ChildRoots Food

Hello ChildRoots Families!

2011-07-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

This is my inaugural post as the chef of ChildRoots. Thank you to all of you who have been waiting for the blog to start up again, your patience is greatly appreciated! I have spent the past 7 months becoming acclimated to life in the ChildRoots kitchen and getting to know all of your amazing youngsters and now I am so happy to be able to communicate with you as well.

First off, a little about me…

My name is David for those of you whom I haven’t yet had the pleasure to meet. I have lived in Oregon all 26 years of my life, surrounded and nurtured by northwestern food culture. I was born and raised in McMinnville, just southwest of Portland about 45 minutes. My educational background is in business administration, specializing in business management and leadership. Nearly all of my short work life has been spent in the restaurant industry, first as a waiter and later as a cook in a variety of positions. Prior to my arrival at ChildRoots I was working under Dominique Geulin at St. Honore Boulangerie in Northwest Portland.

My personal philosophy of cooking has been really cohesive with the ChildRoots way. I believe that food should be simple, approachable and be the best representation of the ingredients. I am also passionate about local sourcing. Living in Oregon provides our community with access to amazing farms, and it’s really important to support these high quality sustainable producers.

I am drawn to the kitchen not only because of my love of food but also my passion for using food as a medium of communication. I believe that we use food to show that we care for one another; that by providing something made with care and love we can show one another how much they are valued. That is why when I am cooking for your children I try to provide healthy food that is prepared thoughtfully. I take tremendous pride in what I do and cooking for our school has been a great experience so far. I look forward to growing and developing the kitchen in any way that I can!

So that is my story. From this point forward you can look forward to seeing more regular blog posts from the ChildRoots kitchen. I will be writing new posts as often as I can on a variety of topics, including:

Farmer’s Market updates: I will be visiting our markets to source more local organic ingredients and build on our existing relationships with local farms
Recipe ideas for integrating the staples of the ChildRoots menu at home
Ideas for continuing the ChildRoots food philosophy after preschool
Ways to get involved in advocating for quality food offerings at your local public schools
How we can be involved in co-ops and CSA’s that support local farming and sourcing directly to your table

So that is a little more about what you will be able to find in the upcoming blog posts. I hope to able to provide your families with an additional resource to utilize in supporting the great food choices that we are fostering at ChildRoots. Your children are amazing people, and I have been truly impressed with their willingness to try new things.

Last but not least, if anyone has yet to check out the recent article on the ChildRoots food program, here it is again:

http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2011/07/taking_a_fresh_approach_to_day.html

If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions for me I am always available. Feel free to stop in the kitchen, or email me at cook@childroots.com. I look forward to continuing to serve your families!

Injera

2010-11-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

A stable of Ethiopian cooking—but a familiar part of meals throughout Africa and the rest of the world—injera is a wonderfully spongy bread made from teff flour. The kids loved tearing and eating the bread with their hands—which is the excepted manner to eat injera—and enjoyed its slightly sour taste and one-of-a-kind porous texture. While some children thought it reminded them of a tortilla, injera is actually closer to the taste of sourdough bread, mixed with the feel of a soft pancake.

The only challenge harder than making it from scratch—the flour normally needs to sit for upwards of 24 hours—is finding fresh injera here in Portland. But given our town's bountiful Ethiopian community, and with a tip from the owner's of Queen of Sheba, I found fresh injera at Awah Market (2322 MLK Blvd.). Only available for a few hours each day, it usually sells out shortly after noon, their injera is delicate and fluffy, yet still maintains a wonderful flavor.

But kids can't live by plain injera alone, so I served the bread with my spiced tofu dip. If these pictures are any indication, it went over quite well.

Good to the Grain

2010-10-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to have pastry chef Kim Boyce baking for ChildRoots. Kim will be providing two delicious, whole grain baked goods for us each week. This week our students have enjoyed banana oat bars and pumpkin cookies. Sweetened without sugar and packed with whole grain goodness, the kids love them!

