How I Plan My Community Meals

 

I'm happy & grateful to be able to serve free community meals from my door again here at Valley Villa.

In case you were wondering how I plan the meals I offer for free here at Valley Villa in Provo, Utah -- here's the inside scoop:

I treat my meal planning like a competition on the Food Channel, called "What Can I Make With Donated Foodstuffs today?"

Each day I go through my pantry, checking canned goods, and combing my refrigerator for fresh produce, eggs, and dairy. Then I get creative and start thinking up combinations.

For instance, today's community meal of Chinese Pork and Brown Rice is based on the fact that someone gave me a big package of boneless pork chops and another person gave me a big package of brown rice and a bottle of soy sauce. So I threw the chops in the slow cooker with some fresh veggies that I have been given, added two tablespoons of soy sauce, some red pepper flakes, ground cloves, ginger, and pepper corns, and two cups of water. The result is what I call Chinese Pork. The brown rice goes in the rice cooker as soon as I finish writing and posting this.

I try never to spend more than twenty dollars of my own money each week on community meals, since, like many of you, I am on a fixed income. Most of that money goes for spices, herbs, fresh produce, and pickles. 

I hope that explains my menu choices. For instance right now I have a package of salmon, a package of pollock, and a package of tilapia fillets in the freezer, all donated by generous neighbors. What to do with them? Individually, they are not enough to feed everyone that might come to my door -- but if I combine them into a fish chowder, with lots of potatoes, etc., then there will be plenty for everybody..

Get the picture?