"Meatless Monday" Wellesley Food Pantry Fundraiser

​Wellesley residents are invited to share a delicious vegetarian dinner prepared by local chef Dave Becker of Juniper on March 29 at 6:30 p.m. Take a night off from cooking and learn the benefits to your health and the well-being of our planet when you make Mondays meat-free, all while you support the efforts of the Wellesley Food Pantry to help those in our community who need it most.  This event is sponsored through a partnership by LWV Wellesley and Sustainable Wellesley.

Participants will pick up a dinner at Juniper and then return home to watch a live, fun cooking demonstration as they dine. The cost to join this exciting community event is $75, which will include a three-course meal, the chef’s own cookbook and a generous donation to the Wellesley Food Pantry. A red or white wine pairing can be included with dinner for an additional $20 per bottle.  
"Meatless Monday" Menu:

• Muhammara Spread (Roasted red pepper and walnuts) with fresh baked pita 
• Miso-Lentil Soup
• Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Curry Vinaigrette Dressing
• Butternut Squash Farro Risotto

Here’s how it works:

• Register before March 22 and pay $75.
• Prior to the event, you will receive an email with final details about pickup, plus a link to join the cooking class.
• Dave’s team will prepare a 3-course, meatless, fully cooked, takeout meal for two.
• You pick up dinner at Juniper in Wellesley between 5:00 and 6:15 p.m. on Monday, March 29; a specific time for your pick up will be sent in an email the day before the event.  Optional bottle(s) of wine, selected for the meal, may be purchased for $20 cash at pick-up.
• At 6:30, join other diners and watch Dave live on Zoom preparing the meal in his home kitchen.
• Feast while you watch!
• Ask Dave questions in the Zoom chat area and hear his responses live.

What’s Included:   The $75 fee includes: a 3-course takeout meal for two, a cooking class with Dave on Zoom, a Dave Becker cookbook, and a donation to the Wellesley Food Pantry.  Additional donations for the Wellesley Food Pantry are welcome.  A small fee for ticketing and use of PayPal will be added to your final cost; if you have questions, please email [email protected] 

Register before March 22 –Space is limited!  Each meal serves two but you may purchase more than one meal.  

The  Wellesley Food Pantry  currently serves approximately 200 Wellesley households and more than 420 individuals; about one-third are children and another third are seniors.  The Food Pantry has provided supplemental and emergency food to Wellesley residents in need since 1989.  

“Meatless Monday” is a global movement that encourages people to reduce meat in their diet for their health and the health of the planet.  Since it began in 2003, the movement has taken root in over 40 countries and been adapted to 22 different languages.   Eating less meat and more healthy plant-based foods can help reduce the incidence of chronic preventable diseases, preserve precious land and water resources, and combat climate change.  More information is available at the “Meatless Monday” website.

This event was created by the League of Women Voters of Wellesley and Sustainable Wellesley in the interest of fostering both community support for those who need it, as well as an awareness of the many ways individuals can act to promote a more sustainable lifestyle.  LWV Wellesley is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It works to influence public policy through education and advocacy.  Sustainable Wellesley strives to engage residents, businesses and the Town of Wellesley to take sustainable actions to protect biodiversity; minimize waste; and ensure environmental justice.