Hearty Meals for All

News at HMFA

2011-09-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hello HMFA friends and supporters,

It's been a while! But, we have some exciting news to share at HMFA:

1) We are having our Annual Fundraiser on:

Wednesday, October 19th at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA at 7pm.

Your purchase of a $15 ticket will go to support another great year of HMFA serving free fresh, local, and healthy meals to our community! Check out these local bands at our fundraiser:

*Creature Breath

*Andrew Greene with Eric Salt

*Sam Otis Hill and Company

*Anger Management

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions about the fundraiser, feel free to email us at heartymealsforall@gmail.com.

2) Check out Rebecca and Yvette on Somerville Gives Back, a show produced by the Somerville Communications Department, that highlights non-profit organizations in Somerville. Its a great clip about the program and you get to see the meal prep in action!

http://www.somervillema.gov/view-videos

3) We are blessed to have a new intern, Elizabeth Espen, helping out with the program. You will probably see Elizabeth around at the meals and likely receive some email contact from her at some point, so please help us in welcoming her into the HMFA family!

4) Last, but definitely not least, we recently heard that Hearty Meals for All will receive a grant from the Somerville Health Foundation. Part of this support will help us to create a recipe book, so stay tuned. The rest of their generous support will help us continue to offer locally sourced, healthy meals each month. Thanks, for your continued support, SHF!

Thank you all for your continued interest in and support of our program!

Peace,

Emily, Rebecca, Yvette, and Elizabeth

Join us for our twist on a Thanksgiving meal!

2010-11-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the pictures above, October's meal was a delicious success! Our guest chef, Arathi Ravichandran, whipped up some traditional Indian grub (chickpeas in stewed tomatoes and cabbage with mustard seeds). It was tasty!

Join us this month on November 12th at 6:30pm for a delicious fall meal. We will be serving slow-cooked, apple stuffed pork from Austin Farms in Western Massachusetts with a cider gravy and mashed potatoes. Yum! And expect a delicious fall-themed dessert as well.

Hope to see you all next Friday to celebrate the harvest!

Peace,

Emily and Rebecca

August Meal a Success!

2010-08-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

August 13th 2010: Turkey & Tofu Salad w/ Couscous & Green Salad

Delicious Turkey Salad made with Greek Yogurt.

Turkey courtesy of New Beginnings Farm.

Emily & Ilan serving a fresh & local green salad.

Kali & Richard making the special dessert!

Thank you to everyone who supported and joined us at August's hearty meal!

The menu was turkey salad made with greek yogurt, a fresh and local green salad, steamed corn on the cob, couscous with slivered almonds and currants, and a tofu salad. Dessert was homemade chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies with a special fruit and chocolate pudding truffle made by Richard!

Good company, good food, and good weather made for a successful meal. A special thanks to New Beginnings Farm for supplying the turkey and to When Pigs Fly bakery for all of the bread for sandwiches!

See below for the recipe for the tofu salad. We hope to see you next month on September 10th at 6:30pm!

Emily and Rebecca

Tofu Mock Chicken Salad:
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/4-1/2 cup crushed walnuts
a couple of handfuls of red graped, halved
1/4-1/2 cup golden raisins or craisins or both
Veganaise to taste (around 1/2 cup- add by the spoonful and mix in to prevent drowning it)
Paprika to taste
Onion Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least 1/2 hour-1 hour for best results. Can be eaten alone, on a sandwich, atop a salad, or any other way you choose!

Celebrate our 1 Year Anniversary with Us! Friday, June 11th

2010-06-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

One-Year Anniversary BBQ with Hearty Meals for All!

Where: Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave in Davis Square

When: Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 6:00pm

Who: All are invited and encouraged to attend! Community members, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and supporters...

Join us for a BBQ featuring burgers and lamb sausages from New Beginnings Farm and pork sausage from Dave's Fresh Pasta, complete with veggie sides and ice cream sundaes.

We hope to see you there!

Picture above from our visit to New Beginnings Farm this past weekend :)

Emily, Rebecca, & Yvette

Next Meal: THIS Friday, April 9th, 2010

2010-04-06T10:50:00.001-07:00

Join us on Friday April 9th at 6:30pm for a delicious meal of slow-roasted lamb, veal marsala, and tofu marsala!

We are holding a special, FREE CPR training at 3pm at the Church as the workshop for this month's meal. Juanita Allen from the Natick VNA will be facilitating. This is a great opportunity to get trained in CPR! Space is limited, so if you would to join us, please email us at heartymealsforall@gmail.com ASAP!

