Feeding the masses

Who knew a freshman could be asked to feed a crowd of 80?

It’s not the expected college assignment. Unless you attend the Culinary Institute of America. Which is not the case.

We are talking about VCU Art, where my girl Clara is enrolled in the cinema program. She was part of a film crew over a long weekend. Her job: “craft.” I checked last time I was in the movie theater, and sure enough, this is a category listed in the long, long credits at the end of the film. Wow, there are a lot of folks involved in movie making.

“Craft” means food. And Clara was all over it.

She and one partner – also a college student – planned, cooked and served dinners for a crew of 80. Not just any dinners, either: they had to be cheap, vegetarian, and crock pot-friendly, so they could be kept warm. And they had to be cooked in a small apartment kitchen.

I am so happy Clara texted me for ideas – suggesting that my house is the center of all things cheap and vegetarian (that is a good thing, right?). But credit where credit is due: she came up with ideas of her own that won raves from the cinema pros.

The outcome: the best “craft” ever (well, yes, I am prejudiced). Fact: Happy film crew who came back for seconds – which, because of good planning, were available.

How does a 19-year-old kid pull this off? Well, there was the refusing to sleep factor, of course. But also a lot of planning and chutzpah. I am so proud.

Here are two great standbys for mega-serving meals, easy to multiply by however many you have crowding around your table – or your crockpots. These will stay warm, or are good at room temperature, and you can freeze the extra if you have it. They are healthy, cheap and easy to make – especially the chili. Serve it with cornbread; the ratatouille is great with polenta, which you can either buy in a tube, or make as a super-cheap alternative to pasta.

402 Chili
This is our go-to chili when we’re raiding the pantry for whatever ingredients we have on hand. For my foodie friends, it is Not. Fancy. It’s super simple, plenty satisfying, and when you’re feeding a crowd it makes life easy. This recipe serves about four; if you’ve got 80, you do the math.

1 big onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
Olive oil
Two cans black beans
Rather than use canned beans, I like to cook a bunch of dried beans at a time, since they are cheaper than canned beans and that makes me feel virtuous and resourceful. Then I measure out can-sized portions of the cooked beans – I have a washed out bean can for this – and freeze them in Ziploc bags. For those of you who remember Heloise, this is very Hints-from-Heloise of me.
1 to 2 cups of frozen corn (or equivalent canned corn)
1 to 2 cans tomatoes
Whole canned tomatoes seem to retain their flavor better than diced, so I like to use these
and cut them up after I’ve dumped them into the pot. Pre-diced tomatoes are, of course,
more convenient.
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar, sour cream or yogurt, fresh cilantro for garnish
These really make the dish, by elevating it beyond just a bowl of beans, corn and
tomatoes. Especially if you can boast that the cilantro is from your garden! Other great
garnishes: onions chopped small, tomatoes chopped small, and hot sauce for those who
like a little more kick.

Heat olive oil in a skillet or in the bottom of a big pot – I love my cast iron Dutch oven for this. Saute onions, peppers, garlic and salt, cook until veggies are soft. Add chili powder and pepper about half way through.
Add beans, corn and tomatoes. Heat through. While it’s heating, place each garnish in its own little bowl and line them up – everyone gets to garnish their own bowl, a fun pick-and-choose event.

Roasted Ratatouille
Serves 4-ish (the veggies will shrink when roasted)

1 medium-sized onion, sliced
2-3 zucchini, sliced into rounds
1-2 medium-sized eggplant, cut into chunks
2 red or green bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed
6 or so whole cloves garlic, skins on
Olive oil
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or basil, chopped roughly
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all but the cherry tomatoes in a bowl with plenty of olive oil to coat. Add herbs, salt and pepper. Toss.
Spread all the veggies into one layer on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet – use two if you need to. Place in 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Check for tenderness, add cherry tomatoes, toss together so the veggies don’t stick to the bottom of the pan, and cook another 10 minutes or so. An alternative is to grill the veggies – if you do this, skewer them, and turn them so they cook evenly. It takes about the same amount of time, maybe a little longer.
For the polenta:
Add one cup polenta (which is basically corn grits or corn meal, depending on how smooth you like your polenta – or you can buy the package that says “polenta” on it and follow the directions) to one cup cold water. Meanwhile, boil 3 cups water. Add the polenta/water mixture to the boiling water and get ready to stir constantly for 15 minutes (well, I do walk away sometimes for long enough to set the table, or feed the dog. You do want to keep stirring enough to keep this from sticking to the bottom of the pot, though). The polenta will be thick and gloppy in about 15- 20 minutes. Add about ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese or, really, any cheese you have on hand and think would be tasty. Done.
Serve ratatouille on top of the polenta. Yum.