The Sirius community meals (often referred to as “Rota”- short for cooking rotation), were created to serve the food needs of guests and members, and provide a sense of community. These meals are open to members and neighbors wishing to participate in a cooking rotation. Generally, those who participate in the rotation will cook a meal once or twice a month and then attend the meals of other cooks. Dinners are served Tuesday-Saturday at 6:30 pm and on Saturday lunch is often prepared by a small team and is served after Joyful Productivity at 1:00 pm.
Our Nutritional Values
Our kitchen is an organic and vegetarian kitchen. No raw or cooked meat of any kind can be in our kitchen and meat is not served at any community meals. All whole foods and ingredients in our meals are expected to be organic. We do our best to source most of our produce from our own organic gardens.
In our community kitchen, we also make an effort to limit or avoid sugar, chemical preservatives, and white processed grains in our meals. There is always a consideration for those who express further dietary needs such as those who have allergies, or those who are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, or dairy-free.
Our meals are expected to consist of four components: protein, grains, cooked vegetables, and raw vegetables. Bread, fruits, and desserts are optional. Some examples of the foods we eat are as follows:
- Proteins include things like nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, tofu, or tempeh
- Grains include things like potatoes, brown rice, barley, millet, quinoa, or whole grain pasta
- For the raw vegetable component we often make a salad or serve fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, etc from our gardens
- Cooked vegetables can be included any dish or can be the center of dishes such as curries, stirfries, soups and more
Our intention is that our food is both nutritious and delicious!
Our community meals are a special time where we intend to connect and share our full presence with one another. People are encouraged to sit around the tables together and put aside any distractions for the duration of the meal.
Joining as a guest at ROTA
If you are interested in joining us for a community meal, we would love to have you! An RSVP and donation for food costs is appreciated. Please send your RSVP to info@siriuscommunity.org. Do mention any dietary needs so our cooks can plan accordingly. If you are from the area and interested in joining the ROTA system as a cook, you can also reach out to info@siriuscommunity.org and we can send you more information about the levels of involvement available and the costs.