Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
American holiday foods are changing, and now is the time to discover
American holiday foods are changing, and now is the time to discover
Fresh Local Flavors
By Emily Listfield Published: November 11, 2007 PARADE Magazine
Ah Thanksgiving. A time of tradition. Recipes passed down through the generations—Aunt Sally’s stuffing, Grandma’s pumpkin pie. Wait a second. Did that pie filling come out of a can? Frankly, we’re pretty sure the pilgrims managed to put on an entire feast without a tin in sight. After all, Thanksgiving began as a way to rejoice and give thanks for the bountiful local harvest. Now, suddenly, everything old is new again. This year, more and more families throughout the country will be resurrecting the purest Thanksgiving tradition of all: celebrating the holiday with a banquet of locally grown food. The local food movement (loosely defined as anything grown within 50-100 miles of where you live) is one of the hottest culinary trends to come along in years—and it’s not just for the crunchy granola set. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there currently are more than 4,500 farmers’ markets in America, up from 2,800 in 2000. Sales generated by farmers’ markets have been estimated to exceed $1 billion a year, with most of the money going directly to small family farmers. Even big supermarket chains like Wegmans and Wal-Mart now offer locally grown foods, making it readily available to consumers everywhere. There are a number of compelling reasons for the soaring popularity of local food. The recent scares—E. coli lurking in bags of spinach, tainted seafood from China—have made most of us think about where our food comes from and how it’s grown. When you buy from a small, nearby farm, you gain a sense of reassurance. (Local, by the way, does not necessarily mean “organic,” though that is often the case.) Environmental concerns also play a big part: Food that is grown locally does not have to be shipped cross-country, cutting back on pollution from fossil fuel. And small farms promote sustainable agriculture, protecting the earth for future generations. But perhaps the most important reason to eat local food is taste. Tom Colicchio, chef and owner of Craft restaurants and head judge of Bravo’s Top Chef, says: “Food that’s grown locally and is in season simply tastes better than food that’s been picked weeks ago, refrigerated and shipped. Once you taste a tomato that hasn’t been refrigerated, there’s no going back. For me, it’s always been about flavor first.”Colicchio isn’t alone. Many of the country’s most influential chefs are hopping on the bandwagon. But you don’t have to think—or cook—like a chef to savor the results. Quite the opposite, as Matthew Dillon, chef and owner of Sitka & Spruce in Seattle, points out: “When you have these wonderful fresh ingredients, you don’t have to play with food as much to create something beautiful. Often, the easiest recipe is the best.” It's not necessary to become a total convert to give local food a try. Instead, you can incorporate a few samples into your menu. There's no better time to start than this holiday season. You can avail yourself of many of the same dishes that were served at the first dinner the Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoyed. Check out nearby farmers' markets and truck stands and ask at your supermarket if it carries locally grown food. (Many have signs to indicate choices.) Look for seasonal offerings such as squash, pumpkins, parsnips, turnips, mustard greens, kale, pears, cranberries and apples. In many areas, you also can get locally produced dairy products, honey, jams and, yes, even locally bred turkeys.“You can recreate the feeling of picking something out of the ground for a festive holiday meal,” Dillon says. “It ties into the idea of giving thanks for what we have and sharing it with your community and family. It really is a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving.”
