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Farm-Fresh Recipe: Cauliflower Soup
Check out this Cauliflower Soup recipe from Knife Pleat's Chef Tony Esnault! This dish is easy to prepare and full of flavor, and is perfect for cozy nights or casual winter meals. Read More -
Meet Jane Van Dyke: Our Director of Human Resources is Retiring
Meet Jane Van Dyke, our Director of Human Resources who is retiring from Second Harvest after 16 years. Read more about her journey! Read More -
Meet Crystal Tosello: Director of Annual Campaign at Second Harvest
Meet Crystal Tosello, Director of Annual Campaign at Second Harvest. With over a decade of nonprofit experience, she builds partnerships that help provide nutritious food for families across Orange County. Read More -
Caramelized Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
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Meet Ellie Dinh: Director of Programs and Services at Second Harvest
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Strawberry Semifreddo Recipe from Knife Pleat!
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Meet Toyah Brooks: Director of Operations at Second Harvest
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Meet Wayne Stickney: CDO of Second Harvest Food Bank
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Meet Joyce Foley: 37-Year Legacy of Food Bank Leadership and Service
As Chief Financial Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank, Joyce Foley has dedicated nearly four decades to serving the Orange County community. From her early days assisting the CEO to becoming a key leader, Joyce’s journey is a testament to dedication, compassion, and purpose-driven leadership. Read More
Farm-Fresh Recipe: Cauliflower Soup
Farm-Fresh Recipe | Cauliflower Soup
Farm-Fresh Recipe from Knife Pleat’s Chef Tony Esnault
There’s nothing better than a warm, comforting bowl of soup that
celebrates the vegetables of the season. Chef Tony’s Cauliflower Soup
highlights the natural sweetness and creamy texture of fresh, seasonal
produce—perfect for cozying up on a chilly day.
SERVINGS: 6–8 people
INGREDIENTS:
3 heads white cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 small white onions, diced
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 cups whole milk
4 cups water (filtered preferred)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
Optional: olive oil or butter for sautéing, freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Gather all produce and equipment. Clean and cut the cauliflower into small florets.
Dice the onions and roughly chop the garlic.
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic with a little olive oil or butter. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt and cook until onions are translucent and sweet, about 10–15 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and cook until just tender. Reserve half of the cooked florets for garnish.
Add milk, water, and bay leaves to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove bay leaves, then carefully blend the soup until smooth.
Season with remaining 1 tablespoon salt and adjust to taste. Reheat gently if needed.
TO SERVE:
Place reserved cauliflower florets in bowls and pour hot soup over the top. Finish with cracked black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, or fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Jill Wilson decided to volunteer with Second Harvest in 2008 when she was in between jobs and looking for a way to apply her talents that could benefit the community. She arrived one day at Second Harvest’s former distribution center in Orange, ready to serve, and felt immediately connected to the mission.
Like Jill and Ian, other friends of the food bank may be looking for ways to connect meaningfully with Second Harvest to help those experiencing hunger in Orange County for years to come. One simple way to make a significant impact, while achieving peace of mind, is by creating a will or revocable living trust with our partner, FreeWill.
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual awareness campaign that encourages us to learn about nutrition, develop healthy eating habits and discover the fun of being physically active. At Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, we strive to provide everyone in Orange County with the nutrition they need to grow and excel in life.
Last spring, here at Second Harvest we completely revamped our focus to proactively purchase fresh nutrition for those in need, ensuring a steady pipeline of protein, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables to our approximately 300 partner and program sites. As a next step, we recently unveiled our new, 6,200-square-foot cold storage facility and two additional cold docks that establish a “cold chain” at our distribution center in Irvine. This gives us a total of 14,550 square feet of cold storage, which greatly enhances our ability to source and distribute more nutritious food.
Second Harvest continues to fight increasing food insecurity through our Pop-Up Drive Thru food distributions with the help of many amazing volunteers and it is no surprise that many of them are mothers. Jacqueline is one such volunteer and I wanted to learn more of her story.
here to volunteer representing other mothers…to give back to the community, to be a role model to my children. As a mother, as a woman, as a friend, as a wife…you have so many hats you have to put on and one of them is giving. When I go home my daughter asks me, “Mom what did you do today?” And I say, “I got to give back to people, people that really don’t have as much as we do.” Hopefully she sees me doing this and then as she gets older, she’ll want to give back just the same way.”
Pantry. Their style traditionally has always been very welcoming and focused on building relationships with those they serve. They would put out coffee and pastries and spend time talking with the families who would come early just to socialize.
One of Nancy’s key volunteers, Mary Kaye, also shared insights. Mary Kaye is an emergency room doctor who has been spending much of her spare time serving at the Saint Timothy pantry. She began volunteering pre-COVID by taking blood pressures on pantry days and translating for Spanish-speaking clients.. All the changes have her missing conversations and connecting with the families they serve.
can take your blood pressure soon,” and encouraging them.”
Whatever the situation that keeps students on campus and struggling to feed themselves, the Fresh Basic Needs Hub at UCI remains open to serve them, supported by food from Second Harvest. Student hunger is a serious challenge, made even worse by the pandemic, but Fresh, as it’s called, has the mission to provide for the basic needs of UCI students, allowing them to focus on academics.
Last week did not feel hopeful. Seeing the injustice of the past few days makes me cringe. It causes me to grieve when I see people treated unfairly or worse. But I’m choosing to move forward with hope. How can I have hope this week? Because I know Andrea and I see how she treats people who sometimes feel trapped. The team at Fresh, and all the other college pantries in Orange County serve as a lifeline for their students, providing for basic needs and offering a dignified experience for everyone who comes to them for help. Their service is a beacon of hope in the darkness.
redirected those emotions toward survival and humility. While it was a very difficult decision, Stephen and Kristina decided that in order to make it through this crisis, they would need to receive assistance the first time in their lives. This is what it means to be newly vulnerable.