Think healthy soul food is an oxymoron?
Six Acres Bed and Breakfast owner Kristin Kitchen doesn't think so. It takes some tweaks to make soul food both flavorful and healthy, but Kitchen's doing just that with Green Lunch Box, a new lunchtime delivery service.
"The whole concept is that many African-Americans don't eat soul food on a daily basis, like our parents and grandparents did. Most of us have moved into a far healthier everyday diet. I know I don't eat friend chicken or pork chops and things like that anymore," she said.
"I still love greens but I just don't put fatback in them. You can flavor things with so much more than pork. And I still love fish, blackened or sautéd. If it's flavorful and tender and juicy, I'm happier with it," Kitchen said.
Green Lunch Box launched late last fall and offers a hybrid of the new and the old, including vegan and vegetarian options. The food is meant to appeal to those who grew up on soul food, and those who want to give it a try. Take, for instance, their black bean soup.
"We did a black bean soup that some ladies loved. They called us up and asked us what we put in it, they couldn't find a recipe. Well, what was in it was grits. We added a dollop of sour cream and cheesy grits. It just warmed it up and brought a different flavor to the black bean soup. It gives it some weight, where it was more filling and satisfying," Kitchen said.
The business delivers downtown and in surround areas, and requires a $75 minimum order.
Green Lunch Box is an expansion of the food traditionally offered through Six Acres Bed and Breakfast, which Kitchen runs in College Hill. At Six Acres, guests have been used to breakfast fare; Green Box Lunch catches hungry folks across the city at noon time.
"What we really do is serve and offer food to our community and beyond," Kitchen said.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Kristen Kitchen, owner Green Lunch Box and Six Acres Bed and Breakfast
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