Chef's Tasting Table 2019 | Citrus Bonanza + A Cara Cara Jam Jar Dressing

This was the 2nd annual Citrus Chef's Tasting Table and I'm already looking forward to our 3rd next year. It's a BIG in-season fan favorite for all.

Pictured from the top:

Blood oranges

Cara Cara Naval oranges

Pummelo's (the large yellow grapefruits)

Naval oranges

I visited both Diamond Lake and West Oak back to back this week; Without a doubt, we have 750+ citrus lovers in our district!

Now that we have their attention, get your eaters to think outside of the orange-wedge-box and make your own jam jar salad dressing! You can thank me later for helping you to get your kids to eat their greens.

A Cara Cara Jam Jar Dressing

1-2 Cara Cara oranges juiced (about 1/4 cup. And type of orange will work here!)

2 Tbsp vinegar (any kind you have on hand - Apple cider vinegar, White vinegar, Red/White Wine vinegar, Balsamic vinegar all works)

1 Tbsp honey

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp iodized or sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper
1 garlic clove minced (optional)

Place all ingredients in a mason jam jar. Put the lid on and shake vigorously (a great job for kids!) until it's all mixed up. Enjoy on your favorite greens (my kids LOVE Gotham Greens), plus it would be delicious on fish too! Store in the refrigerator. 

To the mullies we go...

xoxoL

Chef's Tasting Table 2019 | Chocolate Avocado Pudding with a Quick Blueberry Syrup

Everyone at Jewel thinks I'm nuts.

I think I am.

We are still recovering from this massive avocado processing we did before break. Thank you to the moon and back Steve Juracka (Assoc Superintendent & Wellness Chair), Julie Marchese (school nurse and wellness committee) and my amazing Mom Brenda (retired kindergarten teacher and best sous chef ever) for helping me scoop, process and fill up endless cups in the lunchroom! This food education day could not have been pulled off without YOU ALL! 🤛🏻👊🏻🤜🏻

I forgot to take pictures of the finished tasting cups. Bleh. 

So, to wet your whistles, here are some pictures of the day before in the Mundelein High School Transition Center where the participants did an incredible job "plating" their chocolate pudding and garnishes.

We had mixed reactions 👍🏻👌🏻👎🏻 which always means we are on track for stretching these students’ taste buds and food bravery. I especially love when staff ask me for the recipe!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding + Quick Blueberry Syrup

2 🍌’s

4 🥑’s

1/2 c raw cacao

1/2 maple syrup (add more maple syrup to taste if needed for your eaters) 

1 c milk of choice (I used organic rice milk for allergy awareness)

1 T pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Blend everything until smooth in food processor. Ideally, chill in the refrigerator before enjoying with your favorite toppings.

I gotta tell you the story behind how the blueberry syrup came to be. 

I originally went to Prairie Wind Family Farm to pick up cranberries. With my sunglasses still on, I walked into the barn and looked in the coolers, but couldn’t find them and then decided to look in the freezer. There they were!

Except.

They weren't cranberries. 

They were blueberries.

Whooops! 

Thankfully, Jen let me keep them. And what a perfect switch up it turned out to be! 

Previously frozen fruit is PERFECT to make a quick syrup (heating on the stove will render a thicker, more intensely flavored syrup) and so that’s just what we did together at the D120 Transition Center + West Oak.

Here’s how you can make it too and it’s super fun to make with kids!

Quick Blueberry Syrup

2 c thawed, previously frozen blueberries 

2-3 Tbsp honey

pinch of salt

In a bowl, muddle together (I used a potato masher) the 2 cups of thawed blueberries with some honey and a pinch of salt. Smoosh the berries until all the pulp and juice is released. Pour the blueberry liquid through a fine mesh strainer and into a new bowl. Spoon this gorgeous liquid over anything your heart desires... vanilla ice cream anyone?

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

Chef's Tasting Table 2019 | Pumpkin Butter + Jicima + Pears

Watcha making for your Thanksgiving Table?

How bout something super simple, tasty, versatile and your kids can make it?

Please welcome pumpkin butter to your world - I've never made so much in my life.

You can find pumpkin butter recipes all over the "interweb" and I chose this simple recipe from Half Baked Harvest as my go-to for our food education fun this Fall season; Thank you for the constant cooking inspiration Tiegan Gerard, your food blog is AMAZEBALLS. 

