ABOUT THE EVENT
Once in a blue moon, I attend an event that changes my outlook on Dallas.  I feel like I know and “get” my city, and then I find out that I really don’t.  Case in point: I was invited to an event celebrating Giving Through Growing, in which they celebrated a community garden in Dallas, the Woodbridge Giving Garden, sponsored by Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi.  After this event, it occurred to me that there is so much of Dallas that I have yet to discover.  As for my personal life changes, I made a decision to cook with more fresh ingredients and get my butt to the Farmer’s Market more often.  Why go frozen when you can get fresh?

The cooking demonstration was at DUO (Inwood and Lovers) and was hosted by the effervescent Giving Through Growing National Ambassador, Candice Kumai (more about Candice below).  An overview of the program explained that Woodbridge sponsors five gardens throughout the US, and Dallas was home to one.  The Woodbridge team spent the afternoon in the garden, the Live Oak Community Garden, picking produce for our dinner (no kidding), and then spent the evening with bloggers, press, etc. over a fresh and extremely delicious meal and Woodbridge wine.  We were even treated to a cooking demonstration by Candice (picture above).

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi’s program gives a grant of $8,000 to five gardens across the U.S.  The money given to the gardens is meant to facilitate the production of more food, all of which is to be donated to local food banks.  More on Giving Through Growing.

ABOUT THE GARDEN
The Dallas garden employs about 10 families living in Dallas, mainly from Cambodia, Vietnam, and other Asian nations.  The garden’s produce is sold at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, and the garden itself is open to the public — the addresses and contact information are listed below.  The garden produces about 7,000 pounds of produce per year right now, and with the grant from Woodbridge, will produce more than 9.000 pounds a year and will employ more than 30 families.

Live Oak Community Garden
Find them on Facebook
4819 Live Oak (corner of Live Oak and Fitzhugh)
Contact: Don Lambert | 972 231-3565

ABOUT THE AMBASSADOR (and all-time coolest chef)

Now, a bit about one of my new favorite people, Candice Kumai.  Dubbed “The Stilhetto Chef”, she is a “Top Chef” alumnus and author of two cookbooks that bring healthy recipes using fresh food to the “normal person’s kitchen” (my words) … not to mention she’s hilarious and incredibly nice.  

Candice’s recipes aren’t extremely complicated and they don’t require ingredients that you’ll buy once and will sit in your pantry.  Her first cookbook, Pretty Delicious, has gotten a workout in my kitchen since it arrived on my doorstep.  Her newer cookbook, Cook Yourself Sexy, is on its way (it was released October 2, 2012 and it makes a great gift)!  Get your own copy of Cook Yourself Sexy

Something poignant Candice said during the demonstration is, “Food is like men… You have to keep the ones you get something good from.”  Amen, sister.