Eat at Joe's!

post-Sandy: SJSK open on Sat, Nov 3, 2012!

SJSK will be open and serving PB&J and (possibly) tuna sandwiches to customers on Saturday, Nov 3, 2012. 

VOLUNTEERS hours: 
morning prep shift at 10am
serving shift at 1pm

The power is still out in Greenwich Village; however, with our combined enthusiasm and resourcefulness, we will work diligently to bring operations back to normal at the soup kitchen.  

30 years of service!!

Recipe: Cranberry-Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust

For your baking pleasure! St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen (SJSK) recently served guests a Cranberry-Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust baked from scratch from a volunteer’s personal favorites recipe; the original recipe is listed below. Enjoy! 

Cranberry Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust

Yields one 9-inch tart; serves eight to twelve

For the Walnut Shortbread Crust: 

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5-3/4 ounces (1-1/2 cups) of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

For the Cranberry-Pear Filling: 

• 3 large ripe pears, such as Anjou or Bartlett
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, picked through and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt

For the Buttery Brown Sugar Streusel:

• 1-3/4 ounces (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the crust: 

• Position a rack near the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
• In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk, half-and-half, and vanilla. 
• Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse until combined. 
• Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are no longer visible. 
• With the processor running, add the yolk mixture in a steady stream and then pulse until the moisture is fairly evenly dispersed, 10 to 20 seconds. 
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl. 
• Using your hands, mix the chopped walnuts to distribute them evenly. 
• The dough will be a mealy, crumbly mass. 
• Pour the crumb mixture into a 9-1/2 inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Starting with the sides of the pan, firmly press the crumbs against the pan to create a crust about 1/4 inch thick. 
• Press the remaining crumbs evenly agains the bottom of the pan. 
• Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and freeze for 10 minutes. 
• Bake until the sides just begin to darken and the bottom is set, about 15 minutes. 
• Transfer to a cooling rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. 

Make the filling: 

• Peel the pears, quarter them lengthwise, core, and cut crosswire into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries. In a medium bowl, mix the pears, cranberries, and brandy. 
• In a small bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt; add to the cranberry-pear mixture, tossing to combine. 
• Spoon the filling into the pan-baked crust, leveling the filling and packing it down slightly with the back of a spoon. 

Make the streusel and bake: 

• In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt. 
• Add the melted butter and vanilla. Combine with your fingers until the mixture begins to clump together in small pieces when pressed. 
• Sprinkle the streusel over the filling, breaking it into smaller pieces if necessary. 
• Bake at 350 degrees F until the fruit is tender when pierced with a fork and the streusel and the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 50 minutes. 
• If the tart begins to get overly brown at the edges, cover with foil. 
• Let the tart cool on a rack until it’s just barely warm before serving. 
• The tart will keep, covered and at room temperature, for two to three days. 

Recipe: Lemon Ricotta Cookies w Lemon Glaze

• Here’s the recipe for Lemon Ricotta cookies baked for our soup kitchen customers on 4-21-12.  
• SJSK’s recipe comes from Food Network’s Giada de Laurentis’ recipe.
• The recipe is pretty easy for a single or double batch.
• The St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen crew baked 25 batches!  

Who’s cooking at SJSK? Meet Scott Zesch

How long have been volunteering at SJSK? Since 1991 or 1992.

Where did you grow up?I’m from Mason, Texas!

What do you like about your SJSK experience? Just about everything, but especially the volunteers I’ve met there over the years and the compliments we get from our guests. 

Share your personal experience of cooking at the soup kitchen?

I’ve learned that: 

1. the guests like the food surprisingly spicy,
2. the dishwashers hate it when we cook something that sticks to the pan,
3. cooking dishes with lots of cheese is too expensive (and unpopular with the dishwashers, for the reason just stated), and
4. it’s never going to be as good as when you cook at home in small quantities, so don’t beat yourself up.

How has being a volunteer at SJSK affected your everyday life? Has it had an impact? Yes, it prompted me to start a new hunger relief organization in Texas, using the experience I gained at St. Joe’s. It’s called the Mason Community Kitchen. Recently I hosted a dinner for all my Head Cooks and encouraged them to prepare a small quantity of a dish they thought would be good for us to make.

Some of the recipes were really good as well as easy. We’re freezing our products for distribution at a food bank rather than serving them in a soup kitchen. I wish I could spend more time in NYC and try out some of the recipes at St. Joe’s. 

Thanks for your work now and throughout the years Scott!!

The crew at Mason Community Kitchen in Mason, Texas

Looks good! 

Years of volunteering at SJSK New York has inspired Scott Zesch (right) to start-up a soup kitchen in his hometown of Mason, TX called Mason Community Kitchen. Keep up the good work Scott! We love it when you visit us in New York City at St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen in Greenwich Village aka SJSK. 

Annual SJSK Tradition: Easter Eggs

St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen in Greenwich Village will again give our guests a decorated Easter Egg with their holiday meal this year. The Easter Meal will be served on Saturday, April 7, 2012 in Casserly Hall.

It is a time-honored tradition at SJSK for kid’s of all ages to participate, including: parishioner’s children, the volunteer’s children, St. Joseph’s Academy students, and young-at-heart adults.  

And, our guests enjoy receiving the colorful eggs.

Easter Egg drop-off times are: 

• Friday, April 6, 2012 between 6pm - 8pm
• Saturday, April 7, 2012 between 8am - 12noon
• St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen in Greenwich Village (SJSK), 371 Sixth Avenue, corner of Washington Place, downstairs in Casserly Hall

Thanks again and we look forward to seeing your masterpieces!