Emmylou Harris will be the performer at Kitchen Angels' 30-Year Anniversary Benefit Concert at the Santa Fe Opera, Friday, September 23, 2022.

Although there are no additional VIP packages available, general seating tickets can be purchased through websites Ampconcerts.org or Holdmyticket.com. Tickets are also available by phone through Hold My Ticket at 505-886-1251. Ticket prices range between $44 - $165, including all service charges.

We're happy to announce that Kitchen Angels and Kitchenality placed in the top 3 of the Santa Fe Reporter's Best Of contest this year! To celebrate, we had a booth at the railyard during the Best Of party on July 29th. Many thanks to Bob Guenther, Sherry Arnowitz, and Judi Fenton for being KA representatives at the Best Of party.

Kitchen Angels placed 2nd in the Best Nonprofit category, and

Kitchenality placed 2nd in the Best Food and Cooking Store category.

This is the second year Kitchenality placed and we couldn't be happier. We know it isn't big news to you all - you've known for some time that our organization and resale store are the best. And we know that it's our volunteers that make us so exceptional!

Kitchen Angels welcomes our volunteers to the Tuesday Crop Swap each week from 11:30 - 12:30. Bring in the extra bounty from your garden and share with others. We don't want food to go bad, and it's fun to give and take of the fruits (and vegetables) of the earth. This will be happening throughout the growing/harvest season. Can't make it on Tuesday? You can always bring produce in on the day of your shift and we can put it out for you on Tuesday. So far we've seen buckets of kale, rainbow swiss chard, summer squash, tomatoes, herbs, peas and peppers. Come partake of the bounty!

Quick Reminder: Lauren is still taking volunteer pictures in front of the painted angel wings in the volunteer break room. If you don't have a picture up on the wall, please stop by her office either before or after your volunteer shift. We can't wait for you to join the wall of fame!

"I so appreciate the work you do. I’m a former agency provider so I know what it’s like to work for the public. Today I pulled the angel card “gratitude” and I called you right up. Thank you for all you do for me. Please pass that gratitude to everyone who helps!" ~Marc P.

“Hi, I want to thank you and Del Norte for the July 4th food. And the clafouti looks fun. I've never had that before. Be nice to have that. Thank you so much! Happy 4^th!” ~Gabrielle G.

August is the last true month of summer, and we must hold on to those sweet summertime flavors before they are replaced with fall squashes, stews, and soups. Lots of great foods are in season during August. Try bell peppers, beets, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini for some savory flavors, and apricots, peaches, plums, and watermelon for those with a sweet tooth. Tasty.com has a list of thirty-one recipes to cook using seasonal August ingredients. There are blackened zucchini tacos with black beans, radishes, and cotija cheese for all those home gardeners with heaps of zucchini to use; stuffed peppers with cauliflower and rice; cucumber salad; and summer tomato pie.

Food and Wine has a similar list (also with thirty-one recipes) of August foods including corn husk-grilled goat cheese with corn relish!

Sometimes though it is too hot in your house to turn on the oven or even switch on a burner. If take-out isn’t an option, you need low-cook to no-cook meals. Buzzfeed has a perfect list for those who want to keep their kitchen cool, but still eat well.The lump crab and avocado salad looks easy and delicious as does the naan with smoked salmon. Shrimp ceviche tostadas and shrimp rolls with herb brown butter mayo also sound exceptional for the lingering hot August nights.

But nothing completes the summer season like fresh sweet corn. Again, Food and Wine has all the recipes you need for a corn-filled month. There is a great recipe for elote, or Mexican street corn (also very popular in the American Southwest), topped with tangy mayo. How about potato salad with fresh corn and basil? Maybe make that for your next summer cookout. But sometimes you just need simple corn on the cob covered with butter and salt. If you don’t have a recipe, here is the simplest one from Epicurious.

We are still adhering to the knock and drop protocol. We are seeing a significant uptick in COVID cases, for clients and volunteers alike. Our clients sometimes call and tell us if a volunteer approaches within 6-feet or hands a bag off instead of placing it and stepping away. Most of our clients appreciate this added level of caution.

Always wear a mask during delivery and hand sanitize between stops. We have seen our share of volunteers become symptomatic the day after delivery, which means they were shedding virus while volunteering. The clients were protected because the volunteers wore masks and kept their hands clean.

The instructions on client slips change periodically. Please read each client slip carefully EVERY TIME so you know how to best deliver the meal. As creatures of habit, we must fight the urge to go on auto-pilot and cut corners. Careful reading of the client slips can help us keep those instructions accurate as well. If you notice staff has made an error in driving directions or delivery instructions, please bring it to our attention so we can make corrections.

When you know you will be away and unable to deliver, please try to give your dates to Lauren 10-days prior. This makes it so much easier for her to schedule properly. We know it takes some forethought, but it's easier than the "good old days" when we asked volunteers to find their own replacements! A lot of people don't pick up phone calls or look at emails much anymore, and we do not text at KA. This means that we need the extra time to make sure everything is covered.

Every year from late April to early September a group of middle school and high school students tend the Ojos y Manos: Eyes and Hands agricultural terraces at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden (SFBG). With the support of their Head Gardener and Youth Gardener Program Coordinator and alongside SFBG Volunteers, five youth garden interns participate two afternoons a week learning to cultivate food. Twice a week the produce that has been cultivated and harvested is transported to Kitchen Angels for our homebound clients.

A great big THANK YOU goes out to the sponsor of our fabulous volunteer appreciation picnic: Jim Gordon. Jim is a former volunteer and the widower of our dearly departed Mary Dale Gordon who volunteered on Mondays in the kitchen for 20 years. What a very special gift to give in honor of his beloved wife.

We love that so many folks showed up at the volunteer event. The weather was spot on, the music was delightful, and the food was outstanding, as usual. Thanks to Street Food Institute for bringing the good eats so staff could kick back and enjoy the event without having to cook! And a huge hug to our neighbors at ReUnity Resources. These folks are generosity personified and we're honored that they allowed us to celebrate under the gigantic elm tree.

A very happy 30 year service anniversary goes out to Rob Higgins who started volunteering on August 1, 1992 and is still going strong today! We recently sat down with Rob and picked his brain about why he started volunteering and what keeps him going.

We love Rob for being kind, caring, humble, responsible, ethical, and good-natured. Over the years, Rob has seen clients come and go. When a client goes off service, that doesn't necessarily mean that Rob stops checking in on them. He routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty. We've had a client cry to us over losing their "favorite delivery volunteer" when they were shifted to another route. More than anything else, Rob displays what it means to lead with the heart. May your halo shine brightly for years to come Rob!