Meet a Volunteer - Emily!

As part of a regular column, we're conducting short interviews with our volunteers to help shareholders get to know the faces behind the table who make Coventry City Fresh work by donating their time and energy (and often some cash) to a cause they believe in.

 

What do you do with City Fresh?

I come around 4:45 to our stop.  If there is any counting of veggies left, I help with that, then when we open at 5, I man the tables.  Really, I socialize with the shareholders, talk about veggies, share recipes, and occasionally watch a straying child while their mom/dad picks up their veggies.  I also help explain what City Fresh is to people passing by who often think we are a farmer's market ("No, these veggies aren't for sale, but let me tell you how you can get some next week....").  At the end of the night, I help pack up a portion of our leftovers to deliver to the Heights Emergency Food Bank.

 

How long have you been a volunteer?

This will be my third year. 

 

Were you a shareholder before that? How long?

I was a shareholder at the old Whole Foods stop.  When that one didn't return, I came looking for my "fix" and found the Coventry stop.  I volunteered the first time I stopped by on a whim, and they haven't been able to get rid of me since.

 

What keeps you coming back year after year?

City Fresh gets you spoiled!  Once you know how veggies are supposed to taste, supermarket ones just don't make the cut.  Around December every year, I find myself craving fresh greens and a good tomato.  I also save a lot of money during the season when I am not going to the grocery store as often.  All those impulse buys disappear when my fridge is stocked with produce.

I also really believe in City Fresh's mission.  Everyone should know where their food comes from- and while City Fresh stops aren't the farm, they are many steps closer than the grocery store.  I love watching parents teaching their young children names of the veggies each week and letting them help pick out their share.  You can tell what kids are "City Fresh kids" when they run right up and know what a kohlrabi is!

 

What’s your day job?

I work at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism as a behavior therapist.  I have worked there for nearly 7 years now.  I am a job coach for young adults and help them learn the skills they need to be hired after graduation. 

 

What’s your favorite vegetable?

I love Swiss chard.  I could eat it with every meal.

 

Got a recipe to share?

I love to cook, but I am really bad at following recipes.  I usually just take recipes as ideas and starting points- which can be frustrating to some when they want a recipe!  Here is one of my favorite City Fresh meals that takes about 5 minutes to throw together (I am sorry but it is not very precise, and I have no idea where the initial inspiration came from!):

 

Swiss Chard Egg Skillet:

Ingredients:

1/2 Onion

Swiss Chard

Potatoes

Eggs

 

Instructions:

Dice 1/2 an onion

Thinly slice a couple small potatoes

Take a bunch of Swiss chard, stems and all and roughly chop

 

Sauté onion and potatoes in a skillet until soft

Season with salt, pepper and a dash of sriracha or hot sauce

Add Swiss chard and cover with lid

 

When chard is wilted and soft, crack 2-3 eggs on top.  Turn temperature to medium low.  Cover and let eggs poach.

Cook eggs to desired doneness. 

Serve with toast or crusty bread.

Survey Results for Week 2!

Voting activity was less rigorous this week than last, but voting shareholders sided largely against knowing what to do with kohlrabi. Hopefully this week's recipe advice will prove helpful to those with family shares. 

Did you know that elephants love kohlrabi? They know just what to do with it! They eat it whole and raw. 

We recommend at least peeling them. Try it julienned in a summer salad, breaded with Parmesan and garlic then fried, chopped and pickled, or roasted with root vegetables and meats. 

Survey Results for Week 1!

For today's donation jar survey, shareholders were overwhelmingly in favor of the first City Fresh share being better than Christmas morning. Results were 18 dollars to zero. Well done, us! And thanks so much for your generous contributions!

2013 Opening Week Shares

We're really excited about the opening week's bounty this season, which has so often been limited to just a few fresh items in the past.

Single Shares this week receive:
2 Heads Lettuce
1 Bunch Radishes
1 Bunch Garlic Scapes
2/3 Lb Bag of Kale
1 Fresh, French Baguette
1 Quart of Strawberries

Family Shares this week also receive in addition to the above:
1 Bunch Beets
1 Lb Bag of Shell Peas
1 Zucchini
1 Large Bok Choy
1 Bunch Oregano
8 oz Maple Syrup

Kitchen Tips for this week:

Fresh Strawberries, picked when ripe, will not last more than 1 or 2 days without some help. If you are not going to eat them all up when you get home from the Fresh Stop, place them into a medium sized bowl and fill the bowl with enough water so that all the strawberries are submerged or floating. Put the bowl in the fridge. They will last 2-3 weeks this way. It will even perk up the overripe berries.

Garlic Scapes are some of our favorites - of course, we didn't know what to do with them the first time either! They taste just like garlic and can be cooked the same way - chopped fine and sauteed in a skillet with olive oil, salt and herbs - then used as a dip for your baguette. Squeeze the juice from 2 or 3 strawberries into the oil when cooled for an extra bit of taste-bud joy.

