The Pantry

What started out as a simple way to use up some day old strawberries turned into a major initiative for us. That's just the way things happen when you stay lean and  mean (well may be not mean).

A couple of years ago we approached St Michael's Lutheran Church up the street about using their kitchen "one time" to make jam around the end of berry season. "One time" turned into two turned into people calling us for our jams and pecan pies. Hmm, when business opportunity knocks...sometimes we're smart enough to open the door.

So, we asked St Michael's if they might be willing to move forward with us - expanding their kitchen to accomodate our needs - and they agreed. The idea for the Greensgrow Community Kitchen was born. We began what has been a long and sometimes arduous process of getting the Church kitchen rezoned,  reoutfitted, rebuilt and reused.

Catch a short slide show here.

We've learned more than we knew we wanted to know about grease traps and three-bay sinks and fire suppressant systems, sanitizing licenses, non permeable surfaces etc... But what we know we share so....

Now, all season long Greensgrow uses the Community Kitchen a couple of times a week to make vegan stock, our famous pesto, roasted eggplant dip and jam from every single fruit we sell.  The season begins with strawberries, and moves on through blueberries, rasberrries, apples and pears. . . So on a chilly winter morning you can toast up some bread, slather on the butter and a big dollop of Greensgrow house (well church) made jam.

Greensgrow Made: Bringing you summer all year long.

Learn more about what has become the Philadelphia Incubation Community Kitchens (PICK) project....