Fresh Local Flavors
By Emily Listfield Published: November 11, 2007 PARADE Magazine
Ah Thanksgiving. A time of tradition. Recipes passed down through the generations—Aunt Sally’s stuffing, Grandma’s pumpkin pie. Wait a second. Did that pie filling come out of a can? Frankly, we’re pretty sure the pilgrims managed to put on an entire feast without a tin in sight. After all, Thanksgiving began as a way to rejoice and give thanks for the bountiful local harvest. Now, suddenly, everything old is new again. This year, more and more families throughout the country will be resurrecting the purest Thanksgiving tradition of all: celebrating the holiday with a banquet of locally grown food. The local food movement (loosely defined as anything grown within 50-100 miles of where you live) is one of the hottest culinary trends to come along in years—and it’s not just for the crunchy granola set. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there currently are more than 4,500 farmers’ markets in America, up from 2,800 in 2000. Sales generated by farmers’ markets have been estimated to exceed $1 billion a year, with most of the money going directly to small family farmers. Even big supermarket chains like Wegmans and Wal-Mart now offer locally grown foods, making it readily available to consumers everywhere. There are a number of compelling reasons for the soaring popularity of local food. The recent scares—E. coli lurking in bags of spinach, tainted seafood from China—have made most of us think about where our food comes from and how it’s grown. When you buy from a small, nearby farm, you gain a sense of reassurance. (Local, by the way, does not necessarily mean “organic,” though that is often the case.) Environmental concerns also play a big part: Food that is grown locally does not have to be shipped cross-country, cutting back on pollution from fossil fuel. And small farms promote sustainable agriculture, protecting the earth for future generations. But perhaps the most important reason to eat local food is taste. Tom Colicchio, chef and owner of Craft restaurants and head judge of Bravo’s Top Chef, says: “Food that’s grown locally and is in season simply tastes better than food that’s been picked weeks ago, refrigerated and shipped. Once you taste a tomato that hasn’t been refrigerated, there’s no going back. For me, it’s always been about flavor first.”Colicchio isn’t alone. Many of the country’s most influential chefs are hopping on the bandwagon. But you don’t have to think—or cook—like a chef to savor the results. Quite the opposite, as Matthew Dillon, chef and owner of Sitka & Spruce in Seattle, points out: “When you have these wonderful fresh ingredients, you don’t have to play with food as much to create something beautiful. Often, the easiest recipe is the best.” It's not necessary to become a total convert to give local food a try. Instead, you can incorporate a few samples into your menu. There's no better time to start than this holiday season. You can avail yourself of many of the same dishes that were served at the first dinner the Pilgrims and Native Americans enjoyed. Check out nearby farmers' markets and truck stands and ask at your supermarket if it carries locally grown food. (Many have signs to indicate choices.) Look for seasonal offerings such as squash, pumpkins, parsnips, turnips, mustard greens, kale, pears, cranberries and apples. In many areas, you also can get locally produced dairy products, honey, jams and, yes, even locally bred turkeys.“You can recreate the feeling of picking something out of the ground for a festive holiday meal,” Dillon says. “It ties into the idea of giving thanks for what we have and sharing it with your community and family. It really is a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving.”
Here's a good reason why we need to change school lunch!!!
E. coli loophole cited in recalls
Tainted meat can be sold if cooked
By Stephen J. Hedges
Washington Bureau
November 11, 2007
WASHINGTON
One federal inspector calls it the "E. coli loophole." Another says,
"Nobody would buy it if they knew."
The officials are referring to the little-discussed fact that the
U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed it acceptable for meat
companies to cook and sell meat on which E. coli, a bacterium that
can sicken and even kill humans, is found during processing.
The "E. coli loophole" affects millions of pounds of beef each year
that tests positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7, a
particularly virulent strain of the bacterium.
The agency allows companies to put this E. coli-positive meat in a
special category -- "cook only." Cooking the meat, the USDA and
producers say, destroys the bacteria and makes it safe to eat as
precooked hamburgers, meat loaf, crumbled taco meat and other products.
But some USDA inspectors say the "cook only" practice means that
higher-than-appropriate levels of E. coli are tolerated in packing
plants, raising the chance that clean meat will become contaminated.
They say the "cook only" practice is part of the reason for this
year's sudden rise in incidents of E. coli contamination.
"All the product that is E. coli positive, they put a 'cooking only'
tag on it," said one inspector, who like other federal inspectors
interviewed asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their jobs.
"They [companies] will test, and everything that's positive, they
slap that label on."
