I was up and on my bike for the 5 mile ride at about 6:30 am...
(kinda tricky taking a self portrait on a fixed gear with no hands in the rain and dark...)Arrived early enough to snag an empty bike rack right in front...
...and got the saute station all set up with plenty of time to kill. Back in my restaurant days, I
never would have stood for this, by the way. Leaning around? Are you kidding me?! But one thing that hit me this day is that good volunteers are hard to come by, so I took a little liberty before it got busy.
The organizer for this event, Linda, who "volun-told" me I should do this again for Christmas when I did it at Thanksgiving, grabbed me by the hand when I showed up today and this is our conversation as she walked me through the kitchen:
...Tommy runs a tray of turkey up to the dining room...
...the dishwashers are hard at work...
...Stephen and "Just Billy" are doing something with big stock pots...
...and the dining room is getting transformed. Here it is at 9am...
...10am...
...and noon, just after the first seating.
And one of the first people in line was PBJ. When I said "Oh, like the sandwich!" he looked at me with surprise, through his heart-shaped glasses, like I was the first person to EVER say that, and replied, "No, maaaaan....like Pacific Beach Jason. That's where I'm from, man, but there's so many Jasons around that I had to remake myself. So I'm PBJ, man!" When I asked if I could take his picture he smiled and struck this pose.
Eight hours later, all that was left was empty tin pans that once held turkey, or creamed corn, or sweet potatoes, or stir fry.
...and got the saute station all set up with plenty of time to kill. Back in my restaurant days, Inever would have stood for this, by the way. Leaning around? Are you kidding me?! But one thing that hit me this day is that good volunteers are hard to come by, so I took a little liberty before it got busy.
The organizer for this event, Linda, who "volun-told" me I should do this again for Christmas when I did it at Thanksgiving, grabbed me by the hand when I showed up today and this is our conversation as she walked me through the kitchen:Linda: "OK. You've got bok choy. You've got asparagus. You've got tofu."
Clay: "What kind of tofu? I mean, is it soft, firm, extra-firm?"
Linda: blank stare
Clay: "Sorry, go ahead."
Linda: "These dressings are in the way. Move them over there."
Clay: I start to move them
Linda: "No. Have someone do it for you. You need to cook. You've got broccoli. Shit, where's the broccoli? OK, keep an eye out for the broccoli."
Clay: "OK. No problem. Broccoli."
Linda: "You've got green onions, too."
Clay: "OK, great. So what's the plan? What do you want me to make?"
Linda: "I don't care. You figure it out." And she walked away!
So, Robyn and decided to do a stir-fry. I mean, give a vegetarian some tofu and veggies and that's what you're gonna get.
In between rounds of stir-fry, I met this guy. He his Tim True. 
I met a lot of people this day, and he was the perfect example of what this day and event are all about. He lives in the woods in the Santa Cruz mountains, and has been coming down to this event for the past 12 years. He walks around giving out samples of steaming hot roast beef that he cooks himself. The first time I saw him he was outside, walking up and down the line of homeless people waiting outside, with a huge offering plate of big, fat chunks of steaming hot roast beef speared with toothpicks. 
I thought he was crazy. Until I watched the reactions on the street. People were so appreciative and respectful. I was amazed. I caught up with him afterwards and he told me that at one point, he was homeless for ten years, living in his van, and that his goal is to get homeless people to associate "smells" with "kitchens" and "kitchens" with a "home" in order to motivate them to get off the streets. We talked for a while about choices. He gave me goosebumps.
Meanwhile, back inside, Mississippi Amy offers up a gingerbread cookie...
I met a lot of people this day, and he was the perfect example of what this day and event are all about. He lives in the woods in the Santa Cruz mountains, and has been coming down to this event for the past 12 years. He walks around giving out samples of steaming hot roast beef that he cooks himself. The first time I saw him he was outside, walking up and down the line of homeless people waiting outside, with a huge offering plate of big, fat chunks of steaming hot roast beef speared with toothpicks. I thought he was crazy. Until I watched the reactions on the street. People were so appreciative and respectful. I was amazed. I caught up with him afterwards and he told me that at one point, he was homeless for ten years, living in his van, and that his goal is to get homeless people to associate "smells" with "kitchens" and "kitchens" with a "home" in order to motivate them to get off the streets. We talked for a while about choices. He gave me goosebumps.Meanwhile, back inside, Mississippi Amy offers up a gingerbread cookie...
...Tommy runs a tray of turkey up to the dining room......the dishwashers are hard at work...
...Stephen and "Just Billy" are doing something with big stock pots...
...and the dining room is getting transformed. Here it is at 9am......10am... ...and noon, just after the first seating.
And one of the first people in line was PBJ. When I said "Oh, like the sandwich!" he looked at me with surprise, through his heart-shaped glasses, like I was the first person to EVER say that, and replied, "No, maaaaan....like Pacific Beach Jason. That's where I'm from, man, but there's so many Jasons around that I had to remake myself. So I'm PBJ, man!" When I asked if I could take his picture he smiled and struck this pose.
Eight hours later, all that was left was empty tin pans that once held turkey, or creamed corn, or sweet potatoes, or stir fry.
