May 1-9 is Chickpeas Fest in Vancouver – Vancouver Food Networks Celebrate Year of the Pulses
Grain, a farmer-direct, socially and sustainably focused dry goods business recently donated 2,000 of chickpeas to Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks. These visually imperfect, but otherwise completely consumable legumes couldn’t be sold through Grain’s regular channels, so the company wanted to make sure they go to feed those in need.
Monday at Little Mountain Neighbourhood House is the Newcomers Community Kitchen; Tuesday is Seniors Lunch at Kits Neighbourhood House; Thursday at Cityview Church is the Open Table Lunch; Friday at Little Mountain is the Community Meal and at Strathcona Community Centre is the backpack program which includes the chickpeas.
Food security is a city-wide issue in Vancouver. It is reported that with the rising housing costs, healthy food choices are compromised as more people are sliding into a ‘hunger zone’. It is estimated that close to one in five Vancouver households report some level of food insecurity – meaning they feel they cannot always access healthy food.
Kiwassa Neighbourhood House food bank volunteers and staff packed chickpeas into 10kg bags which have been distributed to partners through the Vancouver Food Bank Society. Chickpeas will be on the menu at community kitchens, community meals, and food hampers this month with the Chickpea Fest showcasing recipes, hummus workshops, during the May 1- 9th festival.
Neighbourhood Food Network spokesperson, Joanne MacKinnon says, “Quality donations need to increase, but we also need better kitchens, storage and increased staffing to handle the donations. We follow the good food principles to accept donations of healthy, fresh food and not highly processed foods high in sugars, sodium and trans fats.” The Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks are positioned to increase our community capacity and to ensure that all our residents have access to healthy food.
About Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks
The Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Network Coordinators (VNFNs) are part of the City’s Greenest City Action Plan to address food security in the city. They are currently in 11 Vancouver neighbourhoods supporting food access and healthy eating for all our community members. They include networks of community members, organizations, and agencies who collaborate on food-based initiatives and programs at the neighbourhood level and that support food security and food access, in particular, for vulnerable community members.
Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi’s Basic Hummus
Author Notes: This recipe is simple and the results are perfect, but here’s the real coup: Most from-scratch hummus recipes involve simmering the chickpeas for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s are done in 20 to 40 minutes. How? See step 2. Briefly cooking the soaked chickpeas directly with baking soda scruffs up the skins and allows them to cook much faster and puree smoother. (Without having to peel the chickpeas by hand.) Recipe adapted slightly from Jerusalem (Ten Speed Press, 2013) (less)—Genius Recipes
Makes 6 servings
- 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini (light roast)
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 1/2tablespoons ice cold water
- Salt
- Good quality olive oil, to serve (optional)
- The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight.
- The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.
- Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3 2/3 cups now. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine sill running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about five minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.
- Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using straightaway, refrigerate until needed. Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Optionally, to serve, top with a layer of good quality olive oil. This hummus will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Thank you for spreading the word. It is astonishing how much food is truly available that might otherwise go to waste. Challenge is how do we access all this food.
Ian Marcuse
Grandview Woodland Food Connection