2nd Harvest

Second Harvest Culinary Arts Center
331 Great Circle Road
Nashville, TN 37228
615-329-3491

2nd Harvest is a fantastic organization trying to solve the hunger problem in Middle Tennessee, and 2nd Harvest goes at solving the problem in many different ways. In the past couple of years, 2nd Harvest Food Bank distributed over 14 million pounds per year of food to hungry men, women and children of middle Tennessee. Amazing!

My friends, F&C, mentioned that they read about chefs donating their expertise to make lunch once per week on Friday at the 2nd Harvest Food Bank, but the meals are for purchase at $10+ any other donations, and profits go back to the 2nd Harvest Food Bank. There are 6 distinct menus, that rotate from week to week. So we decided to gather up friends and drive into the great business park north of town, and seek out 2nd Harvest. I stopped briefly to take this pictures of the red trees in the business park. It is hard to see the beauty in an asphalt, cinder block, parking lot business park, but these trees were quite beautiful.

So, F&C and friends get to the door, and there is a state of the art kitchen with lots of volunteers cooking a buffet meal from fresh ingredients. The menu, subject to change depending on the availability of fresh ingredients was: Friday, November 10- Asian Journey The Asian Journey buffet includes Vietnamese table salad, grilled curried steak with roasted peppers, orange honey chicken, fried tofu with green beans, jasmine rice, and macaroon cookies. Other weeks have different themes besides Asain and they are Tuscan, Cajun, Southwestern, American and French themes. I cannot wait to try them all!

Here is my picture. I had beef and broccoli, Thai green lettuce salad, honey orange chicken, rice and I opted for water not tea. There was dessert - macaroon cookies, but I had to not eat one because I pigged out on my meal. The chicken was fresh breast meat that was cut and stir fried with slices of fresh oranges, the broccoli and beef was also freshly stir fried, and the salad was refreshing with a citrus spicy dressing. Fabulous for the money and company!

I learned so much from my trip to 2nd Harvest Food Bank! The 2nd Harvest Culinary Arts Center is a catering group, food safety teacher, cooking demostrator, culinary classroom, and fundraiser for 2nd Harvest. I love 2nd Harvest and their mission of which they do so well. There is so many ways to give to 2nd Harvest: donation of funds, food, volunteering and lastly dining on Friday gourmet lunch at the 2nd Harvest Culinary Arts Center! Now that is Fantastic!