Preparations are being made for our first taste test next week. Below is an overview and update. ~Meagan
Our Food, Our Valley, Our Future:
Healthy cafeteria choices from farms close to home
Students will taste test and give their preference for dishes containing local fruits and vegetables, and raw and cooked produce. Student preferences will drive development of meals that can be grown and prepared locally then sold at school cafeterias. This focus group phase of the pilot project will determine meal items and their cost.
We will survey elementary and middle school students at a summer lunch program and a summer school (40 kids at each site will sample six produce items and dishes). The taste tests will span six weeks in June and July and include about 480 samples. The kids will learn about the plant, try raw or simply prepared produce, and a dish with the produce in it. Some of the items will be frozen prior to preparing in order to simulate winter cafeteria use. The student responses will be collected by observed, written, and verbal communication.
Produce items available locally for use in the cafeterias include:
*items that could be used fresh during fall /spring and also be frozen*
Broccoli*
Kale*
Collards*
Spinach*
Blueberries*
Strawberries
Zucchini
rhubarb
green beans
black beans
sugar snap peas
other locally available items, honey, maple syrup, maple granola
All of these items (except the green beans, zucchini, and blueberries) should be available for June/ July taste test dishes. If we had fall taste tests we could do sweet potatoes, winter squash, tomatoes, et cetera, but we aren't planning on doing fall taste tests. But we would be open to considering some local items that could be used in fall recipes at schools.
On June 13 we will do a strawberry and rhubarb taste test with middle school students. Karen Sanders, the food service director, is interested in a muffin with strawberry, rhubarb and perhaps zucchini too. We will also prepare a sauce over angel food cake.
Orange Sugar Snap Peas and Strawberries with Rhubarb Sauce are two recipes found by Mark Tatarka, the chef working on the project. The recipes may be modified to accommodate catering size service.
Orange Sugar Snap Peas (serves 6)
1 lb frozen sugar snap peas
1/3 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
Cook peas to desired doneness. Drain. Meanwhile, combine orange juice, honey, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix until well blended. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Pour over peas and stir gently.
I will post more recipes as they pass the preliminary kitchen trial. ~ Meagan