There is no evidence that "cook only" meat has directly sickened
consumers. But some inspectors contend that the practice conceals
significantly higher levels of E. coli bacteria in packing plants
than the companies admit to. That's because companies that find E.
coli are allowed to shift that meat immediately into "cook only"
lines, without reporting it to the USDA.
USDA regularly tests for E. coli in slaughtering plants, but only on
meat that packing companies have already deemed free of E. coli, the
agency inspectors say. USDA officials say they do not track how much
meat is put into "cook only" categories, but interviews with a half-
dozen inspectors suggested it is a significant amount.
"The government keeps putting out that we've reduced E. coli by 50
percent and all of that," said an inspector. "And we haven't done
nothing. We've just covered it up."
USDA denied this. In answers to written questions from the Tribune,
department officials said USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
"collects its own random samples without waiting for test results
from the plant."
Meat industry representatives and the USDA also said there is no risk
from beef that is fully cooked, because cooking meat above 160
degrees Fahrenheit kills pathogens such as E. coli. Meat companies
also said they have taken significant steps to eliminate E. coli in
meat during the slaughtering process, including lactic acid washes of
carcasses and steam treatments in which carcasses are heated to kill
the bacteria.
Meat found with E. coli, they said, isn't worth as much.
"If raw ground beef has to go into a 'cook only' category, it loses
value," said Randall Huffman, senior vice president for scientific
affairs at the American Meat Institute, an industry group. "There's
not as big a market for that."
Most of the major meatpacking companies offer their own cooked meat
products, such as meat loaf, precooked hamburgers and taco meat
crumbles. They also sell "cook only" meat to food processing companies.
School lunches
Some cooked beef products end up in the National School Lunch
Program, which is administered by the USDA.
The agency bought 2.8 million pounds of cooked beef in 2006,
according to USDA records.
USDA said in a statement that "procurement of ground beef and certain
other products for distribution through the National School Lunch
Program is governed by additional quality requirements," such as
mandatory microbiological testing.
School lunch programs have increased the use of cooked beef in recent
years, especially hamburger patties and taco meat, as a way to
prevent E. coli poisoning from undercooked beef, according to Jeannie
Sneed, a food service consultant formerly at Iowa State University.
But Sneed said she and most school lunch program managers did not
know that the cooked beef they use in school lunches could have come
from cattle contaminated with E. coli.
"I did not know that's a common practice," she said. "Most people are
probably not aware that it occurs. But it probably does not create a
great amount of concern because if meat is cooked at a little less
than 155 degrees, the E. coli is killed."
Regarding the safety of cooked beef, USDA said it "does collect and
sample some cooked, ready-to-eat products for E. coli O157:H7."
E. coli can be difficult to detect and prevent. The bacterium lives
in intestines of cattle, which tolerate it. It can contaminate meat
during the slaughter process if fecal matter comes in contact with
the meat portions of a carcass. That can happen in several ways, such
as when workers accidentally puncture the digestive tract during
removal, or when a cow's hide, which might carry fecal dust, is taken
off.
In humans, E. coli poisoning can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody
urine and diarrhea, kidney failure and even death.
The American meat industry is bewildered by this year's increased
findings of E. coli contamination. Theories about the causes range
from dry conditions in cattle feedlots, where cattle stand in manure,
to changes in feed caused by high corn prices.
Whatever the reason, the result has been sick consumers. The largest
recall so far this year involved the Topps Meat Co. of Elizabeth,
N.J., which went out of business after it recalled 21.7 million
pounds of ground beef due to E. coli contamination. About 40 people
fell ill from Topps meat.
More recently, Cargill, the Minneapolis-based grain and foods giant,
has recalled nearly 2 million pounds of ground beef due to E. coli
concerns. And more than 3 million pounds of General Mills' Totino's
and Jeno's pizzas have been recalled because of E. coli in pepperoni.
The inspectors interviewed for this story contended that the E. coli
increase is due to the methods used to slaughter cattle, as well as
the practice of designating affected meat "cook only."
