16 May 22nd-May 28th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Though interest is growing, Peter Frost says the markets are still “the best-kept secret in town.” Frost is a chef, and he lives in the apart- ment building across Osborn Road from the church. His interest was first piqued when he noticed a tractor-trailer pulling up in the middle of the night. Once Frost, who cooks at Scottsdale Stadium, learned about Borderlands, he got involved. Frost offers his cooking expertise by creating recipes and samples that feature each week’s produce. This Saturday, it’s pickled summer squash made with Anaheim chiles, mustard seed and turmeric. “I just like helping where I can,” says Frost, who also manages the 40 commu- nity garden boxes on the church’s campus. “It’s rewarding and I still continue to learn a little bit more about the craft that I love.” Most people who visit Borderlands are up to the challenge of working through their cornucopia, but these “rescue to table” samples help spur ideas. While drivers wait for the produce boxes to be loaded into their cars, volun- teer Strano brings over a silver tray with small cups of Frost’s canary yellow squash. “Good morning, want a pickle?” she asks, with recipe cards in hand. Paying it forward with produce Chandler resident Mijares says Borderlands helps him eat more fruit and vegetables. From his hauls over the past few weeks, he’s made big batches of soup, salsas and tomato sauces that he’s eaten, frozen and gifted to friends. “A lot of this repurposed produce, some- times it seems like it might be on its way out, so we’re giving it an opportunity to not go to waste,” he says. That’s exactly the intention, Soto says. “We really encourage people to pay it forward,” Soto says. “Seventy pounds is a lot of produce.” Although Borderlands shares the weekly lineup for each location, some people like to play roulette. “It’s kind of a surprise when you get it,” Lynn Kerr says, sitting in her car with her dog peeking out behind her. The Scottsdale resident plans to split the produce with a friend and offer anything she can’t use to her local Buy Nothing group. Tammy Crowley, the volunteer ambas- sador for the Scottsdale market, says buying Borderlands produce is also a low- cost way to try something new. “We get varieties of things that other- wise you would pass up in a grocery store,” she says. “You may not want to spend the money to try something.” ‘Ingenious’ cooks come up with ways to use produce Because the produce is rescued, it may have some bruises or show signs of withering or wilting. That doesn’t make it unsafe to eat, Soto says. Food safety is a top priority and the organization works to educate customers on how to use their produce. “If a bell pepper is a little soft, don’t use it in a salad. Roast it,” she says. Any produce that’s not distributed or fit for consumption is offered to farmers and ranchers for animal feed or compost. Meghan Barton, a truck driver, has gone to Borderlands POWWOW sites around the state for years. She and other shoppers note they still sometimes have to toss or compost items that are too far gone. That reality doesn’t dissuade them from returning. “Let’s say, even with a cucumber, you’re only using five-eighths of a cucumber, that’s still a good deal overall,” Barton says. She combines the produce with items from the store to prepare meals like stuffed peppers. “Do a little prep for an hour, you know, you’ve got food for weeks to grab and go,” Barton says. Crowley has dehydrated her bell peppers and ground them into a powder to add to seasoning blends. She gets tips from other Borderlands shoppers, too. “On the Borderlands Facebook group, you would be so blown away with the people’s recipes and things they make and things you would never otherwise do,” she says. “People are ingenious.” Chef Peter Frost prepares pickled squash for shoppers at a Scottsdale POWWOW to sample. (Jacob Tyler Dunn) Fresh for Less from p 15
