A relatively new project we have been working on is Sandy’s Community Cook Club hosted by Craigmillar Community Grows and Sandy’s Community Centre. Having worked on other projects that were hosted in this Community Centre, we noticed this cookery club taking place on Thursdays and were really keen to see how we could support this ongoing initiative. The project is hosted weekly on Thursday and was designed to offer members of the community an opportunity to learn cooking skills, help prepare a meal, or simply just come along for some food and a blether with others.
As a team of Chefs at EFS, this project is very well aligned with our ethos and impact goals for Craigmillar. Therefore, after a few exciting conversations about how we could support and collaborate, it was agreed that we would host the class once a month. This would allow for the existing volunteers and chefs to continue their good work, but also allow us to bring our expertise and ideas every so often to the group.
The group is predominantly made up of adults and young people with varying degrees of additional support needs. Over the several months we have been working with Sandys Community Cook Club it has been great to see this group together and witness the impact of this cookery club. It’s also a great opportunity for the carers within the group to participate and get a tasty meal out of it too – always a bonus.
Month one: Taco Thursday
In the build up to the first week, our weekly delivery of produce had a couple interesting items that guided our plans for the class – tortillas and chicken thighs. We thought it would be great to do a little Mexican feast and get the group to make some tacos and the appropriate accompaniments. Who doesn’t love taco night after all?
Our Chefs headed up to Sandy’s loaded up with a plethora of delicious produce and quickly set up various stations ready for the members to arrive. Chicken was being seasoned with a homemade Mexican spice blend, onions and tomatoes were being diced for the guac, and tortillas were being toasted by the dozen. We decided to make an alternative guacamole using peas instead of avocado. Firstly, this is a much cheaper option, much more accessible, and also a locally grown and seasonal product – no need to buy avocados and fly them across the world (here’s a similar recipe you can follow online).
Before long, tacos were being stuffed with all the goodness the team had made and the feedback from the meal was very positive. There were a few sweaty foreheads due to some heavy handed spicing, but this only added to the fun of the day.
Month two: Shepherd’s Pie
With many of our group projects that are ongoing and likely to involve the same attendees, we enjoy taking requests so we can tailor our classes to the needs and desires of those we are teaching. At the end of our taco class several of the attendees were keen to learn more about making shepherd’s pie. A good hearty British dish, this made for a great chance for us to showcase local and seasonal produce.
ingredients getting taken to Sandy’s in our cargo bike
Pies like this are also a great opportunity to pack in additional veggies to help create a more healthy and nutritious dish. For example, this week we had lots of swede in the kitchen, a great additional vegetable to add to the mash element, but also to mix in with the filling element too.
“I don’t usually like lamb, but the way Fergus has cooked it is delicious, I would definitely eat this again” – Liam
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting this, the flavours are really lovely, I would never have thought of adding beetroot and apple powder” – Carol
It’s fair to say that those who requested this were delighted – with some even going so far as to say “this is the best shepherds pie I’ve ever had”. This is the type of feedback we love and strive for!
Month three: Roast Pork and Slaw
After receiving a lovely delivery of free range pork from our partners at Peelham Farm we thought this would be a good opportunity to take some quality local meat up to the group. Naturally, apple sauce was a must, and some roasted veg/potatoes, some slaw also – delicious!
The group quickly began shredding cabbages for the slaw, peeling and cutting potatoes and seasoning up the lovely pork. A Sunday style roast on a Thursday, why not?
“Can I have some more please, I like this a lot” – Damon
“Oh, this is amazing food, thank you so much” – Leeann