Our March meal was a success with over 40 guests enjoying a delicious meatloaf, a lentil and barley vegetarian loaf, mashed potatoes and sauteed greens. For dessert all enjoyed homemade ricotta cookies and a hot chocolate bar!!

Hope to see you all on Friday!

HMFA has made the news!

2010-02-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Just a quick note to encourage you to check out the Somerville Journal's article about Hearty Meals for All.

Also, our friends at the Somerville Scout wrote a nice blog post about us!

Our February meal was a success- the Vegetarian Bean Chili was delicious! Check out Yvette's yummy recipe below.

Come join us on March 12th at 6:30pm for Grass-fed Meatloaf and Lentil Loaf with Mashed Potatoes.

Vegetarian Bean Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Tomato paste
3 T Soy sauce (preferably Tamari low sodium)
2 T Agave syrup or brown sugar
Chipotle in Adobo (can)
yellow onion, chopped
red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 medium sweet potatoes, shredded (using a cheese grater)
4 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes)
2 cups Imagine vegetable broth
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
salt
black pepper
dried basil
dried oregano/marjoram
Cumin
Chili Powder
Smoked Paprika
1 bay leaf
Lime juice (2 limes)

Garnishes: chopped fresh cilantro, green onion slices, shredded cheddar cheese, hot sauce, chopped jalapeno

Roast bell peppers in the oven at 400, steam in foil and peel skins and chop. (you can skip this step and add them raw)

Make chili base – Mix the tomato paste, soy sauce, agave or brown sugar and the chipotle in adobo together in a bowl. NOTE: start with 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce and then increase to taste and desired hottness. You may want to chop some of the chipotle chilis and add them too. The tomato paste will cut the heat somewhat.

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Add paste and begin to caramelize over medium heat (3-4 min), then add peppers and half the shredded sweet potato. Continue to caramelize and cook until the vegetables have softened and the flavors have come together. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.

Add chili powder, smoked paprika and other spices and herbs; stir and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes until tomatoes break down and chili begins to thicken. Stir in beans, and simmer another 15-20 minutes.. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lime juice.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, chopped fresh jalapeno, scallions, and lots of fresh cilantro. Served over steamed rice. Add grilled or left-over chicken.

Valentine's Day Meal, tomorrow!

2010-02-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Our next meal is tomorrow night, Friday February 12th, at the Somerville Community Baptist Church at 6:30pm. Come early at 5:30pm to volunteer and/or to hear a mini-presentation on the Magic of Beans :)

We will be serving Vegetarian Chili, Cornbread, Squash, and Chocolate Chip Cookies (generously donated by Dave's Fresh Pasta). We will also have a little Valentine surprise! Hope to see you all there!

Check out our friends at the Somerville Scout's blog post about us!

Peace,

Emily

Hearty Meals Fundraiser was a great success!

2010-01-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 8th, after a delicious meal of donated When Pigs Fly bread and Beefalo (its an actual cross-breed!), Venison, and Vegetarian Meatballs with pasta donated by Dave's Fresh Pasta, a fresh green-and-orange salad, and chewy oatmeal bars, we headed over to Asiana Fusion in Watertown for a rockin' good time for a good cause!

Thanks to all of our wonderful supporters, we were able to raise $1,000 for HMFA! Special thanks to the Sam Otis Hill Band, Anger Management, and Asiana Fusion for your groovy beats and a fantastic space. Thanks also to Wild Mountain Farm in West Brookfield, MA for donating the delicious Beefalo for the meal, and to Matt for his venison.

Check out the pictures of the fun times. And, if you couldn't make it, don't worry! Stay tuned for a fun, mystery event in June, and you are always welcome to donate to HMFA at any time ;) Ask us how...

Next meal, February 12th at 6:30pm: When Pigs Fly Bread, Tortilla Chips and Salsa, Bean and Barley Chili, Homemade Cornbread, Greens, and Valentine's Brownies. We hope to see you there.

Thanks again!

~Emily and Rebecca

First Community Meal of the New Year!

2010-01-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Come join us for our first meal of 2010 on January 8th at 6:30pm at the Somerville Community Baptist Church on College Ave in Davis Square.

We will be serving Dave's Fresh Pasta with Venison, Beef, and Vegetarian Meatballs with a Fresh Garden Salad, When Pigs Fly Bread, and Oatmeal Bars.

Come early for a 'Re-Evaluating Sugar' workshop.

Don't forget- after the meal, we are having a fundraiser at Asiana Fusion in Watertown. Come join us for a good time! Featuring the bands The Sam Otis Hill Band and Anger Management.

