Community Gardeners Donate Produce to Senior Center

Fresh salads with Jersey tomatoes, stewed zucchini grown locally and cool cucumbers. It’s a Jersey Fresh kind of moment at the East Brunswick Senior Center these days.

Thanks to gardeners at the , chef Jimmy Takla at the East Brunswick Senior center has had a bounty of fresh produce to cook with lately. Gardeners have donated 275 pounds of produce to the center so far this year and are trying to hit 1,000 pounds by the end of the growing season.

“Last year we challenged gardeners to donate 100 pounds of produce to the senior center,” said Environmental Commission Member David Moskowitz. “At the end of the year we reached 603 pounds. So this year we challenged them to reach 1,000 pounds. As of last week, we donated 250, and that’s everything, literally - lettuce, spinach, carrots, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes.”

The Senior Center provides members with hot, healthy meals prepared every day. With a menu that includes roast loin of park, eggplant Parmesan, spinach pie, as well as chicken, turkey, and vegetarian selections, seniors have access to gourmet-style meals for a small fee.

"It's a big help," said Takla. "The seniors love it and they appreciate it."

Moskowitz said gardeners will be harvesting through November, so the fresh produce can be expected to keep rolling in until then.

“We coordinate with the chef for the drop off, so every other day we drop something of, sometimes even more than that,” he said.

For more information visit www.ebcommunitygarden.webs.com or www.Friendsebec.com