THE LA SOUPE SCOUPE

August 2020

MESSAGE FROM SUZY

Now in our sixth month of Covid, La Soupe’s outreach continues to grow in astronomical numbers, as the demand for nutritious food seems never ending. Recently I have spent a good deal of time researching and reading about how our country recovered at the end of World War II. The current crisis has so much in common with that era, more so than the recession of 2008.

When an enemy attacked our country, a significant portion of our economy was redirected to a wartime effort. The US encouraged factories to pivot and make tanks instead of automobiles at that time. With Covid, a virus has attacked our country and a large portion of the economy has been redirected to enforce quarantine time at home.

Spending time at home certainly is better than fighting in a war, but in some ways, the economic effects are similar. A disruption in the supply and demand of many products has affected the economy and the lives of many Americans. Since we are unsure how long this crisis will last, La Soupe is championing a pivot within the restaurant community and has been leading a new model in Cincinnati––the COMMUNITY KITCHEN PROGRAM.

When we first launched this program in March 2020, we had two restaurant partners that soon grew to five. We were able to distribute nutritious family meals to Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) feeding sites, NKY outreaches, and food pantries, as well as individual meals to senior retirement communities. When CPS announced they would start the school year remotely, we knew we had to grow this program.

This week we will be in heavy logistic meetings and reviewing the many applications we have received from our friends in the restaurant community. The idea is fairly simple. We, as a nonprofit, will raise the money to pay for 10 restaurant/caterers to cook for us. We bring donated food to the restaurant partners, they prepare the meals, and we arrange the distribution. WIN for the landfills––WIN for the restaurants––WIN for our hungry neighbors! I cannot help but wonder if this model will emerge as a long-term solution to feed those in our community who are food insecure with healthy, nutritious meals.

While we are still in the throes of Covid, perhaps it is also a good time to rethink our national food system in terms of delivery and quality. After WWII, processing of food became the way to feed the masses and filled the need for convenience and shelf life. Unfortunately, we now know that many processed foods are not good for our health as many Americans now are paying the price with heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and a myriad of health issues due to a diet of too many processed foods. We at La Soupe continue to strive to stay educated in all food issues, and we want to become the leaders creating the solutions that will benefit all members of the greater Cincinnati community and beyond.

I am ending with a link to a TEDxCincinnatiWomen talk I did in January. I eerily linked La Soupe's war against food waste and hunger to my father, who was a Resistance Fighter in World War II as well as a chef. Have a listen…I do not think it could be more relevant than now, with Covid adding more to our war.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO

Suzy

US FOOD System is killing Americans

This is a wonderful social commentary article outlining the history of America’s Food System. A very informative and real look at where the American food system is today

CLICK HERE TO READ

VEGGIES 101

This is a great guide on how to store, prep, and cook all sorts of vegetables. Check it out by clicking on this LINK

WHAT’S SIMMERING?

COMMUNITY KITCHEN - PHASE 3

We are excited to announce that we are extending our Community Kitchen Program with a Phase 3, and it will run through the end of 2020! This program was born in March of this year when the pandemic struck and has proven to be a huge success in our community –– getting more meals to more families in need.

 In the first two phases of the program (March – August 2020), La Soupe has:

• Hired 5 restaurants as Community Kitchens

• Produced 315,000 servings to date

• Spent $386,000 toward these restaurants production

• Sent 48,000 lbs of rescued food to the Community kitchens to    reduce the cost to produce these meals

During Phase 1 and 2, the majority of the meals have been distributed to Cincinnati Public Schools, Northern Kentucky Schools, and the Episcopal Retirement Services senior living communities. Moving into Phase 3, La Soupe is working closely with some of the most vulnerable school systems and communities in our city to fill in the gaps where our systems are failing to keep up.

The Community Kitchen Program not only provides meals for those in our community that are in need dueto the pandemic, but it also provides a stream of revenue for those restaurants that have been hit hard with the closures and COVID restrictions. This is a model that is a Win-Win for the entire community.

 La Soupe is in the process of hiring restaurants to participate in Phase 3, so check out our La Soupe facebook posts for more information on how to apply, or reach out to Emmy at emmy@lasoupe.org.

