Get to know the Food Shuttle Staff: Tonya Post

Name and title: Tonya Post, Director of Programs

What does at typical day at IFFS look like for you?

 I oversee the coordination and administration of all aspects of ongoing programs including planning, organizing, leading, and monitoring program activities--that means BackPack Buddies, Hands On Health, Food and Nutrition Services Outreach, etc.  There are no typical days.  I have the pleasure of working with numerous community partners such as Advocates for Health in Action, Partnership for a Healthy Durham, Obesity and Chronic Illness subcommittee, community volunteer groups and funders!  So from delivering lunches to writing reports to building relationships to supporting Food Shuttle staff and leadership I stay busy.

How long have you been at the Shuttle?

 Since the fall of 2005

What’s your favorite part about working at IFFS?

That all different kinds of people come together here to help their community

What did you do before IFFS?

 Early Childhood (Infants and Toddlers!!)

What do you like to do when you’re not fighting hunger?

 cook and clean (no, really)

Favorite Movie?

 Say Anything with Jon Cusak

Your last meal would be?

 ice cream

Ripe Recipe: Greek lentil soup

If you are familiar with the Ripe Recipes we post on the Plant a Row blog, you know about Sally's wonderful cooking! In this post, Sally shares her Greek Lentil Soup that uses fresh kale or collard greens that you may be growing in your garden! Here are some Ripe Recipes Sally has offered in the past: Grilled Tomatillo Salsa, Fresh Fig Tart,  Thai Basil Eggplant. Greek Lentil Soup

• ¼ pound each, brown lentils & green split peas
• fresh rosemary 1 pound sausage (lamb or Italian turkey sausage)
• ½ - ¾ C dry white wine
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 carrot
• 2 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 2-3 C firm-packed chopped collard or kale leaves
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• fresh lemon

Directions:

1. Take about 1/4 pound each of brown lentils and green split peas. Rinse, and cover with water, add about 8" stalk of rosemary and simmer until the beans soften, replenishing water as necessary.
2. Remove rosemary twig when beans are tender. Then sautee about 1 pound of sausage in a skillet. I used Greek lamb sausage from Whole Foods, but Italian turkey sausage will work fine.
3. After the sausage is well browned, remove from pan and slice. Deglaze pan with 1/2 or 3/4 cup dry white wine, and simmer to reduce slightly. Add juices to beans. Add 1 quart chicken stock to beans.
4. Then, in several tbs of olive oil, sautee 1 large onion, coarsely chopped, 1 stalk celery chopped, and 1 carrot chopped. Add 1 tsp dry oregano.
5. When veggies begin to release their juices, add 2 minced cloves of garlic. Sautee till the onion begins to become translucent. Then add 2 or 3 cups chopped collard greens (chopped kale will also do). Continue to sautee until the greens are well wilted.
6. Add sausage, veggies, 1 can diced tomatoes to bean pot & continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour.
7. Add salt & black pepper to taste. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon on top!

Dylan, Christmas, and Boylan Bridge

Last night a stunning crowd packed the Boylan Bridge Brewpub to listen to "Christmas in the Heart", Bob Dylan's Christmas album. It was great to meet so many people  who think like we do: Hunger is Unacceptable and Bob Dylan is still the coolest guy around. There will be more of these meetups in the future. Keep checking the Behind the Scenes at the Food Shuttle blog to stay informed. Also, if you haven't seen it yet, the Food Shuttle website has been redesigned, updated and looks great. Our web guy Nick Brown worked his magic and we love the results. Check it out here.

Here's a track from the new album. Thanks again!

Power of Eating Right: Kick-Off!!

By: Jamie Becker, OFL Class Instructor and NC State student

Our first class we taught for OFL was one of the best experiences that any of us has ever experienced! As volunteers teaching middle school children we were skeptical of how our first community outreach experience would be. The kids were fabulous and participated more than we had anticipated! Our recipe was “Tex-Mex Skillet”, which was a hit and exposed our participants to fresh vegetables and healthier options for a hearty dinner. All in all our first experience with the OFL class was a major success and we are all looking forward to our next class with our new friends!

To incorporate a healthy meal into your weekly dinner menu try the “Tex-Mex Recipe Twist” below:

 Tex-Mex Skillet (with our twist)—makes 8 servings

• 1 can of black beans (in place of 1 lb. of meat)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of 12 oz kernel corn (drained)
• 1 12 oz jar of mild salsa
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 green peppers
• ½ packet of taco seasoning
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 bag of baked tortilla chips
• ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet cook the minced garlic until slightly brown

2. Add the squash and green pepper. Cook until slightly tender.

3. Stir in corn, black beans and jar of mild salsa.

4. Add taco seasoning packet. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Serve hot over tortilla chips and topped with shredded cheese. Add sour cream if desired.

Bob Dylan Party: You're Invited!

Watch this video for details about the Bob Dylan Listening Party tomorrow night!

Chili Nights

As the nights start to get a bit of a chill and the leaves get ready to change we deiced to post a quick, hearty, healthy and tasty chili recipe. Our OFL class in Durham tried out this recipe in class last week and enjoyed it. Chili is a great meal and good by itself, on a salad, in a burrito or with some corn chips to make nachos. Try out this recipe below and let us know what you think. We would also love to hear what suggestions and variations you may have.  