I slightly lowered the pumpkin spice amount and here is what I scooped up for our November school lunch tasting in the lunch room. 

The best part =  kids can make it themselves!

Pumpkin Butter

1 14-16oz can/box of organic pumpkin puree

1/2 c pure maple syrup

1/3 c organic apple cider

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp iodized salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and serve as a dip, spread, oatmeal mix in, yogurt parfait...  

or your own pumpkin spice latte!

OH YEA.

The kids loved the tasting and many had NEVER tried jicima ("yambean") before. I brought an uncut, whole jicima so the students could see how weird and brown it looks on the outside and identify it in the grocery during future shopping trips. 

Big thanks to Produce Manager Bob at our local Maple St Jewel for coordinating the massive jicima order and to Chef Myra for cutting them all up for us!! 

I am so thankful to the Diamond Lake School District Administration and Wellness Committee for sharing a passion for food education. It's been a dream to spear head this school lunch room tasting program every month, and I'm simply having a ball brainstorming new "bite sized" initiatives with the committee which are making such a difference in our #d76diamonds community.  

How did we get started? 

4 years ago, I helped the school district apply for the The Chef Ann Foundation Project Produce Grant which was the spark behind our "Chef's Tasting Table."

And speaking of sparks...

HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CHEF ANN FOUNDATION!! 

Link over to their website and be inspired by how the foundation works tirelessly to inspire and empower school districts to reform school food. 

I am so very honored and excited to celebrate this incredible 10 year milestone with them: 

"One Mom's Mission - Food Educator, chef and mind body wellness coach Lindsey Shifley spearheads big changes in school food for Lake County, Illinois."

Thank you thank you thank you Chef Ann Foundation for leading American school food reform!

It all starts at home plate.

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL

Chef's Tasting Table 2019 | A Tomato Tasting with Prairie Wind Family Farm

Now that's a lot of 2nd's and 3rd's boys! Way to EAT those tomatoes!!

Welcome to the 2019 Chef's Tasting Table School Year with Diamond Lake School District 76!

I am just thrilled to be writing this post, as it's my third year in the lunch room with the D76 students and staff. I am simply amazed by our evolution in food education together.

3 years ago:

• Most of the 8th grade students chose not to eat "lunch". Many tables would share candy and/or other processed snacks (like Takis Chips) brought from home. Very few participated in the school lunch program with Preferred Meals.
• The majority of 7th and 8th graders were very hesitant or declined to try the foods at our tastings. 
• It helped to "hide" the ingredients of a tasting table menu item as it helped students be more adventurous. Once I revealed the ingredients (like spinach!), they were more willing to try an unfamiliar or "weird" food the next time.
• The majority of the 5th and 6th graders were always up for a tasting. They were enthusiastic and excited every month.

Today:

• Virtually EVERY student in EVERY lunchroom (5th-8th) eats lunch whether it's a sack lunch from home or served from Preferred Meals.
• The majority of EVERY lunchroom participates in the tasting. And I don't even have to hide the ingredients anymore to get kids to try what I'm serving up!
• All grade levels exhibit enthusiasm for our Chef's Tasting Tables. WOW!

HUGE thank you's to Jennifer and Jeff Miller of Prairie Wind Family Farm for providing the beautiful and TASTY tomatoes for our very first tomato tasting. The kids asked for seconds and thirds more than every before. I simply love coming to the farm, talking to your staff, and picking up your organic produce (just 9 miles away from West Oak School)!

Each student received a boat of tomatoes that were sliced and prepared three ways:

• Plain
• Sprinkled with sea salt
• Sprinkled with organic sugar

Why the three options? To begin sharing the experience of how seasoning can effect taste with the students. 

• Why is tomato sauce and pizza sauce sometimes sweeter than eating a raw tomato? Well, the chef adds some sweetener to cut the acidity! 
• Can you believe how a little salt brings out more flavor? 
• Isn't it amazing how naturally sweet a grape tomato is all by itself!?

I was joined by a friend and fellow graduate from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, Ms Erika Quezada-Sanchez of Lotus Life and Wellness. I am so grateful to be connected to her through our Mind Body Nutrition training and especially appreciative of her volunteering with me in the lunchroom! Thank you for sharing this awesome day with me and the students Erika, and I can't wait for you to join us again and spread more fun food education together!

More Guts More Glory - It all starts at hOMe plate!

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL