This Tuesday, we delivered fresh produce to the IFC and OCIM food pantries–the result of last December’s Round Up! campaign. The money raised will supply the food pantries with fresh vegetables and fruit every single week through May. By allowing Weaver Street Market to do the buying, the pantries benefit from prices much below retail.
The food pantries place an order each week with Carolyn, our produce merchandiser, for the produce they want delivered on Tuesday. This week, they picked from these items to stock their shelves:
- Red Delicious Apples
- Sunkist Navel Oranges
- Red Flame Grapefruit
- Sweet Potatoes
- Green Beans
- Broccoli Bunches
- Brussels Sprouts
- Green Cabbage
- Bags of Carrots
- Heads of Cauliflower
- Kale Greens
- Yellow Onions
- Red Peppers
- Yukon Potatoes
- Butternut Squash
- Turnips
- Grape Tomatoes
OCIM started out small to test the waters, but IFC jumped right in. (Both pantries continue to offer apples to all clients from last year’s campaign.)
Van and Alex, two of our delivery drivers, dropped off pallets of produce at both the OCIM pantry in Hillsborough and the IFC in Carrboro. One of the staff remarked how wonderful it is to receive produce that’s so fresh. Her colleague observed that it felt like opening a gift. We also sent recipes for White Bean, Rice and Kale Stew and other simple meals to make using the produce, for the pantries to pass out to customers. Steve Carter in our Southern Village produce department encourages everyone to try the White Bean, Rice and Kale Stew:
“I saw this recipe on the copy machine at our Southern Village store, and I decided to try it out. This is a fantastic recipe… its simplicity allows all the ingredients to lend their own flavor in a remarkably satisfying way. Use a slightly larger pot than you think you’ll need, since it is hard to stir all that kale in before it starts to cook down. You can add a little bacon just before the stock too, if you’re so inclined. Warm, hearty, and so tasty, this is one of my new winter favorites!”