Volunteer Opp. for Food Depository & Purple Asparagus

When you volunteer as much of your time as I do for a non-profit, it has to be a labor of love. If it isn’t, inevitably, the work that you do for it will become just that: work. Even when you do love what you do, you can get so caught up in the small stuff that it becomes draining. So it’s wonderful when a project presents itself that is challenging, inspiring and clears out all the cobwebs.

Back in March, at Family Farmed Expo, I met Michael Meltzer the Manager of the Children’s Programs of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We arranged to meet shortly thereafter to discuss the possibility of Purple Asparagus putting together programming for the Food Depository’s Kid’s Cafes. The Kids Cafes are an initiative of America's Second Harvest, the nation's food bank network, which is administered locally by the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Through the Kids Cafe program, the Greater Chicago Food Depository partners with after-school programs to provide a healthy and appetizing meal for kids after school.

While a great cause and a great opportunity, I was apprehensive about our involvement. Purple Asparagus’ mission is to bring families back to the table and the Kids’ Cafes served children between 12 and 18 – the age when kids want absolutely nothing to do with their parents. Michael gave our contact information to one Kids Café on Chicago’s south side. Phone calls were exchanged, but no connection made. He then put us in touch with one of the newer members of the program: Corazon Community Services.

Corazon Community Services is a “settlement house” program providing a variety of programs to youth and families in Cicero. Adam Alonso, the program’s executive director, is young, professional and dynamic – a person who has that unique ability to inspire and relate to teenagers. When I met with Adam and his youth program director, Ricardo Aguiñaga, it was clear that their program was pretty special. I was particularly impressed by the fact that they had purchased real dish, glass and flat-ware for the kids to eat with while they were at the center. The reusable wares were the inspiration for our family dinner project: helping a small group of the kids who come to the center cook dinner for their families.

The plan was simple: I would meet with 15 of the kids to decide upon a cuisine and come up with a rough menu. The only cuisine off limits would be Mexican as most of the kids were of Mexican descent. Purple Asparagus would shop for the food and would cook it with them in the 3 ½ hours between school and the dinner’s start: 6:30. Reservations were taken and, during the event, the kids would serve as hosts, servers or cooks during the early parts of the meal. During the main course, they would eat with their families.

When I met with the kids a week before, they surprised me turning down the somewhat familiar Chinese and Italian and instead choosing to make an Indian meal – a decision that was ironically appropriate. While shopping on Devon, I learned that our dinner was held during Diwali, the Indian harvest fest. The meal was remarkable. The kids, while inexperienced, were hard-working and willing to learn. Within that short 3 ½ period, we produced a feast that I would have been proud to serve to a client. Great thanks are due to our own Gary Wiviott, who made some delectable tandoori chicken thighs and other Purple Asparagus board members, Kay Christ and Elena Marre of The Kids Table.

This is the menu that we served:

Menu:

Snacks

Pappadums with Tamarind & Cilantro Chutneys
A Pair of Toasted Cashews with Two Freshly-Ground Curry Powders

Appetizer

Keralan-Style Grilled Shrimp
Homemade Samosas

Main Course, served buffet style

Saag Gosht
The Spice House “Tandoori” Chicken Served with Raita
Vegetable Biryani
Basmati Rice
Flour Tortillas (as a stand in for Naan)

Desserts

Homemade Pistachio Kulfi
Mango Hedgehogs
Sugar-Coated Fennel Seeds

Dinner was served with Iced Chai

I would post some pictures, but I’m still stuck in the 20th century and have not yet figured out how to do so on LTH. I know that Gary, uncharacteristically took a lot of pictures, so perhaps, he’ll be willing to share some. There is a great picture of our young cooks as well as the recipes on my blog: http://having-company.blogspot.com/search/label/Events

I’m posting this now as the Greater Chicago Food Depository has identified several other Kids Cafes that would like to have family dinners in 2008. As I know that there are many LTHers who are talented cooks, who enjoy volunteering and have expertise in unusual cuisines, I thought we might find some assistance here. If you are interested, please send me a PM or email me at info@purpleasparagus.com