The Food Exchange

After almost two years of living in Nelson, we learned how to cook good, tasty, healthy food. I used my two "Greens", Cook book most times, and tried recipes from epicurious.com. I also learned about the cook book, "Nourishing Traditions" from my friend Kath. Lobo used epicurious, cooks.com and Sukies Indian spice packs.

Kath, Lobo, and I were always exchanging our left overs. Lobo made curries, I cooked things from the Greens cook book while Kath cooked from Nourishing Traditions. It was great to taste Kath's delicious cooking while opening my eyes to her favorite cookbook. Our friendly food exchanges became regular. Our good friends Niluckshi and Tamiko also joined in the exchange using recipes from Jamie Oliver. We started to drop off food at the school and place the food under our children's coat hooks. Having all this wonderful home cooked food meant more time at the playground with the kids.

A month or so before our return to San Francisco, I asked two good cooks if they wanted to be in a food exchange. Lisa and Jill both said, "yes!" Our first exchange took place on Tuesday September 8 at Rainbow Grocery Store. Jill and I carpooled together with Maya and Pj. The food exchange entres were:
Jill: Polenta and Fish Soup;
Lisa: Veg and Sausage Lasagne
Mari: Cheese and Nut loaf.

The food has been healthy, wholesome, and delicious. A lot of work went into those three dishes and were appreciated by all the families. Maya and PJ are pretty adventurous already and were agreeable to trying food that Jill and Lisa cooked for them.

For the past month Jill and I have been able to exchange dishes once a week, while Lisa exchanges once every two weeks. Jill and I live less than two blocks away from each other so dropping off food on each other's porch is very convenient. We try our best to deliver the food before Tuesday dinner. It has been great to have the refrigerator full of great food. There's definitely extra food which we eat for lunch or give away to our other food friends.

The second week entrees:
Jill - chicken cacciatori
Mari -dahl vegetable stew
Lisa - fresh pasta sauce from her garden

The third week entrees -
Jill - vegatable goulash
Mari's mom's - arroz caldo -

4th week entrees
Jill- green beans and grilled chicken
Lobo chole, chicken curry
Lara (guest cook) lemon risotto

We also had a pot luck on Saturday -
Arielle cooked a nicaraguan dish with masa and chicken
Lobo cooked a lamb curry
Mari: savoury bread pudding with mushrooms and cheese
Lara: Swiss Chard Greens with garlic
Cecile: Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate and caramel ganache- best cupcakes ever
Jill - Lemon Bars - they were perfect

Cooking has become fun and exciting when shared and eaten with friends and family.