It’s hard to believe that five months have passed since we could welcome volunteers into our kitchen. We long for those bustling days when cutting boards covered every inch of stainless work surface and folks from varied walks of life stood elbow to elbow as they chopped bell peppers or portioned banana bread into squares. Laughing and talking to kitchen tunes along with the rhythmic thud of knives and hiss of vegetables hitting hot tilt skillets.
Those were the days.
But even with a smaller crew of staff these days in a quieter kitchen working to make meals for our partners, we feel the presence of volunteers all the time.
“They’re still here through the recipes,” says Julia Baynor, Prep Coordinator at the California Avenue kitchen.
For example, the Meal Teams recently made chicken satay with sauteed summer vegetables and rice. The sauce for the dish is legendary around here—a staple in our repertoire for partner meals as well as catering jobs (in the days of such). It comes from longtime, trusted volunteer Judi Hardy.
During a recent kitchen chat, Meg recalled the first time Judi introduced it to her about three years ago. “It was one of my first days at the Food Project, and I had never had satay sauce before,” Meg said.
These moments remind us of our value of Learning: “We are at-once students and teachers...We make time to listen to each other learning from the wealth of life experience and skills others bring to this work.”
We are thankful for the exchange of ideas, learning and creativity that happen in these spaces, and we look forward to the day we can be physically close again. Until then, the memories, lessons and recipes carry us through.
Spicy Szechwan Peanut Sauce
Makes 1 ½ cups
10 cloves garlic, minced (should equal about 2 tablespoons)
about 2/3 bunch of cilantro leaves and upper stems, minced (should equal about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup peanut butter (natural or unseasoned is best)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1–2 tablespoons hot chili oil
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together the garlic and cilantro. Then add remaining ingredients and process for about a minute until ingredients are combined.
We most often serve this sauce with chicken skewers.
Note: Sauce can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days.
This recipe shared with us by Judi Hardy is adapted from The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp.