Turkey and Vegetable Chili

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 large green pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1 (15½ ounce) can red or white kidney beans
• 2 (14½ ounce) cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Peel and rinse onion, garlic, and carrots.
2. Rinse and remove seeds from green pepper.
3. Dice onion, carrots, and green pepper. Mince garlic.
4. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.
5. Add turkey to large pot and brown.
6. Add carrots, green pepper, and onion to the pot and sauté until onions are transparent and carrots are somewhat tender, about 5 minutes.
7. Drain and rinse beans.
8. Add the beans, tomatoes, water, cumin, and chili powder to the vegetables in the large pot.
9. Cook over medium heat until all the flavors have blended together, about 15 minutes.

Healthy eating on the go

Are you always on the go?

Tips on eating healthy on a budget while eating out

by: Rachael P. Bryan, Nutrition Intern

1. Order regular or child-size portions. Mega-sized servings are typically more than you need. Or for a lighter and generally less expensive meal, order an appetizer instead of a main course.
2. Read menus carefully for clues to fat and calorie content. Menu terms that mean less fat and calories include: baked, braised, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted, and steamed. Menu terms that mean more fat and calories include: batter-fried, pan-fried, buttered, creamed, crispy, and breaded.
3. Split your order. Share an extra large sandwich or main course with a friend or take half home for another meal. This helps save money as well as prevent excessive calorie intake.
4. If you are always eating on the go, tuck portable, non-perishable foods in your purse, tote, briefcase or backpack for a meal. Some ideas include peanut butter and crackers, granola bars, a piece of fresh fruit, trail mix, and single serve packages of whole grain cereal or crackers.
5. For “desk-top dining,” keep single-serve packages of crackers, fresh fruit, peanut butter, or canned tuna in your desk for a quick lunch.
6. Other ways to boost nutrition while eating out: for all sandwiches, add tomato, lettuce, peppers and vegetables; ask for sauces, dressings and toppings on the side so you can control how much you eat; in place of chips or fries, choose a side salad, fruit, or baked potato (avoid the cheese and sour cream).

Hope you enjoyed these helpful tips! Next time you find yourself eating out or eating on the go, try a few of these suggestions to help improve your nutrition or reduce your budget!

Article Source: American Dietetic Association’s Eat Right: Food, Nutrition and Health Tips from the American Dietetic Association; “Healthy Eating on the Run: A Month of Tips”

A Little Help?

Can you take good pictures? Use a flip camera? If so, we need your help. If not, we can probably teach you , so we need your help anyway. The Food Shuttle website, blogs, youtube, and flickr are important ways we let everyone in the Triangle (and beyond!) know about the great things the Food Shuttle is doing to make sure families, children and seniors have access to  healthy, nutritious  food. With our Food Recovery and Distribution, Culinary Job Training, Operation Frontline, Farm and Community Gardens, the Food Shuttle does amazing things and we need volunteers to help put a spotlight on it all.

We have stuff going on during the day, in the evening and on weekends, so if you’re willing, we have opportunitites for you. You’ll work with the Food Shuttle’s fabulous communications department and be on the frontlines in the fight against hunger. Call 250.0043 and ask for Jason or Cece. Or email Jason@foodshuttle.org or cece@foodshuttle.org .

Operation Frontline: 101

By:  Sara O’Neill, OFL Volunteer Chef

Volunteering for the first time in an Operation Frontline class can be a little intimidating. After serving as a chef in several classes, I have become comfortable teaching and interacting with participants, as well as fellow volunteers.

Here are a few things I have found that can help lead to a successful class:

1. Be willing to open up to the participants in the class.

You can share enough about your life without having to air your dirty laundry. More than likely you will have something in common with each person in a class. In down times, talk about work, your family and your personal interests. Although you don’t want to lose focus on the intentions of the class, this can be helpful if the first couple classes seem to be a bit too quiet.

2.   Let participants see that you know what you’re talking about, but that you’re still a human.

 I always like to let the classes know about my cooking successes in the kitchen, but I also let them know I’ve botched my fair share of recipes.  It can be frustrating to have failures when first starting out in one’s own kitchen, so reassurance can help participants gain confidence to keep trying. When nutritionists share that they aren’t always “perfect” eaters, participants can also see that healthy eating is a work in progress.

3.   Interrupting (done politely of course) can be a good thing.

When fellow instructors are able to jump in with additional comments and questions during teaching time, it can benefit the class in a couple of ways. First, it keeps the participants more alert to hear different voices.  In kids’ classes, this can be helpful during the nutrition lessons, as the kids often seem to get distracted during these times. Second, it shows that instructors are working as a team and paying attention even when they are not leading the class.

4.   Have a game plan, but don’t be surprised if it changes.

 In my classes, we always started with a timeframe for accomplishing tasks. Rarely things seemed to go exactly as planned, but I would consider every class I was at to be a success. We always managed to learn our nutrition lesson and cook something tasty, and have a good time doing it. Just be willing to adapt to surprises that come your way.

Whether you’re teaching kids, teens or adults, keep these hints in mind if your class, or your confidence, seems to need a little boost.

1st Food Drive at Durham Service Center

The Durham Service Center (DSC) is proud to announce the successful completion of its first food drive courtesy of the Ann Ringland Group.  This is an excellent example of what the Durham Community is all about- helping!

In a little over a week the Ringland Group raised approximately 1000 lbs. of food.  Congratulations on a job well done!

To those planning future food drives/fundraisers, please Jerome- DurhamCoord@foodshuttle.org regarding any assistance.  Together we can all make a difference in fighting hunger and food insecurity in our beloved community!