Small Community with a Big Story

In 2007, I met with a couple of Junior League members in Manhattan that represented a small community outside of the city—Bronxville, NY.  They were very proud of their community and the Junior League was an active part of the community.  However, they were faced with the fact that the community of Bronxville simply couldn’t support a 10,000-20,000 cookbook endeavor.

Most Junior League cookbooks are produced at those quantities, which allows for more  “bells and whistles” that are simply not financially feasible in smaller print quantities. This fact didn’t deter the Junior League of Bronxville. They turned the obstacle into an advantage and focused on who they were as a community by developing a smaller cookbook, including two great features.  They used terrific black and white historical photos of Bronxville to give visitors as well as locals a taste of the city, and accented these with some hot, trendy colors—pink and orange.

Beyond One Square Mile turned out to be a spectacular collection of recipes and tidbits, and the book is now an integral part of the community of Bronxville.  It is classy and very distinct—a publication that, like others in its genre, supports the causes of the League while exhibiting a professional image that the members feel proud of.

This is one example illustrating the fact that a successful community cookbook is more about the heart than about the size of the group.  A small, dedicated team of women can measure up to that of larger and less cohesive groups, and do so with amazing success.

Below is just one of the many delicious recipes featured in the book.  Enjoy!

 

Herbed Tomato Bread Salad

 ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges and 1-inch chunks

1 pound vine-ripened yellow tomatoes, cut into wedges and 1-inch chunks

2 ½ cups (1-inch) cubes crusty bread

½ cup cured pitted black olives

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Whisk the olive oil vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic in a bowl until the oil is well blended.  Combine the tomatoes, bread, olives, basil, parsley and mustard mixture in a bowl and toss to coat.

 

Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

 

Serves 4