When Kim Boyce, a former pastry chef at Spago and Campanile, left the kitchen to raise a family, she was determined to create delicious cakes, muffins, breads, tarts and cookies that her kids (and everybody else) would love. She began experimenting with whole-grain flours and Good to the Grain is the delicious result. Boyce has truly reinvented the wheel with her collection of 75 recipes that feature 12 different whole-grain flours, from amaranth to teff.

Want a copy for yourself (you do) and learn tips from a profession pastry chef? Kim has two upcoming speak engagements....

Pastaworks

Saturday, October 16, 2010 01:00 PM

Bob's Red Mill

Good to the Grain Brunch with Pastry Chef Kim Boyce! Tuesday, October 19, 2010 5:00-7:00 p.m.

How to make clouds

2010-10-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

"Tofu! I love tofu! That is the stuff that tastes like chicken and looks like clouds" - ChildRoots Student

Tofu is not only popular, but nutritious as well. It is low in calories, contains a relatively large amount of iron, and has little fat as well. Our tofu comes from Surata Soyfoods. Based in Eugene, Surata has been making soy products using organic, U.S. grown, non-GMO soybeans since 1977. It takes 24 blocks of tofu, roughly 24 pounds total, to feed the hungry little mouths at ChildRoots. The best method we have found for cooking that volume of tofu in a small oven, and in a relatively short time, involves roasting it. At home I like to use Wildwood brand firm tofu, which is available at most major groceries and co-ops around town. If you can not find that particular brand, make sure to get firm tofu.

The process is simple:

1. It important to have a very hot oven, 450 degrees.

2. Strain and rise the tofu.

3. Depending on the desired consistency, cube the tofu or cube and crumble by squeezing the tofu through your fingers (this is kind of fun, I am sure kids would love to help with this part).

4. Coat the tofu olive oil and desired seasonings. We use salt-free stock powder, dried thyme, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, and salt. Tofu has basically no flavor of its own, so any spices you like will work. For roasted tofu tacos, I like to crumble the tofu and use cumin, coriander, chili powder and a little lime juice and use it.

5. Pop the tofu in the oven. One of these from a restaurant supply store work great because they have a raised lip that a regular cook sheet doesn't. A casserole dish will work as well. Roast for 15 minutes and give the tofu a shake and a stir. Keep roasting until tofu is nicely browned.

Child-nutrition bill passes the Senate

2010-08-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Following up on an earlier post, the Senate has passed the Child-nutrition bill.

Read about it here and here.

Also a picture of a famous lunch lady...

Watermelon!

2010-07-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

It is certainly no surprise that kids love watermelon. Watermelon is actually not a fruit, but a vegetable related to the pumpkin, cucumber, and squash. Besides being an excellent summertime thirst quencher watermelon is also an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, and C. Watermelon contains high concentrations of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases.

Despite what kids may say, eating watermelon seeds does not cause a watermelon to grow in your stomach. In fact every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rind. Watermelon rind pickles, a southern tradition, is a great way to utilize every part of the melon.

Child Nutrition Legislation Clears House Education Committee

2010-07-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

In 1973 a young George Lucas' influential film American Graffiti topped the box office, the average home cost was $29,900, a gallon of gas ran you around 50 cents and a dozen eggs cost 45 cents. Tragically, it was also the last time congress raised the federal reimbursement rate for school meals. Today, about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963.

With the passing of the Child Nutrition Legislation in the House, the situation could finally improve.

"The bill includes sweeping reforms to significantly increase access and remove barriers to child nutrition programs, improve the quality of the meals served and implement new school food safety guidelines. The bill would increase the reimbursement rate for schools -- the first increase in over 30 years. Additionally, for the first time, it would require schools to set standards for foods served outside the cafeteria, including vending machines."

What to do with.... Leftover Rice

2010-07-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most important lesson learned during my first week as chef for ChildRoots: make sure the rice cooker is turned on. I was not intending to explore new recipes during my first chaotic week. However, I have been thinking about how to work coconut milk into the menu, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make some coconut rice pudding!