We have started asking our suppliers and donors a few critical questions about the food that we are serving. We asked our venison provider, Matt, these questions:

1. Where does this product come from? How did you get it? The deer meat was hunted in Western Massachusetts.

2. What was the product fed? The deer ate whatever it foraged in the forest- probably mostly leaves, twigs, fruits, buds, acorns, etc.

3. How did this product get to you? How far did it have to travel? The deer was hunted in the woods in Western Massachusetts, where Matt lives. The meat will have to travel to Somerville, about 2 hours by car. The meat is travelling with someone who regularly makes the trip to Somerville anyways.

4. How confident are you in the quality of the product? Matt has been eating venison hunted in W. Mass for a while, and seems very confident in its quality and taste.

We hope to bring you more information about where our products are coming from. Stay tuned!

Lastly, a friend of ours is hosting a great event at the Somerville Public Library on Monday, January 11th from 6pm-7pm. The event is a CSA Fair, an opportunity for various local farmers to gather and advertise their CSA opportunities. If you are interested in joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, this is a great chance to learn what the local farms have to offer. After the fair, there will be a showing of the film The Power of Community from 7pm-8pm. Hope to see you there!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HMFA Fundraiser!

2009-12-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

Friends of Hearty Meals,

On January 8th, after our monthly meal of Beef-a-loo Pasta and Salad, we are having a fundraiser! Come celebrate the New Year with us!

Details below:

What? A Hearty Meals for All Fundraiser Party with the Sam Otis Hill Band and Anger Management

Where? Asiana Fusion, 1 Waverly Ave, Watertown, MA.

When? Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 9pm (We will be having a community meal beforehand in Somerville that night).

How Much? We are asking for a suggested donation of $10 (tax-deductible). HMFA is entirely volunteer-run, and all donations will go directly to program costs.

Who? YOU and your friends! Spread the word, the more, the merrier!

If you have any questions, contact Rebecca or Emily at heartymealsforall@gmail.com.

If you would like to join us at the meal in Somerville to help or eat, come to the Somerville Community Baptist Church at 31 College Ave in Davis Square around 6pm. If you have a car and can help carpool some friends, let us know!

We hope to see you there :)

Happy New Year,

Emily and Rebecca

Next Meal: THIS Friday, December 11th, 6:30pm

2009-12-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

Our November meal was another success with over 50 guests. Thanks to all who helped out. We are expecting the numbers to increase as the weather gets colder. We are gearing up for our next meal which will be Friday, Dec. 11th at 6:30 at the Somerville Community Baptist Church in Davis Square. Continuing our committment to supporting local farmers and bringing the freshest and healthiest meat and foods to our guests, we purchased pork from New Beginnings Farm in Townsend, MA and will be making pullled pork. The menu is BBQ pulled pork, BBQ beans, cornbread, honey carrots, When Pigs Fly Bread, and dessert is still to be determined. We need help prepping the meal starting at 6:00pm on Thursday, Dec. 10th and help cooking and serving starting at 5:30 on Friday night. If you can make it let us know (heartymealsforall@gmail.com). Please invite anybody you would like to volunteer and/or enjoy the meal. If you have questions you can email or give Rebecca a call at 917-826-5298. We hope to see you this week!

Best,

Emily and Rebecca

Where Does Our Food Come From?

2009-12-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

The “hearty meals” served at HMFA are more than just free; they are highly nutritious, well-balanced, and made with high-quality ingredients. Well, what do we mean by high-quality?

Vegetables: Our meals always feature an array of fresh vegetables- everything from your everyday players like carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and potatoes, to less common and more exotic (but just as healthy!) ones such as kale, baby bok choy, beets, and turnips. Most of our vegetables are donated by our friends at Food for Free, a Cambridge-based agency that “responds to local hunger by rescuing fresh food that might otherwise go to waste and distributing it within the emergency food system where it can reach those in need” (from their website). In season, Food for Free gets much of their produce locally, from farms and farmer’s markets in the area. They also work with Whole Foods and Trader Joes.

Meats: We have made a commitment (with the help of the Somerville Health Foundation) to serving only locally-raised, humanely-treated, appropriately-fed meat products. You may say, ‘but they are so expensive and you have to go pick them up!’ We don’t care. It’s important to us that the people we feed (including ourselves) receive the quality of food they deserve, and meat is no exception. We have built partnerships with local farms, such as Double J Farm (serving grass-fed, handsome beef), Austin Brothers Valley Farm, and New Beginnings Farm (look out for our all-natural, farm-raised pulled pork sandwiches coming this month!) If you are a local farmer and would like to work with us, please email! heartymealsforall@gmail.com.

