Meet a Volunteer - Melissa

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 volunteer at the Coventry Stop, helping participants get their shares and cleaning up at the end of the night.

How long have you been a volunteer?
I think that this is technically my fourth year, but I honestly don't remember.

Were you a shareholder before that? How long?
Yes! I got my veggies from City Fresh for 2 years before volunteering.

What keeps you coming back year after year?
The other volunteers, our amazing coordinator Anna, and the mission. I really believe in what City Fresh is doing. Everyone should have access to fresh, locally grown vegetables - regardless of the balance in their bank accounts. City Fresh ensures that Clevelanders have that access.

What’s your day job? Other interests?
I'm a social worker, and I the policy coordinator for the ACLU of Ohio. Outside of work, I try to be involved in projects and organizations to improve my community (like City Fresh, NASW, and the Cleveland Heights Citizen Advisory Council), running, cooking, and tending our balcony garden. 


What’s your favorite vegetable?

I love garlic scapes and kale.

 

Got a recipe to share?

This is a good one from The Frankies Sputino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual:

Orecchiette with Pistachios

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

Fine sea salt

1 1/2 c shelled unsalted green pistachios

1 - 2 cloves minced garlic

2 T finely chopped mint

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c grated Pecorino Romano

1 lb orecchiette

4 scallions julienned

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it well.
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop the pistachios by hand or in a food processor. Toss the pistachios with the garlic, mint and olive oil in a small mixing bowl. Add the cheese and a large pinch of salt and stir to combine.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, following the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 c pasta water, and return the pasta to the pot over low heat.
4. Add the pesto to the pot, along with the reserved cooking water, and heat, tossing constantly, until the orecchiette are coated with the sauce. Transfer to bowls or a serving platter. Garnish with scallions and serve, passing additional olive oil at the table.

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.

City Fresh Coventry 2013!

We've spent the last few weeks running into shareholders all over the Heights, as the warm weather draws us out from under our coats. The first question on everyone's lips: "When does City Fresh start?!" Finally, we're gearing up for City Fresh 2013! Looking forward to all the culinary delights the surrounding countryside has to offer starting  

Tuesday, June 11th.

We need help spreading the word, though. Check out our brochure (found in .pdf format here) and new order form (found here).

Feel free to forward them to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers, by email or by printing them. We hope to get some out to Heights coffee shops, libraries, and friendly shops as soon as possible.

You can also forward the main City Fresh website cityfresh.org, which has the order form for all the City Fresh stops on it.

We can't wait to see all of you!

Sign-Up Day June 5th!

Greetings!

Join us tomorrow,

Tuesday, June 5th
5-7 pm
Coventry Peace Park
Coventry Library

1925 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights

to sign up for shares for the start of the 2012 season next week

(Tuesday June 12th)

To save costs, please print this order form and bring it ready with your payment.

Family Share enough for 3-4 people                     Single Share enough for 1-2 people

$28, $16 Limited Income                                           $15, $9 Limited Income

Ohio Direction users must also sign up for shares a week in advance and are advised to come tomorrow.

 Shareholders who already paid for skip-the-line vouchers can also pick these up at this time.

We ask that you tell your friends and neighbors about City Fresh and all that it does and send them to us, checkbook at the ready!

Don't forget, you can also order online!

City Fresh is a program of the New Agrarian Center (NAC) that seeks to build a more just and sustainable local food system in Cuyahoga, Lorain & Erie counties. Shareholders become members in this weekly CSA and have two options. A $28 Family Share will feed 3-4 people. Low income Shareholders who meet the WIC guidelines for low income pay $16. A $15 Single Share is good for 1-2 people. Low-income Shareholders pay $9. The Ohio Electronic Benefits  Transfer or EBT card is accepted. Shares are paid for a week in advance. You can purchase multiple weeks if you like.

City Fresh meets the needs of both urban and rural communities by improving access to fresh, locally grown food for urban residents and increasing marketing opportunities in the city for local farmers. We are a movement of volunteers, farmers, youth and community members committed to local food and health in our community. City Fresh delivered over 13,000 shares in 2011, directly contributing more than $150,000 to  local farmers.

Share Contents for 10/25

In the shares for today, our final regular season share...

Single Share
4 Apples
1 Beets, Bunch
1 Cauliflower
1 Garlic
1 Kale
2 Pepper, Red Bell
1 Pie Pumpkin
1 Radishes, Bunch
1 Sweet Potatoes, 1 Lb

Family Share
6 Apples
1 Beets, Bunch
1 Cauliflower
1 Garlic
1 Kale
2 Pepper, Red Bell
1 Pie Pumpkin
1 Radishes, Bunch
1 Sweet Potatoes, 1 Lb
1 Broccoli
1 Carrots, Bunch
1 Eggplant
1 Hot Pepper Butter
1 Leeks, Bunch
1 Turnips, Bunch

Broccoli Pesto! (Oct. 18 food sample)

• 1 head broccoli (around 2 cups)
• A couple of stems fresh pungent herb (I used sage but basil or oregano or even mint would work)
• zest and juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup or so nuts of some kind (I used sunflower seed butter, because that's what I had on hand, but walnuts or hazelnuts would be nice, or almonds, or ...)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 T brewer's yeast or Parmesan cheese
• 2 T water
• salt & pepper
• olive oil (half cup or more)

NB: All quantities should be adjusted to taste, and feel free to add other stuff (olives or sun-dried tomatoes or what have you).

1. Cut broccoli into florets. If using, peel stem and cut into small chunks.
2. Steam or microwave broccoli briefly until bright green and still somewhat snappy.
3. Drain broccoli and shock with cold water to retain color.
4. Combine all ingredients except oil in food processor and begin to process
5. Drizzle olive oil in while it processes. Stop and taste, adjust seasoning, and keep adding oil until the puree has enough smooth body (at least a half cup oil, maybe more).

Serve with crackers, as a sandwich spread, on a baked potato, tossed with pasta, etc.

Share Contents for 10/18

In the shares for today...

Single Share
2 Apples
1 Beets, Bunch
1 Broccoli, Head
1 Cabbage
1 Eggplant
1 Garlic, Bulb
1 Pepper, Poblano
1 Pepper, Red Bell
1 Radishes, Bunch
1 Squash, Buttercup
1 Sweet Potatoes, 1 Lb

Family Share
4 Apples
1 Beets, Bunch
1 Broccoli, Head
1 Cabbage
1 Eggplant
1 Garlic, Bulb
2 Pepper, Poblano
1 Pepper, Red Bell
1 Radishes, Bunch
1 Squash, Buttercup
1 Sweet Potatoes, 1 Lb
1 Carrots, Bunch
1 Cauliflower, Head
1 Kale
1 Parsely, Bunch
1 Pie Pumpkin
1 Squash, Acorn