Transition Projects Dinner

Each month, the Portland Pearl Rotary Club makes a delicious Taco Salad for the men at Transition Projects

Where to go... When to show up

Use the door on Hoyt Street under “665”. The first volunteer to arrive needs to log in at the front desk. Enter the total number for the group 6. The last volunteer to leave needs to sign out at the front desk. The RA’s can help if there is any confusion.
Team 1- Prep: Arrival Time: 5:15PM

Departure Time: 6:15 PM

Team 2 - Serving: Arrival Time: 6:15 PM

Departure Time: 7:30 PM (Earlier if all tasks are completed)

Cooking Instructions

  1. Please have the staff in charge immediately start the pilot under the grill and turn on the water to fill the steam table. Although gas heat, both these units take at least 20 minutes to arrive at useful heat. To cook the corn, we may learn we need to start the oven immediately too.
  2. In a large stockpot start cooking the taco seasoning according to package directions.
  3. Chop all the LARGE ONIONS into small pieces or use the blender.
    • On the stove top fry surface: The staff may at times ask you to use large fry pans.
    • Fry onions in oil until just transparent.
    • Add GROUND BEEF to the onions and cook until done, stirring to break up the chunks.
  4. When the ground beef/onion mixture is cooked, transfer it to a large pot, draining some of the liquid in the process.
  5. Add the taco seasoning per the package directions and continue cooking.  (You won’t use all of the seasoning prepared in Step 2.)
  1. Unbag and sort the remaining delivery items. Set up at prep sites.
  • Chopping area at counter corner, lettuce and tomatoes
  • Cans by opener on island corner opposite chopping area,
  • Salsa, cheese, and yogurt/sour cream on island closest to door.
  • Cookies on wheeled cart at East end of serving counter
  • Beverage in fridge
  • Chips in delivery bags at end of serving counter.
  1. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces, chop lettuce.
  2. Heat frozen corn in oven.
  3. Open the cans of olives and kidney beans and drain.
  4. Heat the beans in the oven.

Serving Instructions

Note: Clean up is done by the residents at the Transitions Project. When all have been fed, the team can leave. The managers may ask that you prepare several plates for late comers and those that are involved in meetings off premises.

Setup

At the serving table set up the ingredients in the following order, Right to Left:

  1. Box of latex serving gloves
  2. Tortilla Chips
  3. Cooked ground beef with taco seasoning
  4. Kidney beans 
  5. Corn
  6. Cheese
  7. Lettuce
  8. Tomatoes
  9. Olives
  10. Salsa
  11. Sour cream

Select the right size serving ladle or spoon to help the server portion the servings equitable.  Don’t use a large spoon or ladle for a topping that has half the quantity of the meat. Use a spoon for salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, olives, beans, corn.

On the serving trolley, carry the beverage dispenser and the beverage out and put on one of the dining tables.  Decant the beverage into the server on the table where it will be served, to reduce heavy lifting of the filled beverage server.

Serving

Before you start serving, verify with the reception desk the number of late meals to be saved.  Prepare the late meals and cover them with plastic before starting the regular service

  1. Start the plate by offering a small handful of chip, slightly crushed. (Be sensitive to guests who may not be able to chew the taco chips – don’t assume that everyone will want chips.)
  2. Add a scoop of ground beef mixture, (use an ice cream scoop)
  3. Add an amount of cheddar cheese (tongs)
  4. Add a handful of lettuce
  5. Add chopped tomatoes (small ladle) 

(The following ingredients are added if the diner wishes.  Many have varying tastes and we bow to their wishes.) Small Ladle

  1. Corn
  2. Olives
  3. Kidney beans
  4. Salsa
  5. Sour cream

 You may want to experiment with the personnel line-up but this seems to work OK.

Tuesday Morning at 7:30am
Breakfast Included 
Ecotrust Building
721 NW 9th Ave #200
Portland, OR 97209
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