That practice means companies can profit from meat that they would
otherwise lose. But while the practice is clearly spelled out in USDA
regulations, it is not widely publicized. "If you knew this was all
E. coli positive, would you buy that product?" asked one inspector.
"That's very hush-hush."
Industry: Not cutting corners
The U.S. meat industry produced 26.3 billion pounds of beef in 2006,
from 33.7 million cattle. Meat companies summarily reject the
inspectors' charges that corners are being cut in preventing E. coli
contamination.
Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods, one of the nation's
largest beef producers, said his company has developed a special
testing program, called Tyson Total N60, to detect E. coli. The
program is so effective, Mickelson said, that other companies now use
it.
"Tyson tests all raw beef components we know are destined for ground
beef production," Mickelson said, adding that the program provides a
95 percent or greater assurance of finding E. coli.
Mickelson also said USDA inspectors have access to Tyson's records on
its E. coli tests.
Cargill declined to comment for this story. Another large meatpacking
firm, Swift Foods Co., did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Some inspectors said that USDA should eliminate the "cook only"
category to force companies to work harder to eliminate E. coli or
face the prospect of destroying beef that can't pass inspection.
But the American Meat Institute's Huffman said that would be a waste
of food.
"You're talking about throwing away a significant volume of product,
which to any food safety person, that doesn't make sense because the
product can still be put through a validated cooking process and be
made safe," Huffman said. "A lot of food products right now are cooked."
USDA performed nearly 11,000 E. coli tests at 1,653 meat plants in
2005, according to the agency's inspector general. From 2004 through
2006, the agency says, 0.17 percent of ground beef samples tested
positive for E. coli.
Inspectors interviewed for this story, however, challenged the
suggestion that it's a small problem. One USDA inspector said a large
meatpacking plant where he worked produced a half-million pounds a
week of E. coli-positive beef that was tagged "cook only."
"It's a smoke screen," the inspector said. "The agency says, 'Look at
all this testing.' They [the meat companies] are still producing a
half-million pounds a week of E. coli product, and we're patting them
on their back."----------shedges@tribune.com
Tainted meat can be sold if cooked
By Stephen J. Hedges
Washington Bureau
November 11, 2007
WASHINGTON
One federal inspector calls it the "E. coli loophole." Another says,
"Nobody would buy it if they knew."
The officials are referring to the little-discussed fact that the
U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed it acceptable for meat
companies to cook and sell meat on which E. coli, a bacterium that
can sicken and even kill humans, is found during processing.
The "E. coli loophole" affects millions of pounds of beef each year
that tests positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7, a
particularly virulent strain of the bacterium.
The agency allows companies to put this E. coli-positive meat in a
special category -- "cook only." Cooking the meat, the USDA and
producers say, destroys the bacteria and makes it safe to eat as
precooked hamburgers, meat loaf, crumbled taco meat and other products.
But some USDA inspectors say the "cook only" practice means that
higher-than-appropriate levels of E. coli are tolerated in packing
plants, raising the chance that clean meat will become contaminated.
They say the "cook only" practice is part of the reason for this
year's sudden rise in incidents of E. coli contamination.
"All the product that is E. coli positive, they put a 'cooking only'
tag on it," said one inspector, who like other federal inspectors
interviewed asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their jobs.
"They [companies] will test, and everything that's positive, they
slap that label on."
There is no evidence that "cook only" meat has directly sickened
consumers. But some inspectors contend that the practice conceals
significantly higher levels of E. coli bacteria in packing plants
than the companies admit to. That's because companies that find E.
coli are allowed to shift that meat immediately into "cook only"
lines, without reporting it to the USDA.
USDA regularly tests for E. coli in slaughtering plants, but only on
meat that packing companies have already deemed free of E. coli, the
agency inspectors say. USDA officials say they do not track how much
meat is put into "cook only" categories, but interviews with a half-
dozen inspectors suggested it is a significant amount.
"The government keeps putting out that we've reduced E. coli by 50
percent and all of that," said an inspector. "And we haven't done
nothing. We've just covered it up."
