Guidelines for Providing a Healthy, Balanced Oneg

The Sustainable Food Group, as part of the Social Justice Committee, is offering the following guidelines for a Healthy Shabbat Oneg. We hope you will use these as suggestions. Remember the basic rules of Kashrut that our Reform congregation follows:

• no pork
• no shellfish
• separate dairy and meat dishes

What is “Healthy?”
We define “healthy” as foods with minimal artificial additives. As part of “healthy” we suggest purchasing foods and ingredients from local farms and enterprises. Using local sources helps “increase access to local foods, preserve the values of rural communities, protect farmland and the natural beauty of our mountains, encourage sustainable farming practices, and strengthen the local economy.” Local products are likely to be fresher as well as reduce the carbon footprint by reducing the miles the ingredients are brought.

Organic foods reduce the toxic potential of artificial fertilizers and insecticides, but they can be more costly. Conventionally grown or produced ingredients can also be healthy. For example, milk from certain grocery stores comes from dairies that do not inject their cattle with growth hormones or antibiotics, though it may not be labeled as organic. Did you know that the items around the perimeter of the grocery store (produce and dairy sections) are generally healthier than those on the inner aisles?

Read the ingredient labels of any processed, pre-baked goods you purchase and try to avoid any that include hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and excessive salt.

What to serve?
Variety:
A balanced spread would include some sweet dishes, some salty, something savory, some vegetables and some fruit on each of the tables. Something unique or different is always a hit; we have seen toasted seaweed, yogurt in squeezable plastic tubes, roasted vegetables and other unusual treats on occasion. Such dishes expand palates, spur conversation and inspire more experimentation and creativity.

Consideration for Kashrut:
Our congregational policy is: no pork or shellfish, and meat and dairy should not be mixed in the same dish. Most Onegs are dairy based. Fish, on the other hand, is Parve. Eggs are also Parve.

Consideration for dietary restrictions and preferences:
Due to common allergies or dietary restrictions involving dairy, wheat, gluten, fat, sugar, soybeans, salt and/or nuts, and preferences (such as vegetarian or vegan), we ask that you aim to provide at least one dish that is palatable for each so that everyone can enjoy something.

Vegetarian can mean no meat, no chicken, sometimes also no fish or eggs; vegan means no eggs and no dairy in addition to no meat, chicken or fish. Butter and cheese are dairy products and therefore are not included in vegan dishes. Many people watch their weight in terms of fat content, and some fats (e.g., cholesterol) are less acceptable than others. Diabetics will prefer sugar-free items - the natural sugars in fruits are usually acceptable. Gluten is in wheat, barley, rye and spelt, also oats if they are processed in a factory where any of the other gluten grains are processed. Corn, rice, quinoa and oats (if processed in isolation from glutenous grains) are some gluten-free grains. Nuts can be tree nuts like pecans, walnuts, almonds, filberts, hazelnuts, and macadamias, or ground nuts (peanuts). Some people are also allergic to soy products.

LABELING all ingredients of any baked or processed items on the table is helpful; this allows people to decide for themselves whether to partake.

Where to get what you want to serve?
Where can healthy, possibly organic and/or locally grown items be purchased? The Local Food Guide distributed by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project can provide such information. There are copies at the temple, by the steps leading to Unger Hall, or you can go to the website AppalachianGrown.org where you will find lists of sources, recipes, and all kinds of helpful information.

Almost all local grocery stores have healthy options. At Ingles, for example, there are small signs on every aisle indicating the “natural” and/or “organic” sections, and often a separate section for organic vegetables and fruits in the produce department. The following fruits and vegetables are most heavily contaminated with pesticides; consider purchasing certified organic, if you can:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Celery
• Spinach
• Sweet Bell Peppers

In addition to stores like EarthFare, French Broad Co-op, Greenlife (now Whole Foods), and Fresh Market, there is much variety at local tailgate markets during May through November. The Local Food Guide gives locations, times and days of these markets.

We also hope that you will use the pre-paid grocery scrip cards that we sell in the temple office. They cost you nothing extra, yet the temple makes up to 6% profit on your grocery purchases. Scrip is available for Ingles, Fresh Market, Greenlife and EarthFare.

