These are fan favorites we have served at Empty Bowls and Welcome Table Community Meals. Click on the dish title in green to jump to the recipe we used.

Empty Bowls is our annual soup, salad, bread and dessert fundraiser held every Fall. For this event, Ruff’ton Roots volunteers use garden harvests and local food purchases to make delicious dishes, raising funds for the following growing season. Welcome Table is a Coalition serving weekly Monday night community meals at First United Methodist Church, Rutherfordton.

Empty Bowls Fan Favorites

Harvest Kale Salad from aseasyasapplepie.com This recipe is so popular we have served in every year! We usually omit the pecans to accommodate allergies and serve the feta on the side for our vegan friends. This is a great opportunity to incorporate locally sourced apples, kale, honey and butternut squash.

3-2-1 Oil-Free Salad Dressing from plantbasedsupermom.com Trying to cut seed oils from your diet? This is so easy and reliable to add punchy flavor to any garden salad. We serve it over a bed of lettuce, shredded carrots, sliced radishes. Sharp cheddar or feta served on the side.

African Sweet Potato Stew from allrecipes.com This flavor profile is so unique, you’ll forget how nutritious it is. Really worth the adventure, note that peanuts are featured heavily.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup from saltandlavender.com this has been a reliable, repeated recipe. In 2025, we switched up the orzo for gluten free noodles and substituted almond flour for a diet inclusive version.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pear, Ginger Soup from twopeasandtheirpod.com brand new to the menu at the 2025 Empty Bowls, we found this a delectable addition. We went heavier on the ginger for extra bite.

Sweet Potato Casserole from addapinch.com This recipe was especially valuable with alterations available to accommodate dietary restrictions. We went lighter on the sugar since our sweet potatoes were extra sweet on their own and spun the gluten free version at Welcome Table.

Welcome Table Hits

Vegetarian Southern Collard Greens from divanscancook.com A hit at our October Welcome Table, we grow tons of collards and this offered a tasty way to enjoy them without adding the traditional pork fat.

Healthy Beef Stroganoff from thegirlonbloor.com This dish called for second and third helpings in September. We prepared it with ground beef, local shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery, garlic. The sauce is so tasty, there’s room to pack even more vegetables like spinach or kale.

Roasted Beets & Sweet Potatoes from knowyourproduce.com We skipped the seasoning, only tossing in oil and salt for a simple but delicious way to enjoy fall roots. Try sprinkling cumin, chopped rosemary or cinnamon for distinct flavor variations, but we liked letting the natural flavors shine.

Fresh Southern Peach Cobbler from allrecipes.com We served this in August with local peaches, and used the same recipe with local apples in September! Hot tip – the skins pack the flavor and texture punch that sets this off, don’t peel the peaches.

Enchilada Casserole from delish.com Our July Welcome Table was Tex-Mex themed and this was the centerpiece. We precooked whole local chickens and pulled the meat as our filling, served with sour cream, guacamole and cilantro on the side.

Sausage and Kale Baked Pasta from thepioneerwoman.com In June, we found that penne was a better pasta match than the rigatoni in this recipe. It is worth the flavor to go after local pork sausage if you are making this one!

Easy Blueberry Crumble from inspiredtaste.net When blueberry season arrives, keep this in your back pocket. Very easy and reliable, great flavor.