USDA denied this. In answers to written questions from the Tribune,
department officials said USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
"collects its own random samples without waiting for test results
from the plant."
Meat industry representatives and the USDA also said there is no risk
from beef that is fully cooked, because cooking meat above 160
degrees Fahrenheit kills pathogens such as E. coli. Meat companies
also said they have taken significant steps to eliminate E. coli in
meat during the slaughtering process, including lactic acid washes of
carcasses and steam treatments in which carcasses are heated to kill
the bacteria.
Meat found with E. coli, they said, isn't worth as much.
"If raw ground beef has to go into a 'cook only' category, it loses
value," said Randall Huffman, senior vice president for scientific
affairs at the American Meat Institute, an industry group. "There's
not as big a market for that."
Most of the major meatpacking companies offer their own cooked meat
products, such as meat loaf, precooked hamburgers and taco meat
crumbles. They also sell "cook only" meat to food processing companies.
School lunches
Some cooked beef products end up in the National School Lunch
Program, which is administered by the USDA.
The agency bought 2.8 million pounds of cooked beef in 2006,
according to USDA records.
USDA said in a statement that "procurement of ground beef and certain
other products for distribution through the National School Lunch
Program is governed by additional quality requirements," such as
mandatory microbiological testing.
School lunch programs have increased the use of cooked beef in recent
years, especially hamburger patties and taco meat, as a way to
prevent E. coli poisoning from undercooked beef, according to Jeannie
Sneed, a food service consultant formerly at Iowa State University.
But Sneed said she and most school lunch program managers did not
know that the cooked beef they use in school lunches could have come
from cattle contaminated with E. coli.
"I did not know that's a common practice," she said. "Most people are
probably not aware that it occurs. But it probably does not create a
great amount of concern because if meat is cooked at a little less
than 155 degrees, the E. coli is killed."
Regarding the safety of cooked beef, USDA said it "does collect and
sample some cooked, ready-to-eat products for E. coli O157:H7."
E. coli can be difficult to detect and prevent. The bacterium lives
in intestines of cattle, which tolerate it. It can contaminate meat
during the slaughter process if fecal matter comes in contact with
the meat portions of a carcass. That can happen in several ways, such
as when workers accidentally puncture the digestive tract during
removal, or when a cow's hide, which might carry fecal dust, is taken
off.
In humans, E. coli poisoning can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody
urine and diarrhea, kidney failure and even death.
The American meat industry is bewildered by this year's increased
findings of E. coli contamination. Theories about the causes range
from dry conditions in cattle feedlots, where cattle stand in manure,
to changes in feed caused by high corn prices.
Whatever the reason, the result has been sick consumers. The largest
recall so far this year involved the Topps Meat Co. of Elizabeth,
N.J., which went out of business after it recalled 21.7 million
pounds of ground beef due to E. coli contamination. About 40 people
fell ill from Topps meat.
More recently, Cargill, the Minneapolis-based grain and foods giant,
has recalled nearly 2 million pounds of ground beef due to E. coli
concerns. And more than 3 million pounds of General Mills' Totino's
and Jeno's pizzas have been recalled because of E. coli in pepperoni.
The inspectors interviewed for this story contended that the E. coli
increase is due to the methods used to slaughter cattle, as well as
the practice of designating affected meat "cook only."
That practice means companies can profit from meat that they would
otherwise lose. But while the practice is clearly spelled out in USDA
regulations, it is not widely publicized. "If you knew this was all
E. coli positive, would you buy that product?" asked one inspector.
"That's very hush-hush."
Industry: Not cutting corners
The U.S. meat industry produced 26.3 billion pounds of beef in 2006,
from 33.7 million cattle. Meat companies summarily reject the
inspectors' charges that corners are being cut in preventing E. coli
contamination.
Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods, one of the nation's
largest beef producers, said his company has developed a special
testing program, called Tyson Total N60, to detect E. coli. The
program is so effective, Mickelson said, that other companies now use
it.
