Fresh Ingredients, Lasting Skills: Inside Cultural Diversity Resources’ Cooking Series

By Adam Chalifoux

Cultural Diversity Resources’ weekly cooking workshops are giving community members the tools to build a more sustainable, independent and nutritious relationship with food. The workshops take place at Bright Sky Apartments in Moorhead and are open to residents at both Bright Sky as well as Silver Linings Apartments. Bright Sky is a 43-unit complex for families and individuals who have experienced homelessness. Silver Linings is a 36-unit complex for people 55 and older who have faced long-term housing struggles.

“Really, the mission of Cultural Diversity Resources is to empower low-income individuals on all aspects from finances to health,” said Christy Goulet, one of the class instructors.

This nonprofit has been serving the Fargo-Moorhead community for 28 years.

“Healthy living, safe homes and empowering opportunities ensure that everyone can grow in our community”, Goulet said.

Each class session is designed to equip participants with the knowledge they need to feed themselves and their families in an affordable and healthy way.

Many of the ingredients used in the classes come from local community gardens.

“We can go in, we can harvest our own foods from the gardens,” said Goulet. “Bring them into the community, give them out for free; and then our nonprofit helps teach classes utilizing those ingredients.”

Over two classes, the class has used homegrown red peppers, green peppers and potatoes to create a low-sodium chili dish and embraced local foods by making a wild rice hotdish with buffalo meat.

Knowing where food comes from and understanding its nutritional value is just as important as learning the recipes, Goulet said.

A part of Cultural Diversity Resources’ mission is to celebrate Indigenous culture, language and philosophy, Goulet said.

“When I look back at some of our Indigenous teachings, it always came down to self-responsibility,” said Goulet. “If you didn’t get up and tend to your garden, if you didn’t get up and tend to your animals, they weren’t going to survive; they were dependent on what they get from you.”

The Cultural Diversity Resources cooking classes have quickly become an enjoyable weekly gathering for residents at Silver Linings and Bright Sky Apartments. The lessons provided by the program help community members more effectively plan meals, prepare food and gather ingredients to feed their families.

The program ties directly into Churches United’s mission to provide nutritious food and a path toward healing by educating participants about better, more sustainable practices.