Pumpkins, squash, and more: Our team’s favorite food rescues this fall
From leaves turning to Halloween decorations on display, all signs point to fall – on Spoonfuls’ trucks, too. With a focus on recovering fresh food, seasonal variety is ever present in the foods we recover from grocery stores and farms. We checked in with our team to hear what’s been standing out to them this autumn – keep reading to find out!
“This honey nut squash has been my favorite pickup lately. I’ve been with Spoonfuls for eight years, and I’m still finding new things on the road that I didn’t know about. These types of finds inspire me at home, too. I love to cook, and my kids love squash and miniature things, so this feels like a win-win in the kitchen!” – Anthony Summa, Food Recovery Coordinator in MetroWest
“Staff at this Boston-area kosher food pantry is always all smiles when Spoonfuls’ truck pulls up. On this particular day, he was very excited to receive a 50-pound box of potatoes, another full box of additional fresh produce, and some fruit that was still good, but had some bruising. He told me how his mom, who’s also involved at the pantry, used bruised fruit to make a delicious compote for her older, homebound neighbors. He – and his mom – understand that produce doesn’t have to be pristine to contribute to a great meal. And compote can be easily preserved as a way to enjoy produce from warmer months during the cold ones.
Spoonfuls’ slogan is ‘Delivering Food with Purpose.’ I can’t think of a greater purpose than the food we recover not only helping to feed the folks we deliver to, but also inspiring others to do the same!” – Andrew Staiti, Food Recovery Coordinator in Greater Boston
“I find this photo from earlier this fall quite impactful. I’ve been showing it to my family and friends so they can visualize our work and the amount of fresh food we’re recovering. I think it’s so cool that all the different departments at each store – produce, meat, seafood, dairy, and more – come together and assemble this amazing quantity and quality of excess food for us to pick up, ensuring it doesn’t go to waste.” – Jimmy Doulos, Food Recovery Coordinator in Greater Boston
“I’ve enjoyed recovering these little pumpkins throughout the fall as they have sparked many conversations about Halloween and the start of the holiday season with the Spoonfuls’ community partners I’ve been bringing them to! It’s a busy season for both Spoonfuls and our partners – and the planning starts early. For Thanksgiving, many of our partners are turning to gift cards so people can purchase their own turkey and relying on Spoonfuls for all the fresh fixings.
After Thanksgiving, Spoonfuls typically recovers a high volume of frozen turkeys – the ones that didn’t sell before the holiday, but are still perfectly good to eat. Some of our partners are preparing for those turkeys already, which they’ll save for Christmas distributions, through freezer cleanouts. It’s a very collaborative relationship!” Kim Vanacore, Food Recovery Coordinator in Worcester County
“Here is a box we recovered with apples, pears, and a lone delicata squash on top, shining bright with its gorgeous skin. It’s not a squash often in the spotlight, but delicious nonetheless. To me, this photo encapsulates my favorite culinary season, fall, which makes sharing these fresh foods with my community even more meaningful.” – Jon Burdick, Food Recovery Coordinator in Hampden County