In India the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree that gives all that is necessary for living." Coconut has a significant amount of medium-chain (12-carbon) saturated fat called lauric acid, a health-promoting fat whose only other abundant source is human breast milk. Studies have also shown that the health benefits of coconut are vast including: regulate cholesterol, decreases propensity for heart disease, contains anti-microbial properties, aids in weight management, is a potent anti-oxidant, improves absorption of calcium and magnesium ions, increases breast milk production, beneficial and neutral skin conditioner.... just to mention a few! It is no wonder that Ayurvedic Medicine has used coconut to nourish the body and soul for over 4,000 years.

(Source : The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Michael Murray N.D.)

Even omitting sweetener (sugar, usually), this simple pudding was a big hit with the kids! The pudding was made with coconut milk, brown rice, golden raisins, milk (also a great way to use some surplus milk before the holiday weekend), vanilla, and cinnamon—this could also easily be made omitting the diary. For adults and older children, some great additions would be: honey, brown sugar (or agave) ,orange zest, almonds, rose water (one of my favs), and topped with toasted coconut.

How to Prepare...Asparagus

2010-06-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Local asparagus was tight this season due to inclimate weather, so we were only able to get two batches so far of locally grown asparagus. But we made the best of it....

Asparagus is an excellent source of of Iron, Magnesium and Zinc, as well as an exciting source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Selenium.

At ChildRoots our preferred method is roasting. Steaming is too stinky.

We start by rinsing, followed by removing the bottom portion of the spear.

Making sure to leave each piece large enough for little hands to grab.

Once prepped the asparagus is placed on a sheet pan and drizzled

with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and tossed gingerly.

Set the oven as hot as it will go. Place the asparagus on the top rack. Set timer for four minutes. After four minutes, take a peek and keep roasting until the tips a nice golden brown. Once nicely colored remove from oven and allow to rest three or four minutes. At home, you may enjoy a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

Get to Know...Mung Beans

2010-05-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mung Beans are one of those food that people generally assume they won't like. To be honest, once cooked, they are not the most appetizing looking, so it is somewhat understandable. Mung Beans have a part in most Asian cuisines where it is used a hundred ways, including in many desserts. Americans have yet to really embrace the Mung Bean, maybe someday their time will come. They certainly are good for you, being beans they are high in protein, carbohydrates, phosphorous, and potassium.

Surprisingly, the kids at CR like Mung Beans. The teachers, on the other hand, have proven harder to convert. It took a couple a tries to get it right for the kids, turns out you should cook them like lentils.

At CR the cooking water is seasoned with no-salt stock powder, salt, dried onion, granulated garlic, and some dried oregano.

Using 2 1/2 cups water to every cup of bean. They are simmered on medium until thoroughly cooked and mushy. Don't be afraid to add more water, just do it a 1/2 cup at a time.

Once cooked give them a good stirring to mash them up a bit and stir in some Olive Oil.

Years ago I had a friend whose family owned a Thai restaurant, her mom told me a recipe for mung bean cakes simmered in coconut milk, i can't recommend it enough.

In a food processor combine 1lb tofu, 1 cup cooked mung beans, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 TBS ginger, 3 green onions, 1 1/2 TBS cornstarch (although i use arrowroot), 1tsp salt. Process until smooth and taste for salt, then set aside.

Large pot pour 3 cans coconut milk, 1 can water and 2 tsp salt. 1TBS green curry paste can be added also if you like. Turn the burner to medium and bring to a simmer. Once simmering scoop the bean mixture into the broth using a small ice cream scoop, cover the bottom of the pan, try not to overlap. reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon the cakes out and serve them over rice.

How to Prepare...Black Radishes

2010-05-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Radishes have been featured on the blog before, those were smaller more delicate ones. This time it's a about the larger Black Radishes. These radishes came from Lakeside Organics in Watsonville CA. Rich in folic acid and potassium; also good sources of vitamin B6, riboflavin, and magnesium.

These radishes had great taste, unfortunately because of the size they were a little woody and chewy in texture. When that happens the best thing to do is to shred it. Rinse and lightly scrub the radishes. The scrubbing removes the smaller roots. The larger roots can be trimmed with a knife when you cut off the tops and bottoms.

