Egg Foo Young and Buckwheat Noodle Salad

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Fresh Collard Greens SJLI - F2P Culinary Club

Thanks to Pam, our last cooking demonstration was quite a success! It was a chance to showcase new recipes and techniques with a few familiar ingredients. Both of Pam’s recipes use Asian ingredients that you may be familiar with from trips to your favorite restaurant or a stroll down the grocery aisle. One of the common additions in both recipes is cruciferous greens–a mix of both swiss chard and collards. These types of greens are an excellent way to add natural vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet.

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Making Fresh Pasta

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Carolyne Making Pasta Dough Collage - F2P Culinary Club

This month, Carolyne decided it would be the perfect time to teach students how to make pasta. That’s right, fresh pasta you can make at home! It’s much easier than you think, and as always, when it’s homemade, pasta takes so much better than the boxed variety. You may be wondering if it is worth your time and effort. If you are a pasta lover, or if you enjoy cooking projects that are fun for kids as well, pasta is perfect for you. You would be surprised just how easy it can be.

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Peanut and Chicken Stew and Chapati

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Chrystal Leading Feb Demo - F2P Culinary Club

February marks the return of Black History Month, and this time, we have combined forces with Oldways to highlight their celebration of African Heritage and Health Week, which ran from February 1-7. It was a time to remember, recognize and implement “at least one dish, at home or at a local restaurant, that is inspired by the cuisines of African-American ancestors and Oldways’ African Heritage Diet Pyramid“. The pyramid is a reformed visual that displays various ancestral foods and their best quantities in a person’s diet. Eating in line with our heritage, according to Oldways, is not only a way to connect to history and nourish the spirit, but also to improve health. The pyramid features a large focus on greens, vegetables, fruits, beans and grains, with meats, fats and desserts making up the smaller portion of the pyramid. It is this return to a more plant-based diet that plays a large role in the healthier lifestyle on a micro level and also has a hand in rebuilding and strengthening communities as a whole. Continue reading →

Help Fund the Warren Lane Urban Farm

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PACT Urban Farms - PACT

Courtesy of PACT

There are so many ways to spend $10 in the week. Grab a small coffee before work every morning. Snag lunch with a friend. Happy hour cocktails in the afternoon. Picking up a handful of lottery tickets. Another easy way to spend $10 is by donating to the Warren Lane Urban Farm. With just 18 days to go, the Warren Lane Urban Farm–an initiative supported by Whole Kids Foundation and PACT–is a little less than halfway to its mission. For just $2,500, the farm will be outfitted with an amphitheater, rain garden, play area, and an aquaponic greenhouse, in addition to various produce guilds, a chicken coop and compost area. The garden will serve as an educational and empowering space for members of the community to learn, collaborate and engage with each other over healthy, wholesome foods. Please donate today and share this campaign with loved ones and colleagues to ensure that the Warren Lane Urban Farm reaches completion!

SJLI’s 2013 Fruit Tree Distribution!

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2013 Fruit Tree Distribution Collage 1 - F2P Culinary Club

Last weekend, the Social Justice Learning Institute, in collaboration with Tree People, hosted its second fruit tree distribution. Two thousand trees, two thousand families. In addition to community members picking up trees to plant in their own backyards and gardens, people were able to sit in on health, planting, nutrition and, of course, cooking workshops from Farm2Plate Culinary Club. The entire day was a major success! Families left the Morningside High School parking lot armed with information, education and their own tree that would remain a blooming indication of this community’s efforts to fight food injustice.

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Celebrating Lemons in Four Ways

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Lemon Explosion SJLI - F2P Culinary Club

With the 2013 Fruit Tree Distribution on the horizon, we thought it made sense to let one of the top homegrown citrus fruits have some time to shine. Lemons! There are so many people across L.A. with lemon trees, and perhaps you find yourself looking for something else to make besides lemonade. The same could be said for any one of the fruit trees available via next January’s free distribution–apple, apricot, peach, nectarine, plum. Here’s hoping you see these various lemon recipes as inspiration for ways to experiment with citrus and other fruits. Continue reading →

Butternut Squash Soup Featuring Melissa’s Produce

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Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients - F2P Culinary Club

For the month of November, Carolyne wanted to share a very satisfying and healthy soup using seasonal produce from our friend’s at Melissa’s Produce. Butternut squash is the key component, and it shines through as a winner on this winter-perfect soup. Readily available at grocery stores and farmers markets, butternut squash is a vegetable you should definitely add to your family’s meal roster.
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Pumpkin 10-Grain Pancakes and Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes

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Pumpkin & Spaghetti Squash SJLI - F2P Culinary Club

Pam led the way with this month’s workshop. The focus was on two of the fall’s star students–pumpkin and squash. Instead of serving pumpkin pie, discover all the ways in which the fruit can be used for other recipes. It is full of vitamins and nutrients, plus it is a versatile ingredient. You can use it for many more dishes other than pie, and Pam proved that fact with her morning-appropriate stack of pancakes. As for the squash, the season presents a variety of vegetables, and this one has its own unique look. The roasted flesh forms strands that look like pasta, hence the name spaghetti squash. With a few spices and herbs, spaghetti squash can be a great substitute for carb-laden pasta for weekly meals. Continue reading →

Our Next Workshop is October 20th

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SJLI Training & Workshop Flyer - F2P Culinary Club

Will we see you at the next SJLI training and workshop day? On Saturday, October 20th, meet us at Morningside High School for health, nutrition, cooking and planting. It all starts at 11:00 am. Pam will lead this month’s cooking workshop, and it is guaranteed to be good. If you’re looking for more fun before the workshop, make your way to Queen Park on Saturday, October 6th for physical fitness and gardening from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.

SJLI Community Days - F2P Culinary Club