By Jessica Ballard
Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program

I have found that folks can get excited about gardening…planting, tending, harvesting…but sometimes there is a bit of uncertainty about what to do with fresh produce once you get it into the kitchen. Helping folks grow fruits and veggies is a fabulous thing, and providing recipes and cooking tips is an essential component in garden education.

We recently had a visit from Chef Kate and Chef Bryan of Simply Nutritious to teach us all some simple ways to prepare our fresh, local produce. These folks are amazing!  They arrived at shelter with only a dozen eggs, some olive oil, and Celtic sea salt.  What happened after that was just magic! Using a variety of different vegetables right from our garden, Chef Bryan taught us how to prepare wilted mustard greens to accompany the green onion and garlic scape omelet he served up.

Women and kiddos participated in preparing a fresh, dressed salad and sauteed snow peas with garlic scapes and herbs.   Kate Horning, who is a health and lifestyle coach as well as a professional chef, shared nutritional facts and health tips with us.  Each of the dishes were so fabulous and so easy and inexpensive to prepare.  It was certainly a really nice (and tasty) time!

We are extremely grateful to be able to work with such knowledgeable and experienced individuals to enhance our farm to table experience here at the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program.