Cut the pieces to fit into the food processor chute. They can be shredded by hand easily also, but when your doing 25lbs, the machine is your best friend.

After the radishes are shredded, they are tossed with olive oil, salt and a splash of cider vinegar. Let the radish chill in the fridge for a couple hours, the salt and vinegar will bring out the sweetness and tenderize the radishes.

Right before serving sprinkle with parlsey.

A recipe my mother taught me was for Radish Salad. Shredded radish and carrots, green onions, dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Works great as a side dish or on a sandwich made with toasted bread, sharp cheddar and lettuce. Trust me it's great.

Get to know...Black Beans

2010-05-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

I fairly certain that ChildRoots families are no stranger to the Black Bean. The most common variety is the Black Turtle Bean, in fact there's a good chance that they're the only kind you've ever had. The brand that we use is organic and grown in California. High in protein and a good source of iron and dietary fiber. Black Beans are most common in Latin cuisine, often as a side dish. Spanish explorers brought the beans to Europe, and they slowly migrated to Asia. In Asia Black Beans are often fermented and used more as a flavoring or a sauce.

It takes over 20 cups of dried Black Beans to feed the kids at CR. They are simmered on the stove for hours; in the broth is no-salt stock, oregano, granulated garlic, some dried onion and a little salt (Black Beans are naturally high in sodium).

Black Beans also make great cold salads or salsas. They can also be substituted for Garbanzo beans in a Hummus Recipe, Black Bean Hummus is gaining popularity at CR.

CR's First Sampling Event.

2010-05-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday was our first sampling event. We wanted to share with the parents some of the healthy and hearty snacks that their kids get to enjoy. Hummus, White Bean, Spinach Miso Tofu, and Herbed tofu represented the dips excellently. Carrot Ginger Bars, Flax and Oat Bars, Banana Oat Bars, and Sesame Sunflower Bars prove that baked goods don't have to be loaded with sugar to be loved. Of course it was a success, who doesn't like mingling around snacks?

Recipe packets were available and quickly snapped up. If you missed out on the packet we'll be printing more up this week.

A big thank you to Kitchen Assistant Extraordinaire Breana for manning the table while I was upstairs getting ready for the teacher training day's asian lunch buffet. She also did most of the cooking for the event.

I'm hoping we'll be able to do another sampling event again in the future. We'll keep working on new recipes, we don't want the kids to get bored.

How To Prepare...Rapini

2010-05-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to serve Rapini (also know as Broccoli Rabe) at ChildRoots for quite some time. Farmers must have found themselve flush with Rapini recently because for a couple of weeks the price dropped and we were able to give it a try. Rapini, on the surface anyway, seems like a cross between Kale and Broccoli. While Rapini is in the same family as those it is actually a closer relative to the Turnip. The flavor of Rapini is distinct, it has the bitterness of green and a slight nutty flavor. Like it's greeny relatives Rapini is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. Potassium, Calcium and Iron are also well represented. When shopping for Rapini look for slightly tough leaves, and tender (not soft) blossoms. Don't let some yellowing leaves or bug hole deter you.

At CR when trying out a new vegetable, I generally go for the simplest preparation. So for Rapini I went the steaming route. As with most leafy greens the first step is soak in cold water for at least ten minute.

After soaking, swish the bunches around in the water to loosen up any dirt or grit still present from the farm. Take the Rapini out of the water, give it a good shake to get rid of excess water and let drain (in a stainer or something it can stand up in) for a few minutes.

Lay the bunch down a large cutting board. If the bunch is unruly, separate it into a couple of smaller bunches.

Using a sharp knife slice down the bunch.All but the very ends of stems can be used. Be sure to keep those fingers curled under.

At CR veggie are steamed for around 20 minutes in our tightly cover steam table. A home one bunch of Rapini would steam in less than five minutes.

Once steamed the Rapini is tossed with salt and olive oil.

