The Vegetables of Our Labor

Volunteers with the Flock Food Project help install a Member Garden

Volunteers with the Flock Food Project help install a Member Garden

Our Progress Is Rooted In Our Community…Specifically Their Yards

The Flock Food Project has been very busy during the past two and a half months tending to the Troy Community Garden Plot, but that isn’t all! In May, volunteers from the project consulted with and visited the homes of two local community members in order to establish gardens in their own personal space. The purpose of the gardens at members’ homes is to not only help ensure consistently accessible fresh produce to supplement the household needs, but to also help encourage families to learn sustainable and valuable gardening skills.

Utilizing the program resources, volunteers set aside time specifically designated to setting up these gardens. Under the guidance of program ‘Garden Gurus’, volunteers helped place new beds, clean up yard areas and lay nutrient rich fertilizer to get members started. Seedlings were planted and fencing installed to help keep unwanted garden visitors away.

The Troy Community Garden Plot is The Place To Be - And All Are Welcome!

As of the end of June, The Flock Food Project welcomed a whopping fifteen different volunteers to the Troy Community Garden and our Member Garden projects. Volunteers are able to visit our online Signup site and pick which shifts they are interested in volunteering for. With gardening being an often laborious but highly rewarding task, The Troy Community Garden Plot has seen volunteer shifts tended to every weekend since the project’s inception.

With help from The Flock Supporter Groups, Featherstone Flamingos, La Barra, and Accessimingos, Mingo Ladies has had incredible success with maintaining the garden plot at Troy Community Gardens. Currently, the project has harvested a variety of vegetables and is on schedule to shift the garden to accommodate later-season crops. Check out the images below to see just some of our incredible volunteers and be sure to click here to sign up for upcoming volunteer shifts!

A Flocking Great Harvest Means Flocking Great Food

While the Flock Food Project’s major initiatives are our community and member garden plots, there is much to be said about what to do with all these vegetables. The Flock Food Project asked members of the Flock what their favorite recipes were that incorporated produce harvested by the project so far.

For the full recipe or more information, be sure to visit the source, as listed in the recipe. Recipes will include estimates on pricing for each store-bought item that isn’t being grown in the Flock Food Project’s Community Garden Plot. Items grown in the garden (whether presently or planned) will be bolded.

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The Sir!-Fry

Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli & Peppers

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

Contributed by Andrew Schmidt, sourced from My Darling Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked rice, brown or white (cauliflower rice may also be used) ~$1.50 per 2 lb bag

  • 1 tbsp Oil - Preferably high heat oil such as coconut, peanut or sesame ~$4.50 per 5 oz bottle of sesame oil

  • 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped

  • 1 medium head of Broccoli, chopped

  • 8 oz of Extra Firm Tofu, pressed (tempeh or soy curls may also be used) ~$1.99 per 14 oz package

  • Thai Peanut Sauce ~$2.99 per 12 oz jar

  • Toppings, such as cilantro, green onions or toasted peanuts

Instructions

  1. Cook rice according to package instructions. While rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the stir-fry.

  2. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  3. Cut the tofu into 1/2" cubes and place in a shallow dish. Pour 1/4 cup of the Thai Peanut Sauce over tofu, stirring to coat.

  4. Transfer tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.

  5. Heat peanut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add bell peppers and broccoli and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in the remaining peanut sauce and remove from heat

  6. To serve, evenly divide the rice onto 4 plates. Add stir-fried broccoli and peppers and baked tofu and top!

Bufflamingo Cauliflower

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Buffalo Cauliflower

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes

Contributed by Ian Pozdol, sourced from NoraCooks.com

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 5 cups)

  • 1 cup water

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour ~$1.60 per 5 lb bag

  • 1 tbsp garlic powder ~$1.20 per 3 oz bottle

  • 1 tbsp onion powder ~$1.20 per 3 oz bottle

  • 1/4 tsp salt ~$0.50 per 26 oz container

  • 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs (if desired) ~$1.80 per 8 oz container

  • 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce ~$2.80 per 12 oz bottle

  • 1 tbsp butter (vegan or otherwise) melted ~$3 - $6 per container

  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup ~$2.50 per 3.4 oz bottle

*You can visit the website listed for information on how to make an Easy Vegan Ranch, or use your favorite store brand!

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray generously with oil.

  2. Wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

  3. In a large bowl, add water, flour, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl, if using.

  4. Add the cauliflower to the batter in the bowl, and toss to combine and really coat the cauliflower. Remove the pieces of cauliflower, one by one, and tap off the excess batter a few times on the side of the bowl.

  5. Roll each floret in the breadcrumbs to coat, then place on the prepared baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other, or they will all get stuck together as they bake. Spray the tops with oil, this will help them get super crispy.

  6. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden and crispy.

  7. While the cauliflower are baking, prepare the hot sauce/butter mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once melted, add the hot sauce, maple syrup or agave and stir. Set aside.

  8. Once the cauliflower have cooked and are crispy, toss the florets with the sauce in a large bowl, then return to the pan. You can serve them immediately, or to make them crispier, put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. If you want them super crispy, leave the buffalo sauce on the side for dipping as you go.

Elizabeth Riley