When businesses shut down and the world changed suddenly back in March, the local food community was forced to shift gears and adapt, using ingenuity and creativity. Not only were they providing us with sustenance during a challenging time, but they came up with ways for us to entertain ourselves, too, with curbside pickup, online classes, cooking kits and more. Home cooking has been great, but the ability to change things up once in a while was a much-needed distraction and a way for us to support the local economy and the food businesses we love.

While a few businesses—such as Glazy Susan, MamaRoux, Batch Ice Cream and Noms—figured out a way to pop up with online ordering, Jennifer Lee’s Gourmet Bakery and Kraftea Kombucha began delivering to their customers. The Rose Room Café in Webster sold Mother’s Day gift bags and many other businesses created “To-Go Kits.”

Paired, Poured and Plated of Northborough sold Paired Wine/Craft Beer Tasting Kits to share with friends via Zoom; Red Apple Farm in Phillipston sold Apple Pie Kits; and Livia’s Dish of Worcester created Breakfast-in-Bed Kits for moms on Mother’s Day. Armsby Abbey put together Rosé Sangria Kits, Mai Tai Kits and Stoutfest-to-Go Packs—they even collaborated with Wooberry to create boozy ice cream. There were Nesting Kits (family-style dinner kits) from The Vegan Nest, Bloody Mary Kits from deadhorse hill and Margarita Kits from Mezcal Cantina.

Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton offered weekly Cocktail Kits in addition to peppermint hand sanitizer made in their own onsite distillery, and The Cookie Lady’s Daughter in Millbury created cookie decorating kits for kids of all ages.

What did we miss? Send us an Instagram message with your favorites and we might share them in an Instagram story. Here are a few highlights:

VICTORY GARDEN KIT FROM STILLMAN’S FARM

When the pandemic hit, people began calling Stillman’s Farm in New Braintree asking if they would be open in the spring. “People were so anxious,” Genevieve Stillman said. It was clear that many hadn’t gardened before, so Stillman decided to put together Victory Garden Kits. “I remember my grandfather telling me that during World War II they had a victory garden to take the pressure off the food supply by growing their own food.”

The Early Spring Victory Garden Kit was available from April 30 to May 31 and included a mix of hardy plants that would thrive in the cooler part of the spring like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, peas, onions and broccoli, plus a packet of radish seeds, all for $40. Later in May, the Victory Garden Kit sold for $50 with a mix of lettuce, Swiss chard, kale, beans, broccoli, cabbage, summer squashes, cucumbers, a variety of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and winter squashes.

It was easier for Stillman to select hardy plants that she knew would do well, so she put together the kits with plants “we use ourselves,” she said, adding that she might put together a midsummer victory garden kit with fresh rounds of greens and tomatoes. If people are interested, they should reach out or check the shop page on the Stillman’s Farm website.

VIRTUAL PASTA MAKING CLASS BY VOLTURNO

When COVID-19 prevented people from going out, Volturno Restaurant in Worcester brought its pasta-making class online. Before class, participants picked up a pre-packed Pasta Class Dinner Kit curbside before returning home to their own kitchens. Each kit included a ball of pasta dough, enough to make handmade pasta for four (cavatelli in April and tagliatelle in May), house-made sauce (Sausage Ragu in April and Amatriciana in May) and a bottle of red wine.

Later that evening, Volturno’s owner Greg Califano instructed from his own home kitchen on how to make the pasta and demonstrated how to cook, sauce and plate the pasta like they do at the restaurant.

Each class sold out with 150 participants. “People picked up kits from as far away as New Hampshire,” Califano said. While he charged $50 and $60 for the dinner kits, Califano wanted to make the classes available to everyone. You can find the recipes on Volturno’s website, and the class videos are available on Volturno’s Facebook page. “I knew a lot of people might not have the money to pay for the class,” he said.

When possible, Volturno’s in-person pasta-making classes will start back up for those who want the intimate experience, but the online classes will continue as well. Califano said the most fun part of his business is educating people about Old World cooking. “The more people understand it and experience it, the more they like it,” he said.

DRIVE-THRU AT TIMBERYARD BREWING COMPANY

It only took one weekend of closure before Timberyard Brewing Company in East Brookfield opened its drive-thru operation.

“We are located in an old lumberyard,” said Kate Ohanesian, Timberyard’s tap room manager. “Our brewery has two big garage doors built so a big Mack truck could drive through.” So they built a kiosk near one of the garage doors. Guests could drive up, order through the window and pay with a credit card. By the time the car drove through the building, the order was ready, and with a pop of the trunk, beer and food were placed inside.

The brewery sells beer brewed onsite (including an IPA made with hops from Four Star Farms in Northfield and an apple ale brewed with apples from Ragged Hill Orchard in West Brookfield). They smoke and grill wings and pork from Stillman Quality Meats and buy lettuce and other vegetables from Free Living Farm down the street in Brookfield.

Ohanesian said they were able to get 60 cars through the brewery in an hour and saw a few hundred cars on their busiest days.

“We are pivoting now to table service,” Ohanesian said in early June. The brewery hosts a farmers market every Saturday (except the Fourth of July) from 10am to 2pm. Check their Facebook page for details. If you missed their drive-thru operation, check Timberyard’s Instagram feed where you’ll find a video of the experience.

This story appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Edible Worcester.