Defining Culinary Teamwork

Growing up in our family, there were roles we each took as meals were being prepared. Opening cans of tomatoes and cream of mushroom soup was exciting for me, for my mom was going to make “Goulash,” a common casserole with ground beef, elbow macaroni and other fine ingredients we had in the refrigerator. Our family called it “Shitabowla!” Pronounced Sheetabowla. I am chuckling as I am writing this.

Growing up, I wanted to take on roles in the kitchen to help with the family meals. I also washed the dishes and my sister, Kathryn, dried them as well as buttered the toast. We loved taking turns bagging groceries when shopping at the local Aldi’s.

My siblings and I would climb the fruit trees and toss down the apples and pears to my mom to be placed in the baskets. Years later, we added more siblings and assisted in preparing and learning new recipes for family meals.

You may have heard the phrase, “teamwork makes the dream work.” It’s a magical quote that I believe and work into practicing daily.

Teamwork, defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary, is work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.

All businesses and families require teamwork to achieve goals. I have been part of teams both with my family and corporate/business teams that have been life-altering.

An example of a successful company, Caterpillar (heavy equipment) states the following:

“We help each other succeed. We are a team, sharing our unique talents to help those with whom we work, live and serve. The diverse thinking and decision making of our people strengthens our team. We respect and value people with different opinions, experiences and backgrounds. We strive to understand the big picture, then do our part. We know that by working together, we can produce better results than any of us can achieve alone.”

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth

The Goods from the Garden, Catering & Events team has received great accolades and recognition from our community and clients. Our team is where the magic is. Our team is like a garden: there are ups and downs in the soil, the seeds, the weather, the crops and the harvest. A bit like life itself.

The past year has been a bit of a roller coaster ride as we pivoted through the processes. We are committed to lead our company and strengthen the teamwork approach to gain positive results. We will be revamping our company culture to truly embrace teamwork. We have had ups and downs and all-arounds; however, at the end of the day, I am able to live my dreams with the support of my husband, Richard. My daughter, Stephanie, and grandsons, Ty and Easton, are also a part of our culinary journey. I am grateful for every day that God provides.

Goods from the Garden, Catering & Events is seeking Culinary and Service Team members to assist in keeping the Garden growing. Resumes can be emailed to:  goodsfromthegarden@gmail.com.

We are located at the Prescott Gateway Mall, 3250 Gateway Blvd. #516 and can be reached at 928-237-3214. QCBN

By Debbie Maranville

Debbie Maranville is co-owner of Goods from the Garden and The Natural Healing Garden. Visit us at goodsfromthegarden.com or on our Facebook page, Goods from the Garden. At Goods form the Garden, our reputation has allowed us to grow significantly over the last several years thanks to the referrals of family and friends, local businesses and of course, the referrals that continue to sustain us from the community! You can reach us at 928-237-3214. We are located at the Prescott Gateway Mall, 3250 Gateway Blvd. #516. n September, we celebrate our sixth year as a catering company in the greater Prescott area.