Your NewsMag

14

LIVING

Your NewsMag

Calhoun Club Focuses on Community Cupboard

2021 | VOL.8 NO.1

Soup is Good Food During the winter months there is nothing more warming than comfort foods like home-made soup. For more soup and other delicious recipes, visit our community facebook foodies group https://www.facebook.com/groups/MerrickGirlsWeekdayRecipes

Comforting Cabbage, Onion, and Farro Soup Arlene Laudo

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BELLMORE-MERRICK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Community Cupboard is a food pantry that supports more than 130 local Bellmore-Merrick families. The newly formed Community Cluboard is a club organized by a small group of Calhoun students, who are also dedicated to helping the community.

The purpose of the Cluboard is to organize community service events, link and connect with students as well as market these events.

“The Community Cupboard has many wonderful, generous and thoughtful donors,” explained faculty advisor/assistant principal Mark Melkonian. “One of our first partners, Barbara Philoptochos, the philanthropic chapter of St. Demetrios Church, has partnered with the Community Cupboard for the past few years. They have collected a tremendous amount of food, distributed turkey dinners, cases of water and other necessary supplies.”

Burgritos is another local partner that has supported the food pantry. They donated gift cards and holiday meals. The Merrick Community Nursery School, another valued partner, has

contributed to the Cupboard through the years as well. They have organized food drives and collections, Melkonian explained.

During the summer, Cluboard co-presidents James Gavnoudias and Liam Hardstone organized an online fund to raise money during the pandemic. With the more than $2,000 was raised, the club purchased 100 Stop & Shop gift cards for the families who utilize the pantry.

During the Thanksgiving season, the Cluboard sponsored its first “Clash of the Classes” food drive with help of the National Honor Society - Calhoun Chapter.

There was a significant amount of contributions during the three-week period.

“The leadership of the Cluboard met with the Calhoun Alumni Association and created a sustainable initiative for the Community Cupboard,” added Hardstone. “The roots of our Calhoun Alumni run deep in the community.”

“We are determined to give back to this community and thankful for the opportunity to support those families in need,” added Gavnoudias.

This soup has a definite grandma vibe—warm, comforting, nourishing, and maybe just the tiniest bit old-fashioned, which is what you want on a cold or drizzly day.

• 1 pound cabbage, savoy or green • Extra-virgin olive oil • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled • 1 healthy sprig rosemary or thyme • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar • ⅔ cup farro • About 4 cups meat or poultry broth, homemade or low-sodium store-bought • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Cut out the cabbage core and finely chop it. Cut the leaves into fine shreds.

Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cabbage core, a pinch of salt, and a few twists of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion starts to soften and become fragrant—but not at all browned—about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes until the garlic

is soft too.

Add the shredded cabbage leaves and rosemary. Cover the pot and let steam for a bit to soften the leaves, then toss the cabbage to help it wilt and soften more. Cook, covered, until the cabbage is very tender and sweet, at least 30 minutes.

When the cabbage is ready, stir in the vinegar. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the farro and cook, stirring constantly, until the farro is lightly toasted and fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes.

Scrape the farro into the cabbage pot and add 4 cups broth. Adjust the heat to a lazy simmer and simmer until the farro is tender and all the flavors are married, 25 to 35 minutes.

When the cabbage is ready, stir lazy simmer and simmer until the farro is tender and all the flavors are married, 25 to 35 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice. The soup should be very thick, but if it seems like it needs more liquid, add another ½ cup water or broth. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Serve the soup in shallow bowls, with a shower of Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil on top, with more cheese passed at the table.

Turkey Meatball Soup

Holly Duvernay Homemade mini turkey meatballs, two bags of spinach, about 6 carrots, a bay leaf, 1/2 a sweet onion, carton of low-sodium chicken stock, the legs from a rotisserie chicken and added cous cous at the end. Will add another carton of stock as we reheat/needed.

Chicken Pot-Pie Soup

• •

Lauren Goodman Hirsh 8 cups low salt chicken broth 1 rotisserie chicken, remove skin, debone and cut into

small pieces or 4-6 cups cut up cooked chicken • 2 boxes long grain and wild rice • 1/2 c. chopped celery • 1/2 c. chopped carrots • 2 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour • 2 sticks butter • 4 cups half and half (or milk) 1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in uncooked rice, reserving seasoning packets. Cover and remove from heat.

2. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour.

3. In a second large stockpot, over medium heat, melt butter.

Add carrots and celery and cook till softened. Stir in the contents of reserved seasoning packets.

4. Reduce heat to low and then stir in flour mixture a bit at a time to form a roux. Whisk in half and half, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook, whisking very often (or continually) until thickened, 5 – 10 minutes.

Combine creamed mixture and chicken broth/rice mixture in one of the stockpots, whisking well to blend. (Use non-stick stock pot because the rice sticks) Simmer for approx. 1 hour, stirring often so the rice doesn't stick. It gets very thick on the second day… thin with more broth.