Report from Captain Aileen Grossberg:
Shomrei’s MESH Cafe welcomed 26 people on an unseasonably warm February evening. What to serve? In a bow to the many vegetarians who come to our Cafe, Aileen planned a mostly vegetarian menu which began with a melange of salads (egg, tuna, corn and whitefish courtesy of the Marcus family and Liza’s bat mitzvah) accompanied by carrot sticks, tortilla chips and guacamole or hummus, followed by a green salad.
The entree was a chick pea spinach stew served over orzo with a side of Turkish pita bread from Taskins’s bakery in Paterson. Not a morsel was left. We even had to scrape the bottom of the very large pot so enthusiastic were our guests. Our staff was surprised at how good the stew was.
Dessert was a standout with Aileen’s daughter Rebecca, assisted by teens Alan and Oliver, baking 4 authentic French apple tarte tartins. Served with vanilla or caramel swirl ice cream this was the perfect ending with many compliments to Chef Rebecca.
Everyone this evening seemed to be a member of the clean plate club. One guest remarked that this was the healthiest and best meal she’s had. So, cooks don’t be afraid to try something a little different. Our guests seem to appreciate a wide variety of foods.
Each guest took away a clementine and fig bar.
Aileen was assisted in the kitchen by daughter Rebecca, granddaughter Suzanne and grandson Max visiting from France, and by daughter Melanie and son-in-law Steve who dropped in from Nutley.
Servers Amalia, Siona, Oliver and Matt did double duty in the kitchen, in the Cafe, and on clean-up. MSU interns Lexi and Shannon were as efficient as always and MESH staffers Adrienne and Devlyn made everything run smoothly.
Kudos to this evening’s crew.
Like to help out with MESH? Go to: shomrei.org/mesh
Have questions?
Contact:
Email Lynne Kurzweil or call (973)746-0816
Email Aileen Grossberg or call (973) 744-3836
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