Bread: We get our delicious and nutritious freshly baked artisan breads generously donated from When Pigs Fly in Davis Square. Our guests eat these deliciously creative loaves right up (I am guilty, too). We thank When Pigs Fly for providing us with this much needed, high-fructose-corn-syrup-free donation.

Dairy Products and Eggs: Well, pretty much the same idea as meats. If you’re looking for quality, locally-grown meats, you should be looking for the same things in your milk products and eggs. For these tasty additions, we frequent the Dairy Bar at Kick~Ass Cupcakes. Scrumptious farm fresh milk, cream, and eggs. You’ll notice the difference, I promise (that is a challenge!).

Other Products: Ok, so we don’t buy EVERYTHING locally (do you have olive trees fruiting in your backyard?). But we do try our hardest to get organic and fresh when we can. Did we mention that Dave’s Fresh Pasta has donated delicious handmade pasta dishes to us, twice?? All of our desserts (well, all of the dishes, for that matter) are handmade by our fabulous chef Yvette, and we offer a vegetarian option at each meal! If you have thoughts, suggestions, compliments for specific products or lines, let us know!

We hope that our program can be an inspiration to others to make these ever-so-important shifts in where we get our food.

A Sampling of our past menu offerings:

July: Bread & herb oil; Grilled Chicken Burrito with rice, beans, cheese, onions & peppers; Dill Potatoes, Turnips & Carrots; Cole Slaw; Apple Crisp; Iced tea

August: Bread with bruschetta topping; Handmade pasta primavera with fresh vegetables; Turkey meatballs; Fresh garden salad; Oatmeal squares; Iced tea and Coffee

September: Bread and herb oil; Breaded Tilapia, Chicken Breast, or Tempeh; Homemade Potato Chips; Steamed Greens; Chocolate Brownies; Iced tea

October: Bread with olive oil; Dave’s Sesame Noodles with Sauteed Vegetables & Shrimp; Chopped Salad; Pumpkin Whoopie Pies; Iced tea and Coffee

November: When Pigs Fly bread with herb oil; Shepard's Pie with grass-fed beef (or beans); Fresh sauteed greens; Pumpkin Bread (and a variety of cakes); Coffee

December: You’ll have to join us on December 11th to find out, but, did I mention pulled pork sandwiches??

See us featured in Wicked Local Somerville, twice!

What is HMFA?

2009-12-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hearty Meals for All is a free community meal served on the second Friday of each month at the Somerville Community Baptist Church at 31 College Avenue, Somerville, MA 02144. For more information, comment on this blog or email us at heartymealsforall@gmail.com

A Big Thanks to our supporters: New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, Somerville Health Foundation, The Somerville Community Baptist Church, and all of our wonderful individual donors, family, and friends!

Program Description

Hearty Meals for All aims to meet a community need by providing wholesome, cooked meals that use fresh produce, lean meats, and fresh dairy products and by creating a welcoming and open atmosphere for individuals and families to enjoy their food. Hearty Meals for All secular meal times will be held at the Somerville Community Baptist Church in Davis Square and will also serve as a venue for social support services, such as resources and referrals, free health services administered by local health organizations, and opportunities for self-expression.

Mission Statement

To meet the nutritional and social needs of the community by providing free, healthy, fresh meals in a welcoming atmosphere. To help develop avenues through which healthy habits can flourish.

Vision Statement

To create a safe, stable, and friendly environment in which free and healthy community meals are served, where individuals and families of all means feel comfortable participating. A warm environment that is bursting with activity, in which guests and volunteers are one in the same and are peers. An apparent emphasis on healthy eating and healthy living that is not patronizing, but rather invites participants to learn about and take charge of their health and nutrition while connecting community members with the resources to do so.

Who Is HMFA?

Hearty Meals for All is volunteer-administered and run. Community volunteers (including guests) help with fundraising, advertising, daily operations, food ordering, food pick-up, food and supply inventory, meal set-up, meal preparation, meal service, clean-up, and event planning.

Rebecca Gallo, M.P.H., L.C.S.W. and Emily Bullen, L.C.S.W will administer the program. Rebecca earned a Masters degree in Social Work and a Masters degree in Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from American University. She is a licensed clinical social worker. Emily received a Master's degree in Social Enterprise Administration from the Columbia University School of Social Work in New York, N.Y., and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She is also a licensed social worker.