"Tyson tests all raw beef components we know are destined for ground
beef production," Mickelson said, adding that the program provides a
95 percent or greater assurance of finding E. coli.
Mickelson also said USDA inspectors have access to Tyson's records on
its E. coli tests.
Cargill declined to comment for this story. Another large meatpacking
firm, Swift Foods Co., did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Some inspectors said that USDA should eliminate the "cook only"
category to force companies to work harder to eliminate E. coli or
face the prospect of destroying beef that can't pass inspection.
But the American Meat Institute's Huffman said that would be a waste
of food.
"You're talking about throwing away a significant volume of product,
which to any food safety person, that doesn't make sense because the
product can still be put through a validated cooking process and be
made safe," Huffman said. "A lot of food products right now are cooked."
USDA performed nearly 11,000 E. coli tests at 1,653 meat plants in
2005, according to the agency's inspector general. From 2004 through
2006, the agency says, 0.17 percent of ground beef samples tested
positive for E. coli.
Inspectors interviewed for this story, however, challenged the
suggestion that it's a small problem. One USDA inspector said a large
meatpacking plant where he worked produced a half-million pounds a
week of E. coli-positive beef that was tagged "cook only."
"It's a smoke screen," the inspector said. "The agency says, 'Look at
all this testing.' They [the meat companies] are still producing a
half-million pounds a week of E. coli product, and we're patting them
on their back."----------shedges@tribune.com
Working Lands Alliance 7th Annual Meeting 11/17/07
What is Working Lands Alliance?
The Working Lands Alliance (WLA) is a broad-based coalition, whose supporters include farmers, conservation organizations, food security groups, local government associations, and others. These groups (currently over 200) have joined together in an effort to halt the loss of Connecticut’s remaining farmland. WLA is a project of American Farmland Trust (www.farmland.org). Founded in 1980, American Farmland Trust has helped win permanent protection for over a million acres of American farmland. AFT's hard work and sound strategies unite farmers, environmentalists and policymakers.
Special gratitude to the chefs who kindly offered their time and talent in order to prepare menu items and to all of the farm businesses who generously donated their wonderful locally grown products, including Aiki Farms, Bloomfield Schools Harris AgriScience Center, Gresczyk Farm, The Garlic Farm, Holcomb Farm CSA, Maple Lane Farms, and UConn Dairy. Many thanks also to Slow Food – Connecticut Chapter for their generous contribution in support of our efforts to serve locally grown food items.
MENU
Kale & Potato Soup- Kale grown at Bloomfield's Harris Agriscience Center Prepared by Bloomfield Farm-to-Schools Program
Nanna’s Bread & Butter Pickles - Cupola Hollow Farm, West Suffield
Salad Greens & Shoots – Raised by Robert Burns, Aiki Farms, Ledyard
Curried Winter Vegetables -Root vegetables from Holcomb Farm CSA, West Granby Prepared by Chris Prosperi, Metro Bis Restaurant, Simsbury
Cheddar & Juustoleipa Cheese - UConn Dairy, Storrs
Pears & Apples – Belltown Orchards, Glastonbury
Roast Beef Sandwich- Natural beef provided by Four Mile River Farm, Old Lyme, Artisan Bread – Fabled Foods Bakery, Deep River Prepared by Jason Collin, The Firebox Restaurant, Hartford
Lamb Pastitsio- Lamb raised by Beaver Brook Farm, Lyme, Jersey Milk Feta Cheese, Beaver Brook Farm, Lyme, Fresh Milk, Mountain Dairy, Storrs, Parmesan Cheese, Calabro Cheese Co. East Haven Prepared by UConn Dining Services Local Routes Program
Nanna’s Bread & Butter Pickles - Cupola Hollow Farm, West Suffield
Salad Greens & Shoots – Raised by Robert Burns, Aiki Farms, Ledyard
Curried Winter Vegetables -Root vegetables from Holcomb Farm CSA, West Granby Prepared by Chris Prosperi, Metro Bis Restaurant, Simsbury
