By Pauline Kadonaga
The Community Kitchen Program (CKP) at The Salvation Army is designed to encourage healthy eating and getting back to the basics of cooking.
The art of Cooking from scratch and preserving fruits and vegetables is in danger of being lost.
CKP is recruiting seasoned cooks and gardeners to volunteer and pass on the art of basic cooking and preserving of foods.
CKP is putting out a call for participants who wish mom had shown them how to make those pickles and shortbread cookies, as well as calling for volunteer moms to teach how.
Approximately 60 per cent of food bank clients need weekly help to feed their families.
There has been an increase of young people accessing emergency food through food bank and soup kitchen.
It has been noticed that many do not know how to prepare a healthy low-cost meal leading to the development of CKP.
Stretching the grocery budget to provide healthy meals for our family is true for all of us, not just recipients of the food bank or low-income families.
CKP welcomes anyone interested in passing on their kitchen skills, or anyone wishing to learn how to get back to the basics.
Participants are encouraged to plant back yard garden plots, plant herb pots on their balcony, or participate in the community garden plots.
Farms and local gardeners are encouraged to donate excess produce, eggs and/or livestock to CKP.
Community donations of canning jars are greatly appreciated.
CKP will offer classes where participants can learn, share, cook, preserve and build community.
Food will be prepared and processed in large quantity by the group working together.
Each participant will be able to take a portion home for their family at end of each session and some will go to feed the community at large.
CKP will endeavor to:
• teach food bank clients how to utilize food hampers and share shelf to prepare meals
• prepare vegetables commonly obtained through the Good Food Box program
• prepare low-budget healthy meal –stews, casseroles, etc.
• provide shopping tips
• teach the basics of a back yard garden, or balcony boxes'
• encourage healthy eating utilizing Canada Food Guide.
• provide instruction in freezing and preserving of seasonal berries & vegetables
• provide instruction in cooking and baking from scratch, lowering grocery bill
• provide instruction and participate in canning and pickling of garden harvest
• provide instruction and participate in freezing' and dehydrating of seasonal fruits/veg
• provide instruction and participate in canning, smoking, dehydrating meat and fish
• provide instruction and participate in preparation of seasonal salads and soups
• provide instruction and participate in preparation of picnic lunch and barbecue basics
• provide instruction and participate in preparation of a variety of Ethnic dishes
Many people have limited knowledge of how to prepare healthy low-cost meals, how to bake, or how to preserve perishables.
They have no one in their lives to teach them how to make healthy meals from a few staple goods, or how to preserve foods in season to allow for later consumption. It’s time to reclaim the art of cooking from scratch, baking those shortbreads and minced tarts, and can that salmon.
Let’s preserve together the foods in season, cook meals in bulk and freeze in smaller portions for later use. Let’s learn how to cook healthier, low cost meals that will help with food security throughout the year.
Together we can eat healthier, cook better, plan healthy balanced meals, and utilize all the resources available without waste.
Together we can help each other as well as the Food Bank and further healthy lifestyle choices.
To volunteer with The Community Kitchen Project, to sign up as a participant, to donate, or for more information email wlsalvo@shaw.ca or call 392-2423