A Rainbow of Food

We have had a busy few days out at Fed Hock! The kids have been doing a great job learning about cooking, kitchen rules, composting, and so much more. We have been throwing new foods at them as fast as they can turn around, and the response has been excellent. We've begun rewarding students for trying new foods and for cleaning their plates at each meal - and the amount of food tossed out decreases every mealtime. Yesterday for breakfast we had homemade granola made with toasted locally-grown amaranth, topped with fresh blueberries, apples, and dried fruit. Yummm!

Each day, we get a different group of students in our nutrition room. Cindy and Dane teach them some basic kitchen safety skills, and they get to practice chopping! Many of the vegetables served are prepped by students as young as 1st and 2nd grade. After the meal, they help with doing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. We appreciate their help, and they have a great time! In the picture to the right, a rainbow of veggies cook away in an Asian-inspired veggie + marinated tofu stir-fry we cooked up for lunch today, complete with rice, a cucumber salad, and, of course, plenty of sizzling skillets!



Cindy has a "No-Yuck" rule, and a brightly colored poster emblazoned with that message adorns the wall in the cafeteria behind our serving table. And it works! Naturally, we are so very fortunate to have food that is tasty, nutritious, and not yucky at all, but enthusiasm among the kids has been growing. Yesterday for lunch we had frittatas made with farm-fresh eggs, jack cheese, and Swiss chard, and it was one of our most popular lunches yet! Served up with a Crumbs Bakery roll and a mess of fresh coleslaw (another rainbow of green & purple cabbage, orange carrots, and red apples, with homemade dressing), it was a great meal. Fed Hock Superintendent Dr. Wood even made a special appearance to try some! And we couldn't have made that mountain of coleslaw without the help of our students, who chopped, shredded, and stirred.

Tomorrow the students are having a Field Day, but we will all be there bright and early for a tasty breakfast of freshly-baked muffins. Stay tuned!