PU, public schools, restaurants, markets unite to celebrate delicious power food

food day - squashed v5
We thought we were riding high when Amy Mayer detailed her work with teachers, students and volunteers at Littlebrook Elementary to create the second annual garden celebration in honor of Food Day on October 24. Then, we learned from Stu Orefice, executive director of campus dining at Princeton University, that he was serving up butternut squash at all dining service venues on that day, too.

It made perfect sense to build on both. So we made a few calls to chefs, restaurateurs and food-based businesses who partner with us, and voila! We used Food Day to build community around good food and the the national event which is now in its second year.

Chef Rob Harbison, at PU, is working with Stu, ensuring that students from Frist Campus Center to Mathey College Dining Hall and all points in between will be served this delicious autumnal vegetable that is packed with Vitamin A and rich in Vitamin C, potassium and fiber.

Cindy Hill, dining services director for Princeton Public Schools, is serving up butternut squash at all four elementary schools, and students at John Witherspoon Middle School and Princeton High School will be treated to squash from New Jersey’s M. Dottavio Farm. (cindy_hill@monet.prs.k12.nj.us).

Wildflour Cafe, in Lawrenceville, will celebrate Food Day – and squash season – with a gluten free flatbread pizzette topped with roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, and goat cheese, said Marilyn Besner, restaurant owner. (marbesner@hotmail.com)

Look for other participants either selling or serving butternut squash in the Get Squashed: Food Day 2013 campaign by the display of this poster (and speak up when you go there, in appreciation!).

Among them:

John Marshall and Main Street Bistro; Christopher Albrecht at Eno Terra; Raoul and Carlo Momo of Terra Momo Bread Company, Teresa Caffe and Mediterra; Jack Morrison of Witherspoon Grill, Nassau Street Seafood, Blue Point Grill; Josh Thomsen of Agricola; Lori Rabon of Nassau Inn; Alex Levine of Whole Earth Center; Aishling Stevens of Americana Diner; Steve Carney of McCaffrey’s; and Gab Carbone of the bent spoon.

PMS Edible Gardens, July 2013

READY FOR SCHOOL: Fresh timbers and fresh straw mulch prepped the JW edible gardens for the school year.
READY FOR SCHOOL: Fresh timbers and fresh straw mulch prepped the JW edible gardens for the school year.
TRELLIS WORK: Old bamboo stakes were gathered into a teepee to create climbing space for cucumbers.
TRELLIS WORK: Old bamboo stakes were gathered into a teepee to create climbing space for cucumbers.
DELIVERY: Belle Mead Co-op dumped fresh garden soil atop a tarp for distribution by wheelbarrow to garden beds that needed topping off.
DELIVERY: Belle Mead Co-op dumped fresh garden soil atop a tarp for distribution by wheelbarrow to garden beds that needed topping off.

PMS Cooks+Gardens gets growing

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Jen Carson and Fran McManus, who led the popular Iron Chef cooking program at John Witherspoon Middle School last spring, worked with Steve Carson, science teacher and faculty sponsor of the JW Environmental Club, to share use of the school’s raised bed edible gardens.

IMG_2481The two, aided by Steven Schultz, who owns Bountiful Boxes and donated the labor to build two new boxes, have new gardens planted with tomatoes, basil and other edibles to show for their effort. Students will benefit this fall; the expanded JW Iron Chef program will have garden-fresh produce available, only steps away from the kitchens.

Volunteers also made short work of weeding and mulching in the other beds, repurposing old bamboo stakes to provide a teepee trellis for cucumbers, and providing straw for the students’ burgeoning tomato crop to rest upon.IMG_2698