As restaurants around San Diego County shut down during the pandemic, many of their kitchens are still loaded with fresh food — clocks ticking toward their expiration dates.
Nonprofit chefs at a community kitchen in Oceanside are stepping in to scoop up thousands of pounds of fresh ingredients before they go to waste. They’re gathering things like eggs, dairy and produce — and even fully-baked cookies, cakes and doughnuts — and using them to cook up meals for those in need during the COVID-19 crisis.