Creative Recipes Boost Holiday Giving for Hingham Pantry

Volunteers from the Interfaith Food Pantry in Hingham attended a cooking class this week to learn recipes that they can provide to clients who pick up goods this holiday season.

The volunteers, joining others from Norwell and Hull, attended a class with Chef Bernard Kinsella at Good Life Kitchen in Norwell Thursday morning. The training was donated by Old Colony Montessori School, which held a fundraiser cooking class with parents last week.

One of the recipes the volunteers learned Thursday was Turkey Meatballs, a simple dish that can utilize ground turkey the pantry receives from the Greater Boston Food Bank. The idea, said volunteer Marie Harris, is to offer ways to cook foods that are available to clients but that they don't often think of using.

"People are used to ground beef," Harris said. "It's important to be able to get people to think in a healthy way."

Harris, along with Carrie Beyerl and Ellen Marshall, attended the class for the Hingham pantry. Maria and Kathy Tedeschi came from the Norwell Pantry and Mary Ellen Hurley from Wellspring in Hull.

The goal is for the pantry volunteers to learn simple, delicious recipes utilizing these pantry ingredients and then to take these recipes back to the their respective pantries to hand out to folks as they visit the pantry this holiday season, said Courtney Palek of Old Colony Montessori School.

Volunteers also learned how to make Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger Sauce, Simple Tomato Sauce, Spicy Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf, and Vegetarian Chili.

Beyerl said she was excited to be able to enhance her relationship with clients by providing them not only food, but ideas as well.

"It's nice to be able to think creatively," Harris said.

"Good Life Kitchen offers a facility for culinary enthusiasts to explore the arts of cooking and healthy living in an atmosphere that fosters creativity and the development of relationships," according to a description on its website. 

"Our cooking programs are designed for individuals, businesses, families and groups who are interested in learning through a hands-on approach to cook smarter and establish better eating habits at home."