Fighting Hunger One Bowl at a Time

Six-hundred people: that’s how many people the Empty Bowls Festival soup supper at the Leavenworth Festhalle on March 23 will serve. Heather Knight of Anjou Bakery explains the “generous donations of time and product are what make this festival so special.” Twelve local businesses will provide delicious food for this primary fundraiser for the Community Cupboard Food Bank, a program of Upper Valley MEND.
Visconti’s has contributed to the fundraiser for 22 years. Being part of the Leavenworth community is one of their core values. They say the community gives to them, so it is right that they in turn give back. Visconti’s will be bringing mostaccioli, a fabulous version of mac and cheese.
Good Mood Food has contributed to the soup supper for nine years, but long before they began painting bowls when Kurt was the chef at Sleeping Lady. Owners Nadine and Kurt share a passion for food. Nadine’s was a family of bakers on one side and farmers on the other side. She and Kurt met working in a kitchen in Europe. They will bring a vegetarian butternut squash soup that is gluten and dairy free. Nadine says that Empty Bowls is the “nicest fundraiser around because the community comes together. Everyone can afford to participate and feel good about themselves for giving.”
Another long-time contributor is the Alley Café. Steve says they will bring their slow-roasted baby back rib soup again. He says that one reason he enjoys the event is that it brings so many of the restaurants together to contribute to the community. Alley Café believes in making good food affordable for most people. They value the Community Cupboard as an important resource in Leavenworth.
JJ Hills executive chef Bill Monigold reports that the Icicle Village Resort has contributed to Empty Bowls for at least 15 years. They will be providing mulligatawny soup. They think Empty Bowls is a wonderful way to give back to the community which has done so much for their business over the years. Bill says there is a friendly competition among the restaurants at this event, but they all have the same goal in mind: being there for the community and the people who visit our great little town.
Dan of Watershed Café says that their new business of six months, Yodelin Broth Company, is happy to provide their signature Yodelin broth: a halibut bone coconut curry broth with white rice noodles, organic kale, roasted red peppers and cilantro. This is the third year they’ve contributed to the soup supper. Dan says it’s a terrible thing to know that someone is going hungry when we live in a world of luxury and gluttony. He says, “Being in business in Leavenworth means that you need to give back as a business.”
New contributor Wild Huckleberry will bring a wild game chili to the soup supper. Wok About Grill will provide sautéed vegetables and noodles. Kingfisher Restaurant at Sleeping Lady will contribute as they have done all 22 years of festival. This year they will bring creamy mushroom and celery root soup. The bakers at Bavarian Bakery will donate their wheat loaves. Sure to Rise will provide dinner rolls. Dana’s Market will bring several kinds of sliced bread. Anjou Bakery will bring sourdough loaves and baguettes. Heather of Anjou says the bread donated is a significant part of the soup supper, so the support of all the bakers and grocers is so needed and appreciated.
Thank you to the restaurants, bakers and grocers who generously support this community-building special event!