How to serve?
Consulting with Edward Wiley, is most helpful. Edward knows how many people attend services at different times of the year and he will be setting up the tables for your Oneg.

Suggested Dishes
Try and have one dish from each of the varieties discussed (sweet, salty, savory, vegetables, fruit) on each table.

• For vegetarians, vegans, diabetics and health-conscious attendees, a platter of crudite’ (raw vegetables - carrots, celery, grape or cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc.) with or without onion or curry dip or hummus.
• a platter or bowl of fruit (in season if possible)
• Bowls of mixed salted, roasted nuts (though raw, unsalted nuts are much healthier, suitable for people on low-fat, low-salt diets, and contain Omega-3 oils that are actually good for people) are often placed on the ends of the tables.
• Cheese and crackers
• Sweets ranging from cookies, bars, pies and cakes to candy, flan and ice cream (sometimes with toppings) are most frequent. Don’t forget the labels!

General Information
There are a large variety of serving platters, bowls and dishes and serving utensils in the temple kitchen. Edward can tell you where they are kept.

• Placing a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, even textures of dishes on the tables contributes to the beauty of the Oneg.
• A little greenery, flowers or a seasonal or themed centerpiece provides a special touch.

On the Friday morning of your Oneg, get to the temple by10am if you want Edward’s input. Back up to the Unger Hall side entrance on Liberty St. if you need a cart to wheel food from the car to the kitchen. If you are arriving earlier than 9am, call Edward’s cell phone: 828/778-9836. Remember, he keeps very early hours, works very hard, and should not be disturbed at home unless it is unavoidable.

For those dishes that must be kept refrigerated or frozen until serving time, place labels on the tables indicating where they should go, and Edward and Ellen Gilreath will put them out so that you can enjoy the service to its conclusion. On Fridays the temple closes early at 1pm, so you should plan to be done by then.

You should arrange for helpers to clear the tables after the Oneg, and direct what might be done with any leftovers. There are often other events within a few days of an oneg at which these would be welcomed if you care to donate them, but re-plating and refrigerating them is a task not necessarily left to Ellen and Edward unless you have arranged it in advance. Their services are more custodial than catering unless they’ve agreed otherwise.

List of Suggested Dishes

Crudites’ (vegetable platter, with dip, dressing or hummus)
Cherry/grape tomatoes, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers,
cucumbers, olives, asparagus (can be lightly steamed or blanched), turnips, kohlrabi,
fennel, green onions, jicama, mushrooms, radishes, snow peas, sugar snaps, edible
flowers, zucchini, summer squash, green beans (can be blanched)
[google Crudites Platter for dip recipes, platter layout suggestions]

Roasted Vegetables

Local Fresh Fruit in season
Spring: strawberries, rhubarb
Summer: Ripe melon, berries, peaches/nectarines (toss with lemon juice to prevent
browning), figs, muscadine/scuppernong grapes, pears, plums, apples
Fall: apples (with honey in a squeeze dispenser for High Holy Days), persimmons
Other Fruit in season
Winter: dates, oranges, tangerines, kiwi, pomegranates, dried fruits
Spring: apricots
Summer: cherries
Fall: cranberries
Other Fresh Fruits: mangos, pineapples, table grapes, dates, oranges, tangerines, kiwi,
Papaya

Local treats (see your Local Food Guide for a full listing):
Smoked Trout - marinated filets, dip, jerky, sausage (Sunburst among others)
Goat Cheese - spread and hard cheeses (Spinning Spider, 3 Graces among others)
Raw Honey - sourwood, wildflower, more (Haw Creek, among others)
Fruit Jams (Imladris Farms, among others)
Miscellaneous Pickles (Mountain Sunshine Farms - at WNC Farmer’s Mkt - among others)

Dairy dishes/desserts
Flan
Cheese and Crackers

Tasty Tidbits
Raw (healthier) or Roasted Nuts
Trail Mix
Roasted Seaweed (available at the oriental groceries)

Gluten Free (always check ingredients)
Some macaroons
Tamari or other flavored almonds