In Eastern Massachusetts, one in nine people uses a soup kitchen or a food pantry. One in nine.
The North Shore Hunger Network operations meeting is an opportunity for the North Shore food assistance agencies to share best practices: to discuss how to best provide nutrition and advocacy to people who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. At this table, the agencies trying to fill the widening hunger gaps in our communities find their own support.
A large dose of happy news came to the North Shore Hunger Network in December, when they learned that Gloucester’s Open Door had received one of thirteen State Giving Grants from Walmart - $25,000 to expand their Mobile Markets Program through the North Shore Hunger Network. (photo by Jason Grow) Working with their local housing authorities to identify the largest concentration of need, Beverly Bootstraps and Haven From Hunger will be able to offer the same positive food distribution model to Beverly, Peabody and Salem, with operating and technical assistance from the Open Door, starting in June.
The Mobile Market is a free farmers' market, modeled on a program begun by City Harvest in New York City, that has been operating in Gloucester since 2005. The theory and practice is about getting locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables - grown by the Food Project, Appleton Farms in Ipswich and Farmer Dave’s in Dracut - into neighborhoods where need is high and access to food difficult.
It’s sad news that business is up, but the changing model of food assistance, with an interest in providing local fresh fruits and vegetables, teaching healthy cooking practices, and building community, is good news for everyone.
Here is a wonderful recipe I presented to the North Shore Hunger Network. I was asked to present low fat, low sodium recipes ideas for someone shopping from a Food Pantry. Using anchovies is an age-old way to salt and flavor foods. Before you wince at salted fish, know that anchovies break down their fishiness to become a delicious but subtle “umami” taste, and they can provide all the salt you need at the same time delivering flavor and even protein. This is Barton Seaver’s recipe. He says he makes versions of it all week for his family. In truth, I do now, too. In truth, I’m addicted to it. There are wonderful depths of flavor in this little salad. (I did reduce the amount of salt in the water when the broccoli parboils.) Roasting the broccoli starts it all going, then the anchovy and garlic tossing makes it a Caesar Salad without the boring romaine. This is a great way to treat a vegetable we’ve all seen way too many times steamed with lemon.
Roasted Broccoli Salad
serves 4 as a side dish or appetizer
Ingredients
2 heads of broccoli
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
8 anchovies
1 teaspoon vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 of a small onion
6 cloves of garlic
Preheat the broiler
Cut the florets from the broccoli stalks, discarding the stalks (or same them for soup?). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, and drop in the florets. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until soft.
Drain, and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush with a little olive oil, and broil until the florets are darkly charred and crunchy, about 10 minutes.
For the vinaigrette, put the anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, and garlic in a blender. Pulse to begin to puree, the, with the machine running, add the remaining olive oil in a slow stead stream. Puree until very smooth.
Transfer the broccoli to a platter or serving bowl, and drizzle with the vinaigrette. This dish is great served hot or at room temperature.
