The Stop E News

November 3, 2010

What's on the Table, Nov 3

The city’s favourite foodie fundraiser returns to the Wychwood Barns tonight! The Stop Community Food Centre’s annual event is now in its sixth year and once again features a dazzling array of delicious and creative food from dozens of Toronto’s top chefs (among them, Beast’s Scott Vivian, Scaramouche’s Keith Froggett, and Jamie Kennedy). For the first time this year, chefs from outside of Toronto are participating in the event, including Jeff Crump (Bread Bar) and Paul Rogalski (Calgary’s Rouge). Read more...

Art and Wine...for Bread and Water, Nov 11

Please join the Rotary Club of Toronto-Eglington for its annual fundraiser, an evening of wine tasting and art appreciation in support of The Stop and WASRAG, Rotary's initiative for safe water. The evening will include hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, a wide selection of premium wines, and a host of exciting live and silent auctions. Read more...

Food for Change, Nov 18

In our popular monthly dinner series, acclaimed Chef Chris Brown creates an intimate, five-course meal to savour in our beautiful greenhouse. Budding cooks who want to experience life in a professional kitchen can join Chris and the crew and help prepare the feast. This month’s menu includes frogs-leg terrine with toasted brioche, 50-day-aged ribeye, Sicilian cannoli and much more! Read more…

A Christmas Carol, Dec 5

Runnymede United Church once again hosts the annual reading of the Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol. Please join us as a star-studded line-up -- featuring Barbara Budd, R.H. Thomson and Matt Galloway, among others -- tell the timeless tale. Read more...

Gifts that Matter

Looking for a meaningful holiday gift for your staff, clients, friends, teachers or anyone else on your list? Contribute $25 to The Stop Community Food Centre to purchase a food hamper for a family, and we’ll send the giftee a lovely card (drawn by kids in our After School Program) saying that you’ve made a donation in their name. Stress-free holiday shopping that makes a difference! Read more...

The Stop in the News

What people are saying about The Stop this month.

Food Banks: Don't Stop at Giving (Toronto Star, Oct 9, 2010) (Scroll down for Spanish translation)

Nearly a million Canadians can't afford a square meal (Vancouver Sun, Sept 9, 2010)

People at The Stop: Inoka Sylvesterge

There are thousands of people who use, benefit from and work with The Stop every year—and The Stop, in turn, is greatly enriched by their involvement with us. Today, we introduce Inoka Sylvesterge, nurse, food bank volunteer and new bike rider.

Having grown-up in Sri Lanka and worked as a nurse in Jerusalem before immigrating to Canada, Inoka Sylvestergenever never had the opportunity to learn to ride a bike. But Inoka isn't the type of woman to shy away from something new. She'd been volunteering in The Stop's food bank for six months when Susan, the Volunteer Coordinator, asked her if she'd like to get involved with a new bike project that was starting up in the neighbourhood.

Inoka hesitated, but her good friend Cheryl (the two women met volunteering at The Stop and are both nurses by trade) encouraged her and said, "Come on! We'll do it together!"

So both women got involved in the Davenport West Bike Project, attending a six-week course awhere they learned the basic mechanics of brakes, gears and wheels. Once a week, Inoka also started meeting up with Jen, another Stop staffer, to practice riding on Jen's bike. Larry, another bike project volunteer, had fixed up some donated bikes so that they could be given to kids. He noticed one of them would be a good fit for Inoka. He did a quick parts inspection, oiled the chain, put air in the tires and, last August, Inoka got her very first bike.

She bought a new bell and a lock and off she went to practice. Inoka loves living in a place where people come together and are always willing to help each other out. Her message to her neighbours: it's never too late to try something new. Happy riding!

(Adapted from the Neighbours article by Jen Plyler-Danch.)

Buy The Printing House Greeting Cards and Support The Stop

The Printing House Limited Charitable Greeting Card Campaign has raised in excess of half a million dollars supporting 37 registered Canadian charities, since 1990. Uniquely providing 100 per cent of the net proceeds to charities, TPH Charitable Greeting Cards send the perfect holiday message. Food programs supported this year include, among others, the Ontario Association of Food Banks, Community Kitchen Program of Calgary and The Stop. Read more...

In this issue

What's on the Table, Nov 3
Art and Wine...for Bread and Water, Nov 11
Food for Change, Nov 18
A Christmas Carol, Dec 5
Gifts that Matter
The Stop in the News
People at The Stop: Inoka Sylvesterge
Buy The Printing House Greeting Cards and Support The Stop

PROGRAM UPDATES

By Kathryn Scharf, Program Director

The Stop’s replication work continues, with Nick, Elizabeth and I have spent several days in the past few weeks on the road to Kingston, Peterborough and Perth. Early mornings and long days, yes. A few stale train snacks and sketchy driving moments, true. But, overall, immensely interesting and enjoyable. From Kingston’s Loving Spoonful (where we met around a table full of Stop cookbook-inspired snacks and visited a local meal program) to Peterborough (met the mayor and convened with a network of diverse organizations in a straw-bale sustainable education centre) and Perth (picnicked by a river and walked around a building that's already been purchased for a future community food centre), we were very impressed by the hospitality and commitment of all of our hosts. Next, we go west!

N.B. "Replication" refers to our taking The Stop model to other communities by piloting two new sites that will launch in a year. We are currently seeking partner communities, hence the road trips.

FLY (Food Leadership for Youth) is off to a flying start, with Kamla and cooking facilitator, Erika, enticing 13 teenage girls into the program with Thai spring rolls, brownies and Stop cookies. So far, the girls have been uncharacteristically enthusiastic (for teens). The program's aimed at developing cooking and nutrition skills, positive body image, and will create opportunities for them to develop leadership skills by creating projects that they can lead with other youth.

With the hiring of our new Community Cooking Coordinator, Wei (covering for Amanda, on mat leave), Shovel and Spoon is gearing up again. We still have a few spots open, so if you know of a group who would like to visit our Wychwood Barns location twice a month to learn new cooking and gardening skills, please call 416-651-7867 ext. 23. Generally speaking, the groups should be working with marginalized people and/or those coping with trauma or abuse and who can commit to regular six-month-long sessions. Beyond skill development, the program aims to use the positive, calming environments of kitchen and garden as spaces where walls can come down and people can connect. After graduation, people are encouraged to connect to other Stop programs, like the Hillcrest Garden or the Happy Meals workshops. In the future, there will also be both seniors and general drop-in cooking sessions, which will offer the chance for people to come, see friends and keep their skills current.

Farmers' Market Update

By Cookie Roscoe Handford, Market Manager

The market moves indoors on November 6, settling in with lots of great produce and the focus shifting to winter. Think meat, cheese, eggs, honey, baked goods, wool, jams and jellies -- and lots of great holiday gift ideas. The hours remain the same -- 8am to noon -- and all your favourite farmers will also be there, with carrots, potatoes, onions, chard, beets, kale, sprouts, squash, beans, grains...it just goes on and on!

Recipe of the Month: Zucchini Bake

This recipe is a favourite of our garden staff. You can easily substitute potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots or beets for the zucchini, or even mix a couple together. Serve with applesauce or a salsa.

Ingredients

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large or two small zucchini

3 cups grated cheese, such as mozzarella or cheddar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square pan with olive oil. Grate zucchini and spread it in an even layer in the pan. Place grated cheese on top of the zucchini.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, pepper and flour, then whisk in the milk and eggs. Pour evenly over zucchini and cheese.

3. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cut into squares and serve.

Serves 4.

For more recipes like this, pick up our cookbook, Good Food for All, available everywhere.

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