You can also blanch your garlic scapes - put them in a small pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. While you're waiting, fill a medium-sized bowl with ice and water. After the scapes are good and boiled, toss them into the ice water. The cellular structure of the scapes will essentially shatter, making them soft enough to eat on their own, similar in texture to a cooked green bean. From here, you can eat them as is, grill them over an open flame, or blend them with some pine nuts into a pesto.

Kale is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It is what we often refer to as a superfood. A cup of chopped, Fresh Kale (you'll get about 4-6 cups in your share today), has more vitamin C than two oranges!

Kale is packed with nutrients essential for a healthy immune system, tissue and cellular regeneration, it has high but balanced calcium and magnesium for heart health, and is a leading source of vitamin K. It's also a strong anti-inflammatory agent, prevents calcification of the arteries, and boosts metabolism.

In short - we don't care if your taste buds like Kale yet or not. You love kale. Wash it well. Rub in some olive oil and salt, bake it at 275 degrees for half an hour or until crispy. Eat like potato chips on a marathon.

Have a great week of food!

Meet a Volunteer - Chauncey!

As part of a regular column, we're conducting short interviews with our volunteers to help shareholders get to know the faces behind the table who make Coventry City Fresh work by donating their time and energy (and often some cash) to a cause they believe in.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a lifelong Cleveland Heights resident and I love my city.  I just finished my first year at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and I am currently a Summer Associate at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.  I have a balcony garden where I grow really spicy peppers.   

What do you do with City Fresh?
I unload the produce off of the truck and talk with people.  I talk with people while unloading the truck!  I like to stack the fruits and vegetables into neat geometric piles.  I talk with anybody willing to listen about the role that local food plays in decreasing negative impacts on the environment as well as helping to grow the local economy.

How long have you been a volunteer?
This is fifth summer volunteering with City Fresh. 

Were you a shareholder before that? How long?
Nope, I started both at the same time.

What keeps you coming back year after year?
I think that access to healthy food plays an important role in building healthy communities. Similarly, investing in locally grown food helps strengthen our region.  I enjoy the fact that the composition of our weekly shares reflects the progression of the seasons, providing exposure to new and different produce every week.  I also really like the people involved.  I enjoy spending time and talking with other volunteers and shareholders.

What’s your day job? 
I am a Summer Associate at Legal Aid, working with the Community Advocacy Program, a medical-legal partnership with MetroHealth.


What’s your favorite vegetable?

Arugula (especially when it is in a salad with fennel, orange slices, shaved pecorino cheese, sea salt, cracked pepper, and olive oil)

Got a recipe to share?
Grilled peaches/apples:
Cut peach/apple in half.  Remove pit/core.  Fill with brown sugar, butter, (cinnamon, vanilla, a splash of bourbon, or anything else you would like).  Put fruit back together and wrap with foil.  Throw it on the grill for 5-15 minutes depending on heat of grill and how soft and caramelized you like your fruit. Carefully remove foil being mindful of steam.  Enjoy (with ice cream).

The "Greatest" Children's TV Show

At today's City Fresh signup we asked members to answer the following question through donations: "Is Dr. Who the greatest children's t.v. series ever. The answer? Yes!
The voting breakdown was:
Yes: $ 38
No: $ 12

Thank you to all who voted...er, donated!

Meet a Volunteer - Amy

As part of a regular column, we're conducting short interviews with our volunteers to help shareholders get to know the faces behind the table who make Coventry City Fresh work by donating their time and energy (and often some cash) to a cause they believe in.

What do you do with City Fresh?
Anything and everything. I help set up from June to August. I tear down. I sit at the table and check people in. I store things in the winter. I rent the PO box.

How long have you been a volunteer?
What is this my 5th year? I don't remember.

Were you a shareholder before that? How long?
Yes! 1 year.

What keeps you coming back year after year?
The fresh food, the people and the mission. Everyone should have access to fresh local produce. It tastes better, is better for you, better for the planet. The people are great. The volunteers work really well together and there are a lot of share holders that I look forward to seeing every week. It's a community and that is important too.

What’s your day job? 
I'm a 3rd and 4th grade special education teacher.

Other interests? 
Reading, cooking, traveling, working on the house, union leadership, sleeping.

What’s your favorite vegetable?

All of them except bell peppers.

Got a recipe to share?
City Fresh Ratatouille

Olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic sliced
1 green zucchini, cubed
1 yellow squash, cubed
2 Japanese eggplant, cubed
2 yellow medium hot peppers, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large slicing tomato, peeled and chopped
thyme
basil
oregano
lavender (just a bit for the taste of Provence)
pepper
salt
2 TBSP butter (optional)
breadcrumbs (optional)
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Put in the onions and the garlic. Saute until the onions become clear. Add in the zucs (both colors) and the eggplant, cook until the veggies become soft and start to caramelize on the bottom. Don't stir too much. Add in the tomatoes and the spices of your choice. I listed the ones I used. Turn off the heat. Dump the whole thing in an over safe dish. Melt the butter in a small saute pan. Add enough breadcrumbs to absorb the butter. Toast the bread crumbs until golden brown. Sprinkle over the veggies in the dish. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese is browned and toasty and the juice is bubbling on the sides. I served it in bowls with crusty French bread.