05/13/2026
A little behind-the-scenes look at what goes into our weekly Tuesday community meals at the Nelson Community Food Centre. 🤍
Every Monday starts with receiving our food order from KTK Masala Shop where we purchase the majority of our produce, proteins, and ingredients each week. They provide exceptional customer service and care, and we’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with them. Chef Ciraj also generously volunteers his time in our kitchen whenever he can, sharing both his culinary skills and community spirit with us.
Once the order arrives, the kitchen transforms into prep mode. Typically, 3–6 volunteers spend Monday mornings washing, peeling, chopping, slicing, mixing, and organizing everything needed for Tuesday’s meal service.
Given the scale of the meals we produce — usually feeding 150 people every Tuesday — prep work adds up quickly. Chopping onions doesn’t mean chopping one or two onions… it means chopping 25 pounds of onions. Carrots are peeled by the case. Herbs are washed by the bunch. Rice is measured in litres, not cups.
Some Mondays the kitchen is full of conversation and laughter about weekends, gardening, politics, recipes, or life. Other days it’s quieter — jazz playing softly in the background while everyone settles into the rhythm of the work. Regardless of the mood, every meal is prepared with genuine care and intention.
Then on Tuesday morning, after our sandwich crew finishes assembling 150 sandwiches for our No Cook Program, we shift into full cooking mode for the community meal.
With limited oven space and ambitious menus, meal service days often become a carefully coordinated dance. Yesterday’s menu included:
✨ Chicken Inasal
✨ Lemongrass Tofu (tofu donated by Silverking Soya Foods)
✨ “Stir-Fried” Vegetables
✨ Coconut Lime Rice
✨ Citrus Sesame Slaw
✨ House Salad
When statutory holidays fall on Mondays and we lose our prep day, local partners (mostly Tandoori Indian Grill & Lounge) step in to help make sure the meal can still happen. This coming Tuesday, Tandoori Indian Grill & Lounge is generously donating our entrée. Chef Shupinder will be preparing a delicious vegan and gluten-free Channa Masala with Basmati Rice, while we prepare oven-baked samosas, side salad, and apple berry crisp to round out the meal.
It truly takes a village to make these meals happen every week — volunteers, staff, local businesses, donors, farmers, cooks, dishwashers, sandwich makers, and community members all working together around one table.
Thank you for being part of it. 🤍
📷 Photos by Carlo Alcos
