I'm not an inspired cook, instead I rely on a handful of familiar favorites, mac'n'cheese, beef stew cooked in the crockpot, breakfast for dinner, an endless variety of rice and beans. My greatest culinary achievement has been my homemade chicken noodle soup. Oh, and I'm the lone vegetarian in a houseful of people who are not while also being the main cook. This means I cook a lot of things that I don't necessarily eat.
Like this lovely pork roast.
How did I come by this? For the last several months I have been off work while my mom recovers from a bout of pneumonia exacerbated by asthma and COPD. In the absence of my income we have been using a couple of local food programs. The programs we use distribute a surprising amount of meats and fresh produce so just about everything in this dinner was courtesy of this week's box of surprises.
This means I don't know what we will be getting from week to week which has had the unexpected benefit of forcing me to up my cooking game. In a wonderful bit of kismet I got a cast iron Dutch oven for Christmas and today was it's inaugural use....look! I learned to sear meat! Trust me it was more browned in person that this photo would seem to indicate.
A cup or so of stock and six hours later it looked like this. Tender, juicy, starting to pull apart.
In another bit of kismet I found a recipe that called for things I already had on hand, all from the same program, onions, sweet potatoes, and apples. The only other ingredient was maple syrup, I have a small jug that I sparingly use that was a gift from my older brother back in RI. It's like a taste of home, both figuratively and literally as it's from a RI maker.
An hour back in the oven with the veggies and we had this little bit of a feast which was some very fancy cooking for me. For less than $10. That is what a week's box of groceries from this program costs. Usually we double our order for $20 and leave with a full cart of food. I'll write more about that another time.
The brussel sprouts are from there as well.... Nellie and I are the only fans which is a shame because they are fresh and really good quality.
If you have ever wondered what it is like to rely on food programs, mostly it's inconvenient. There is a lot of waiting in line but people have been universally friendly and the atmosphere around the holidays was downright festive. This food is from a program called the Xtra Mile Food Bank, there is no needs test or income requirement, hence the small fee. Like so many social programs in the South it is a faith based group but there are no religious overtones to the process beyond Bible verses on the wall. The people are genuinely welcoming. County programs are not, the process is draconian and meant to discourage. This particular program is open three times a week, one morning, one evening, one weekend morning, to reach as many people as possible. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely also a lot of rice and beans, but there's also eggs, fruit, and snacks. Snacks sound like a small thing but they are the first thing to go when money is tight and being able to give my little sisters a treat is a big deal.
If you are in RI there is a fantastic program called Project Hand-Up run out a building on Factory St in West Warwick. Joe and I were regular customers there and they were wonderful. The cost is $6 per visit for several bags of groceries. We had used them to offset our grocery prices in the past. They are good people if you have a need and a good program if you are looking for somewhere worthwhile to donate some dollars. They do not require a needs test, anyone is welcome regardless of income.
I'll be sharing lots more of this cooking adventure, partly for fun, partly to reduce the stigma and preconceived notions of what food insecurity looks like.
.Until next time, bon appetit!
