Riverdale Neighborhood House mixes baking lessons with community connections
Posted
Using tomatoes picked from the Riverdale Neighborhood House’s garden, the amateur cooks laid out quarter-inch-thick slices on several baking sheets. They then sprinkled salt onto the tomatoes to remove moisture, later blotting each slice by pressing down with a paper towel to soak up any remaining liquid.
Michelle Mullen photos
Each tart was baked at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes, until its border turned a deep golden brown. However, the group ran into a snafu when 13-year-old volunteer Harper Hutchins slid the first tray into the oven, only then learning the baking sheet was too large to fit. After some quick thinking, the workshop’s leader, Fautoumata Saho and volunteer Jane Zhang cleared the dough of all ingredients and carefully transferred it onto a smaller sheet.
Participants laid out slabs of puff pastry onto several baking sheets, with volunteer Sofia Torres using a knife to score the edges. They then used a pastry brush to coat the raw tart. Zhang, pictured, carefully measured out a quarter cup of Dijon mustard, which was thinly spread over the egg-washed puff pastry dough.
The tart incorporated layers of shallot and onion over the slices of tomato, allowing them to overlap slightly. Volunteers then sprinkled a spice blend made with dried and fresh herbs, including thyme, oregano and black pepper, over their creations.
After taking the tart out of the oven, Saho added drizzles of pesto, freshly made by the volunteers during the workshop. She then finished it off with dots of ricotta cheese.
The group also made a fresh watermelon-lime refresher, blending pink cubes before using a sieve to strain the thick mixture into a jug. After squeezing in juice from 10 limes, participants added seltzer water and a homemade mint syrup — which they made by boiling down a combination of sugar and fresh mint — and garnished the drink with slices of cucumber.
The volunteers also baked English scones for the Sept. 13 tea party. Saho, who crafts the recipes herself, aimed to create one that was as close to traditional scones as possible. For 14-year-old volunteer Annasophia Rosado, right, it was the first time making the treat. Saho, left, offered guidance as needed, giving Rosado tips on using a cooking scale.
The finished product was served at the Riverdale Neighborhood House’s Sept. 13 community tea party, where women sported vibrant headpieces and sipped tea while munching on tomato tarts and scones, courtesy of the Baking with Neighbors volunteers.
Residents took to the Riverdale Neighborhood House at 5521 Mosholu Ave. Sept. 12 for Baking with Neighbors, a new volunteer-based workshop that launched the week before.
Led by Fatoumata Saho, the neighborhood house’s volunteer and community programs coordinator, four residents-turned-amateur-chefs put their kitchen abilities to the test with a savory tomato tart and a batch of English scones. At the heart of the workshop is not only an initiative to teach new skills, Saho said, but also to create a friendly environment for neighbors to meet others from greater Riverdale.
The group made chocolate chip cookies, including vegan ones, during the first session. Saho said she crafts each recipe herself, combining steps and ingredients from several recipes online to create an original treat.
“The tomato tart, for example, is like three to four recipes that I found,” she said.
All of the workshop participants arrived as strangers — with some wanting to try a new hobby, and others, like Jane Zhang, looking to meet new people. Baking from scratch, Zhang said, is a relatively new experience for her, as she usually uses premade mixes.
The finished tarts and scones were made for Riverdale Neighborhood House volunteers, as well as the organization’s free community tea party on Sept. 13.
Keywords
Baking with Neighbors,
Riverdale Neighborhood House,
Riverdale,
greater Riverdale,
Bronx,
Fatoumata Saho,
baking workshop,
community workshop,
neighborhood programs,
volunteer programs,
community events,
amateur chefs,
tomato tart,
English scones,
chocolate chip cookies,
vegan cookies,
community building,
neighborhood connections,
Riverdale residents,
community tea party,
Mosholu Avenue,
local events,
baking classes,
Bronx community
