Meals
A couple of summers ago we invited Robert to live with us for a few months while he planted and tended a garden for us. We were surprised and pleased to see how he transformed our yard into many gardens, producing a large variety of organic, tasty food. Last summer both Robert and his fiancee Erin tended our land, as well as other plots in the neighborhood, and we were thrilled to be able to enjoy the bounty … as well as see the two of them around the convent. We were honored to join them in their wedding celebration in November 2011. They are a gift to us. Our guests seem to find joy in walking through the gardens and talking to Robert and Erin about growing food.
Over the years, we’ve moved away from unhealthy processed food to lots of fresh produce and whole grains. A common question we are asked is about our menus. What kind of food do we serve? What would a meal at the convent look like? In answer to these questions …
We try to serve healthy but tasty meals. You won’t find junk food (ie potato chips, cookies, soda pop, etc) in the kitchen. We stay away from fatty / processed foods, serving fresh produce as much as possible and “real food” (vegetables, fruit, low on meat, beans, whole grains). We base menu decisions on what’s available from the garden as well as what we have in stock in the cabinets. We bake our own bread. We serve water as the main beverage for a meal. We do sometimes have wine, occasionally lemonade or iced tea. For snacks, we usually have available nuts, crackers, cheese, and always fresh fruit. We typically have some dark chocolate around, and sometimes there’s some ice cream in the freezer, though we buy the brands that are without lots of preservatives.
If you’re staying with us on an individual, personal retreat, we serve whole grain cereals, oatmeal, eggs, and bread and jams for breakfast. For lunch we keep ham and turkey (natural – no additives) on hand along with cheese, fruit, and condiments. If there are leftovers from the night before you’re welcome to those as well. Dinner is served for you, and examples of that are below in the group menus.
We serve groups who’ve come together all meals in the dining room. Some typical menus for groups would be:
Our basic breakfast menu is:
• oatmeal or quinoa with condiments (brown sugar, raisins, berries, walnuts, cinnamon)
• hard boiled eggs
• orange juice
• coffee
• some kind of fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, berries … whatever’s in season
Sometimes Dave puts on his chef’s hat and makes omelets. If you catch him on one of those days it’s a treat!
We serve a sandwich bar for lunch that includes:
• our own baked bread
• ham and turkey (natural – no additives)
• peanut butter and jam
• hummus
• veggies – carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, red or green peppers
• chips and salsa
If there are leftovers from the night before we’ll likely include those as well.
• Red beans and rice, a convent favorite (served with cheese, fritos, brown rice) and salad
• Vegetables (potatoes, beans, various garden vegetables), usually served with bread or cornbread
• Baked chicken and vegetables
• Whole grain pasta (marinara, pesto, pasta salad,etc)
• Stir fry … rice and vegetables or pasta and vegetables, sometimes served with chicken or tofu (yes, tofu can be quite tasty)
If we know about dietary needs in advance, we are happy to accommodate them to the best of our ability.
About our bread
Jody is now baking artisan bread on almost a daily basis. The ingredients are simple … flour, sea salt, yeast, and water in all breads. The whole grain varieties will add perhaps another type of flour or gluten. When we have extra loaves, we do sell them for $4 – $5 each. If you want to order in advance to take home with you, let Jody know either before you come or while here.
Desserts
We don’t usually serve dessert after lunch. For dinner, a typical dessert would be some dark chocolate with strawberries or pineapple, or we might have watermelon. We do know how to celebrate, so on special occasions we might bake a cake or some brownies or have ice cream. We do reserve that for special occasions, however, and most nights try to satisfy the sweet tooth without overloading on sugar.
And about coffee and tea …
We’re coffee snobs. We admit it. We serve LaTerza Coffee, roasted in Cincinnati by our friend Chuck. We also have 1 lb bags for sale for $12 if you want to take some home with you. Coffee is available throughout the day, as well as a nice assortment of herbal teas.