At Three Sisters Kitchen, we believe that everyone deserves access to healthy, local food! In this spirit, we are excited to partner with Kids Cook, Southwest Organizing Project, Casa de Salud, Mandy’s Farm, Together 4 Brothers, Yes Housing, and a number of other downtown organizations for the FreshRx at Three Sisters Kitchen program. FreshRx at Three Sisters Kitchen seeks to end food insecurity in our local communities by connecting downtown households with fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. We launched our pilot program this month with 33 households, each getting $15 vouchers for fresh produce at Three Sisters Kitchen weekly for 20 weeks! We are grateful to our program sponsors, Presbyterian Healthcare Services and the Clif Bar Family Foundation for making the pilot season possible.
I caught up with Vanessa and her teenage son Tyler last week, their shopping bags brimming with fresh beets, carrots, and lettuce from SpeakEasy Gardens, to learn about their experience so far with FreshRx. Vanessa mentioned that while they used to frequent farmers’ markets, they haven’t been in a long time. She shared her excitement about the FreshRx program, “I like it…It’s nice to be able to get produce here instead of the grocery store”. The market bustled around us, I thanked them for their time, and they made their way into line for arugula and other fresh greens from EMS Farms.
In addition to the weekly vouchers, the program provides participants with recipes focused on the fresh local produce available at the Evening Market, nutrition tips, and food safety information. The FreshRx program will also offer community cooking classes to engage participants with recipe ideas, practical cooking skills, food tastings, and nutrition education to help them build familiarity and enthusiasm around consuming fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Produce vendors at the Evening Market at Three Sisters Kitchen began accepting FreshRx vouchers on March sixth, the pilot program will run for twenty weeks.
FreshRx Roasted Root Vegetables
Recipe adapted from www.geniuskitchen.com
Orange and yellow produce can help promote healthy vision and cell growth!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 45 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour
Serves: 5
Ingredients:
2-pounds of fresh local root vegetables: your choice of potatoes, sweet
potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, or beets
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into 1/3” wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil or other vegetable oil (optional)
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
Your choice of herbs, spices, or balsamic vinegar for flavor
Directions:
Wash vegetables. Peel and cut into 1” pieces. Toss with oil and choice of spices (examples:
Italian herb blend, Cajun spice mix, red chile powder).
Without crowding, place root vegetables and onion on a non-stick or lined roasting pan.
Roast for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, add garlic cloves to the
pan. Remove from oven when vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Did you know—The skins of root vegetables are packed with antioxidants that help to reduce
inflammation in the body! If you don’t mind them, leave them on.
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