EVERY GIFT WILL HELP

While La Soupe was able to fully fund Phase 1 & 2 of the Community Kitchen Program with the financial support of many of you and our corporate/foundation partners –– L&L Nippert Foundation, Old Spice/P&G, James J. & Joan A. Gardner Foundation, Fifth Third Bank Relief Fund, Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Interact for Health and the Sutphin Family Foundation –– we are reaching out to our friends to launch Phase 3 with a goal of raising $500,000 to continue this impactful program. EVERY GIFT WILL HELP! Please consider joining us in helping our community through these difficult times

CLICK HERE to make a donation or for more information, please contact Suzy Dorward, Director of Development, at sldorward@lasoupe.org

SAYING GOODBYE….

This past week we said Happy Trails (or river) to our dear co-worker Luke Findley. A cherished member of team La Soupe for over 3 years, we are thrilled he is pursuing some life goals. He hiked the Appalachian Trail a few years ago, and now will be kayaking from Wisconsin the length of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. He is beloved by both our volunteers as well as our staff and will be missed by all. We wish Luke safe travels and know you will always have a home back at 915!

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE CHEF…. MIRANDA

August is a great month for CHEF birthdays, and it just so happens that Julia Child and Suzy DeYoung were both born in August! (and me too!)  One of Suzy’s favorite recipes is Julia Child’s Boeuf  Bourguignon –– Great Tip! If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of making it, you can always order it from La Soupe’s Online Menu. We make it the Julia and Suzy way! For those that want to try their hand at making this French favorite, here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon, cut into lardons 

• 3 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 1 large carrot, sliced

• 1 large white onion, sliced

• 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

• 3 cups red wine, like a chianti

• 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups beef stock

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 2 cloves smashed garlic

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 crumbled bay leaf

• 18 to 24 small pearl onions

• 3 ½ tablespoons butter

• 1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf)

• 1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered

  Directions:

  1. Simmer bacon lardons in 4 cups water for 10 minutes (Lardon is the French culinary term referring to thin strips of bacon, cut approximately 1/4-inch thick). Drain and pat dry.

   

  2. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large Dutch oven, sauté the bacon in 1 tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes, until it starts to lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

   

  3. Dry the beef with a few paper towels for better browning. In batches, sear the beef on all sides in the Dutch oven. Set aside with the bacon.

   

  4. Back in the pot, add the sliced carrots and onions; sauté in fat until browned, about 3 minutes. If there's any excess fat, drain it now.

   

  5. Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Season with ½ teaspoon coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with flour and toss once more. Place in the center of the oven for 4 minutes.

   

  6. Remove pot from oven; toss beef and place back in the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the heat to 325°F.

  7. To the pot, add the wine and stock. The liquid should barely cover the meat and vegetables. Add the tomato paste, garlic and thyme. Bring to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and simmer in the lower part of the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is easily pierced.

  8. In the last hour of cooking, bring 1 ½ tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons oil to a medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the pearl onions and toss around in the fat until they've browned, 10 minutes. Then stir in ½ cup beef stock, a small pinch of salt and pepper and the herb bouquet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the onions for about 40 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated, and the onions are tender.

  9. Remove the onions and set aside. Discard the herb bouquet and wipe out the sauté pan. Add the remaining butter and oil and bring to medium heat.

   

  10. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan to coat with the butter.

   

  11. Place a colander over a large pot. Drain the beef stew through the colander and into the pot. Place the pot with the sauce over a medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, skimming any fat on top. Pour the beef and vegetables back into the Dutch oven. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot. Pour the sauce over the beef mix and simmer an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

SPOTLIGHT ON A SHARE PARTNER

The Recovery Center of Hamilton County has helped those struggling with mental illness since 2006. The group is a peer-run program that encourages and supports individuals with mental illness to become reintegrated into society. They serve lunch and hold classes for their participants four days a week, and La Soupe supplies lunch and soupe to take home. The center provides wellness-based classes daily, and understands the holistic approach to health. The same way we strive to keep our body healthy, it is just as important to keep our mind healthy as well. Thank you Recovery Center, for understanding the dignity of the human person and helping them along their journey!  Read more about this organization at Recovery Center of Hamilton County. 

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT

Becki Hughes worked as a financial analyst for GE Aviation. After 30 years across multiple divisions, she retired in January 2020, and she is relieved to have avoided the workplace difficulties related to COVID-19! Becki read about La Soupe when the organization launched in 2014. She instantly loved the concept and resolved to volunteer as soon as she was able. She began volunteering in February 2020. Her favorite volunteer activity is scooping soup, and she does so with speed and efficiency! Becki is grateful to La Soupe for the prep skills she's acquired while helping in the kitchen, and La Soupe is grateful to Becki for offering thoughtful, unsolicited gifts that keep our operations in working order. Her interests include travel, baking, redecorating, and spending time at her family lake house.