Chef's Tasting Table Day 10 & 11 // A Celery Root Salad + Watermelon Radishes + A Very Berry Smoothie + Guava

Thank you Jennifer and Jeff Miller of Prairie Wind Family Farms for providing some of the gorgeous local and organic produce to our students! It's inspirational to watch the students try your watermelon radish, celariac, celery and spinach in the lunchroom. It's hard enough to inspire my kids at home and it's a thrill to experience first hand how much this impacts their willingness to try new tastes in and out of school.

Alice Waters of the Edible Schoolyard asked the Slow Food Community recently to reimagine the lunchroom as a school subject. YES!! The Chef's Tasting Table is definitely our kind of fun food education!

I could not do this without the support of Eric Rogers (Director of Finance) & Sue Kruckman (School Nurse and Wellness Committee Member). Thank you so much for being a part of our Chef's Tasting Table team - I am having the time of my food education life with you all!

Dan is the produce manager at Jewel-Osco on Midlothian and he is absolutely incredible to work with. I've learned so much from him about the seasonal availability of produce and he has really helped to broaden my knowledge of interesting and exotic produce to introduce to the kids and staff.

I had never tasted fresh guava before, or red cactus fruit... or dragon fruit... or kiwanu melon... I'm learning so much too!

Ms Curtis is our amazing lunch lady at Diamond Lake School and I'm just thrilled we piloted the Chef's Tasting Table with her this month. It was a huge hit and we'll be back in the Spring! Thank you for having us for the day!

Big love and thank you's to Kelsey and Wayne for volunteering their time with me in the lunchroom!! 

Here are the recipes and I hope you are inspired to try them at home or for your very own school food education tasting day!

Prairie Wind Family Farm:

Lemon Caper Celery Root Salad - This is Jennifer and Jeff Miller's go-to winter salad. With a nice, refreshing flavor, it pairs well with savory meats or serves as a fresh lunch salad.

1 lemon, juiced

1 head celery root, peeled

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flavored oil (we like walnut, garlic or tarragon)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/3 cup juicy capers, rinsed (or Chef Lindsey subbed in diced dill pickles!)

Generous handful Italian parsley, chopped

Peel the celery root and shred it. Stop halfway through and sprinkle with a tablespoon of the lemon juice to keep the root from turning brown. Shred the other half and toss with another tablespoon of lemon juice. Salt and pepper liberally and toss.

Whisk the remaining lemon juice with the walnut oil, olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Taste and adjust. Toss with the celery root, capers, and chopped parsley. Serves 4.

(Lunchroom tasting recipe per lunch period - approx 90-100 servings per recipe)

6 lemons, juiced

6 head celery root, peeled

Salt and pepper

12 tablespoons flavored oil (we like walnut, garlic or tarragon)

1 1/2 cup olive oil

12 teaspoons honey

6 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 cup juicy capers, rinsed

5 Generous handful Italian parsley, chopped

Have a Very Berry Holiday Smoothie

2 c water

2.5 cups fresh spinach

3 c frozen mixed berries

1 avocado (flesh)

1 ripe banana

½ lemon’s juice

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender (I use a Vitamix) until smooth. Optional: Add organic powdered stevia or liquid if banana is not ripe enough.

See you in January for our first Chef's Tasting Table of 2018!

It all starts at hOMe Plate!

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL