Life is a little messy.
So is baking bread.
Last weekend one of my roommates and I attended a bread baking workshop at The Food Project near Dudley Square in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The Roxbury, and Dudley Square especially, area of Boston is a rougher part of town. Houses are older, some falling apart, and trash is thrown on the sidewalk and in vacant lots. Amongst the aging houses and storefronts, there's a colorful building on the corner of Dudley St. and W. Cottage St.
The Food Project is a wonderful place where community members and folks from all over Boston can learn about farming (and even get their hands dirty!), take free cooking classes, and participate in educating youth on healthy eating! Its really a great place. The Food Project has a total of 43 acres in the Boston metro area dedicated to chemical pesticide free farming for education and CSAs. And who works the land? Staff, volunteers, and 140 teens who are part of a tight knit work crew.
Back to the bread!
We weren't sure what to expect and went in with few reservations. We arrived a bit early, talked with one of the interns, and met our fellow bread bakers as they trickled in. Everyone was very nice and we were in good company- many were there for the first time. In a complete surprise, Libby and I were some of the most experienced bread bakers in the group! We've only made bread maybe 10 a handful of times and it went... decently?
The lot of us crammed into the small commercial kitchen in the back and got to work. The staff had already picked out a few recipes: egg bread, French bread, and basic white bread.
As a community we made loaves of egg bread and French bread, and some other off the cuff recipes. Lots of laughs, lots of people doing something they've never done before- and being empowered!
Back to the bread!
We weren't sure what to expect and went in with few reservations. We arrived a bit early, talked with one of the interns, and met our fellow bread bakers as they trickled in. Everyone was very nice and we were in good company- many were there for the first time. In a complete surprise, Libby and I were some of the most experienced bread bakers in the group! We've only made bread maybe 10 a handful of times and it went... decently?
The lot of us crammed into the small commercial kitchen in the back and got to work. The staff had already picked out a few recipes: egg bread, French bread, and basic white bread.
As a community we made loaves of egg bread and French bread, and some other off the cuff recipes. Lots of laughs, lots of people doing something they've never done before- and being empowered!
It was wonderful to see. We were all strangers just 2 hours before and we were suddenly joking with each other and breaking bread together.
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| Curry bread! Our fearless leader made this dough before we got there and encouraged us to be creative! |
I've found that cooking is a great way to interact with your neighbors, met new people, and learn or hone skills. I respect The Food Project's presence there on Dudley St. and in Boston at large. Its a wonderful resource. The staff and volunteers are doing their best to fight hunger and reach youth who might otherwise be spending their time doing less constructive things.
Find a similar organization in your city... and if there isn't one? Maybe you're just the person to start one.
We went home with bread, flour all over our shirts, and a sense of community.
That's a lot to be thankful for.
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