Cheddar & Juustoleipa Cheese - UConn Dairy, Storrs
Pears & Apples – Belltown Orchards, Glastonbury
Roast Beef Sandwich- Natural beef provided by Four Mile River Farm, Old Lyme, Artisan Bread – Fabled Foods Bakery, Deep River Prepared by Jason Collin, The Firebox Restaurant, Hartford
Lamb Pastitsio- Lamb raised by Beaver Brook Farm, Lyme, Jersey Milk Feta Cheese, Beaver Brook Farm, Lyme, Fresh Milk, Mountain Dairy, Storrs, Parmesan Cheese, Calabro Cheese Co. East Haven Prepared by UConn Dining Services Local Routes Program
Apple Cider from Belltown Orchards, Glastonbury
Black Currant Juice from Maple Lane Farms, Preston
Seltzer & Water from Hosmer Mountain Soda, Willimantic
Black Currant Juice from Maple Lane Farms, Preston
Seltzer & Water from Hosmer Mountain Soda, Willimantic
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Plow to Plate Cooking Series
Kids Class Sunday, Oct. 7, 11-2 p.m "Back to the Barn, Down on the Farm", a special family event sponsered by the Plow to Plate community coalition will be held at The Silo/Hunt Hill Farm Trust. Led by Chef Tim Cipriano, Director of Food Services in the Bloomfield, Connecticut public schools and known as the "local food dude", the events will also feature Big Green Truck Pizza, to serve specialty pizzas from the wood-fired oven built into the back of a restored 1946 International Harvester truck. Buddy Hurlburt from Hautboy Hill Farm in Cornwall will be there with his "Milkbulance". We will be making whipped cream utilizing fresh cream from his cows. Parents and children will also learn about the source of goat cheese & milk, for example, and visit with farm animals from Green Chimneys School.
BLOOMFIELD HS STUDENTS GROW AND PREPARE THEIR OWN FOOD
Agriscience, Culinary Arts & Food Service Department prepare vegetables grown at BHS to teach students about healthy living through cooking
On September 21st at Bloomfield HS at 12:45pm, Chef Timothy Cipriano a/k/a Local Food Dude, BHS Culinary Arts instructor Chef Paul Waszkelewicz and Teacher Joe Rodrigues of the Harris Agriscience Center at BHS will be making Kale Soup with the Agriscience and Culinary Art Students. All the vegetables with the exception of the potatoes were grown on campus in raised beds at Bloomfield HS Harris Agriscience Center.
This collaboration between the three departments is cutting edge education. The Agriscience Students start the vegetable seedlings in their on-site greenhouses, when ready to be moved outside the students plant the seedlings in one of the twenty raised beds at the Center. When school starts in September the Chefs from the Food Service Department (School Lunch) harvest the vegetables to be used as part of the school lunch program. In addition the Culinary Arts Students also harvest the vegetables to be used in their classes. Teaming the Agriscience students and the Culinary Arts students teaches each other the real cycle of life.
On September 21st at Bloomfield HS at 12:45pm, Chef Timothy Cipriano a/k/a Local Food Dude, BHS Culinary Arts instructor Chef Paul Waszkelewicz and Teacher Joe Rodrigues of the Harris Agriscience Center at BHS will be making Kale Soup with the Agriscience and Culinary Art Students. All the vegetables with the exception of the potatoes were grown on campus in raised beds at Bloomfield HS Harris Agriscience Center.
This collaboration between the three departments is cutting edge education. The Agriscience Students start the vegetable seedlings in their on-site greenhouses, when ready to be moved outside the students plant the seedlings in one of the twenty raised beds at the Center. When school starts in September the Chefs from the Food Service Department (School Lunch) harvest the vegetables to be used as part of the school lunch program. In addition the Culinary Arts Students also harvest the vegetables to be used in their classes. Teaming the Agriscience students and the Culinary Arts students teaches each other the real cycle of life.
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