Meet a Volunteer - Anthony

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 count vegetables (in my head), carry tables, and answer questions about what this strange vegetable is and what you can possibly do with it (hint: almost everything can be put in a stir fry or a stew).

How long have you been a volunteer?
This'll be my 5th year as a volunteer (I think?).

Were you a shareholder before that? How long?
I was a shareholder for two years before that. My first year as a shareholder I was often collecting shares for a dozen or so other people, too, which was fun, and got me interested in working with even bigger quantities of veggies.

What keeps you coming back year after year?
Having to buy vegetables in the supermarket after working with City Fresh for a while just gets sad. There's something really fun about having to count out 1,080 peppers or 98 watermelons.

What’s your day job? Other interests?

Anthony with daikons as big as your arm

I spend a lot of time trying to make computers do interesting things, and another bunch of time working working with jr. high and high school kids (often doing interesting things).

What’s your favorite vegetable?
Oh my word. There's so many to pick from! My favorite City Fresh discovery has been Romanesco Broccoli. Fractal vegetables!

Got a recipe to share?
Nice and simple: Uncle Murph's Peppers
Take a large batch of banana peppers, a pinch or few of kosher salt and a generous tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil; toss it all to coat the peppers well. Set them on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven until brown on one side (maybe 10 minutes), flip them all over, and roast until brown again.

If you're sensitive to the heat, cut the ends off the peppers and remove the seeds before you roast them.

Dump them in a bowl and serve when just cool enough to handle but still quite warm. Perfect with some good crusty Italian bread.