In October, PORCH launched PORCH Cooks—a new nutrition program designed to help PORCH’s “Food for Families” recipients benefit more fully from the fresh food received each month. Easy-to-prepare, healthy, and affordable recipes are tucked into that month’s grocery bags, which are packed with many of the ingredients needed to prepare the recipes. PORCH Cooks also offers nutrition information, food demos, and tastings to recipient families. The initiative is funded by a grant from our Cooperative Community Fund (CCF).
PORCH Families Sample Healthy Dish from “PORCH Cooks” Recipe Book
PORCH’s Food for Families recipients had a big surprise awaiting them at the food pickup site in October. PORCH volunteers were dishing up steaming samples of Spaghetti Sauce with Eggplant. Recipients were delighted to learn the cost of the tasty, nutritious recipe—only $4 for four servings. This month’s grocery bags included the vegetables (garlic, onion, eggplant, canned tomatoes) and pasta needed to make the recipe at home.
For the first time, the grocery bags also included a spice for cooking—dried Italian seasoning. Each family also received a PORCH Cooks recipe binder, which contained the recipe for Spaghetti Sauce with Eggplant and a recipe for Roasted Vegetables, which uses other vegetables from the grocery bags and the Italian seasoning.
Each month, families will receive two new recipe sheets to add to their PORCH Cooks binders. PORCH realizes that herbs and spices are luxury purchases when food dollars are already stretched thin, so their CCF grant included funds to provide the seasonings used in the recipes throughout the year.
The binders also include information on making better food choices and helpful tips for fun family meals. This month’s sheets included “5 Delicious Ways to Pick Vegetables with the Most Nutrition,” “5 Smart Reasons to Enjoy Eggs Morning, Noon, or Night,” and “8 Reasons to Make Time for Family Dinners.”
The cookbooks and sampling sparked much conversation and sharing about food and recipes while recipients waited to receive their bags of groceries and cookbooks. PORCH organizer Debbie Horwitz observed that the organization intentionally fosters the community aspect of the food pickups, encouraging families to connect with neighbors. The new binders inspired Ms. Julie, a cafeteria manager and avid cook (pictured at left), to volunteer her recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash, a favorite she serves for the kids at school. The recipe will be included with next month’s groceries.
At the November food pickup, recipients will be asked whether they tried the Spaghetti Sauce with Eggplant recipe, and if so, to rate it for qualities such as taste and ease of preparation. November’s sampling will feature Butternut Squash Soup with Curry and will include a demonstration on how to prepare a butternut squash. November’s groceries will include another special treat—a Thanksgiving turkey for each family. And of course a binder sheet on how to safely thaw and cook a turkey!
Because PORCH Cooks targets the Spanish and English speakers in the Food for Families program, Spanish and English versions of the recipes and information sheets are included in the binders.
By the end of the year, the PORCH Cooks cookbook binder will be a treasure trove of tasty recipes to make on a budget and creative ideas to make family meals more nutritious and fun.