bank a few months back. They serve a very low income community with a weekly food distribution. The organizers told him that many of the items they take with them would never be purchased by the recipients if they were to enter the stores that donated them to the food bank - Salmon from Trader Joe's, cheeses from Albertson's, raspberries, blueberries, and other fruit that carry a premium price tag.
I am very grateful we have such generous grocers, produce wholesalers, farmers, and donors in North County. Without them many more would be skipping meals.
Chicken soup for my soul.
When I made it home tonight I began the final meal on my meal plan (chicken soup). Basically, I am using up all the leftovers from my original shopping trip. Here is what went in the pot:
I took my bunch of celery and cut off the bottom end, you know the end you usually cut off and throw away? There is a ton of flavor in the root end of the celery, as well as in the leafy green tops that usually make their way into the rubbish bin. I also cut off the tops and tips of the pound of carrots I purchased. This is another thing that most cooks do and simply toss or compost (gardners). Again, they are full of flavor. Finally, I added the final third of one of my onions with the roots still attached, and three garlic cloves I roasted on the grill the first night.
I went to my garden and picked a bunch of tarragon and thyme and rinsed and threw it all in to the stock pot along with two bay leaves from the pantry, covered it with water and let it boil then simmer for about an hour.
After the veggies have given up their flavor to the broth, I strained it and added chopped celery, carrot, onion, and cubes of my last remaining grilled chicken thigh. About 15 minutes later I added broken pieces of the rest of my linguine.
This soup (and most other multi-ingredient dishes) get better the second day when the flavors have more of a chance to get to know one another and "get happy" as Emeril would say.
I have just enough to last me through tomorrow - two slices of bread, a pot of soup, a few dolips of cream cheese, my left over linguine and tomato sauce, and enough coffee for half a pot.
I hope some of you can join me tomorrow between 9 and 12 at 4510 North River Road in Oceanside to help install the final 12 raised beds in our largest vegetable garden to date. My hope is that soon, we will be growing a great deal of food to benefit the hungry in North County.
Here is one final shot of tonight's dish:
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| Comfort in a bowl |
Thanks for sharing my experience.
Till tomorrow,
Stan
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