The Rapini was a resounding success with the kids and teacher alike. I hope that I'll be able to get more soon.

My favorite way to do Rapini is to sauté it with pasta. When doing that blanch the chopped Rapini in the pasta water first (for no more than two minutes), using a slotted spoon to lift the Rapini out of the water and place in a bowl of cold water. Boil the pasta, any kind will do, I recommend angel hair. In a sauté pan (large enough for the veg and pasta) ,on medium, sauté a chopped clove a garlic with olive oil for a minute, then add the Rapini, about a tsp of salt, and the juice of a lemon (or a splash of white wine). Some red pepper flakes can be added now, if your family likes the spicy. Sauté for another couple of minutes and add the pasta. Keep the pasta moving until it is all mixed and warmed through. Pour in a little cream and toss well, more cream can added if you want it saucier. Place the pasta on a large platter and sprinkle with Parmesan. I've done this recipe using plain unsweetened soymilk and nutritional yeast also, and it works great.

G.R.O.W. Bananas.

2010-04-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Bananas, kids love them, they are super nutritious and easy to eat. They are also one of the few foods that ChildRoots offers that have to be imported another country. Our produce distributor, Organically Grown Company, works with Organics Unlimited to provide our bananas. Please go here and read their Mission Statement. Organics Unlimited has set up the G.R.O.W Fund, Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers, a non profit that is dedicated to helping farm workers. Go here to learn more about G.R.O.W.

Look for this sticker next time you buy bananas.

How to Prepare...Peppers

2010-04-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

First off, a confession. Although we did just have peppers last week, the pictures used here are not them. The pictures here are from last summer when Gee Creek Farms had these wonderful Purple Peppers. The peppers we had last week were red and from a hot house farm in California. Despite being totally out of season, they were delicious.

Peppers are rarely served as a side dish, they are usually used more like a garnish to enhance the rest of the dish. That's really a shame because peppers can stand on it's own. Not much can beat a crisp fresh pepper. Next time your not feeling well, you should turn to peppers instead oranges. One cup of chopped peppers has over 200% of your RDA of vitamin C, and a good dose of vitamin B6 to help with the immune system.

At ChildRoots we try to expose the kids to a variety of food experiences, not just mush. The best way to serve peppers as a side is raw and lightly salted.

Start by washing the pepper and finding it's most stable base. If it is bottom of the pepper, thats great. If it's one of the sides, lay it that way and cut off about 1/4 of the bottom.

Using a sharp knife carefully slice down one of the sides.

Turn the pepper and slice down another side, then lay it flat and slice the last two sides.

Then if you hadn't already done so, slice off the bottom.

The peppers are then chopped to the appropriate sizes. Remember to remove the fibrous rib first and chop peppers with the skin side down. And be very careful.

Once the peppers are chopped, they are tossed with a little salt and refrigerated for a couple hours.

The couple of hours in the fridge with the salt sweats the peppers, they will soften and release some liquid.

It may seem weird at first to have peppers as a side, but give it a try.

Get to know...Spelt

2010-04-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

The children at ChildRoots are introduced to many different foods. For the most part I talk about the produce here. Well, lately the produce has gotten a little humdrum, I thought I would throw some attention at the beans and grains. Spelt gets the first post in the series.

Spelt has a history that goes back to the Bronze Age. A relative Common Wheat, spelt came about when the wheat plant hybridized with wild goat grass. Spelt has never been a very well none grain. It's tough outer husk makes it harder to process. That outer husk also makes it more resistant to pests and doesn't require much fertilizer, so it's easy to grow organically.

Spelt is a strong source of fiber and protein. Also present are the very important B vitamins, essential for skin health, metabolism, cell growth, and immune system functions. Spelt being a grain is also packed with carbohydrates to us as fuel. It's also worth noting that some people with wheat intolerance have good luck eating spelt, due to it's lower gluten content and lack of pesticides.

Spelt is easy to cook. At ChildRoots it's made in the trusty rice cooker.

When cooked spelt has a nutty flavor and a chewy texture that often feels like they're popping in your mouth.

Spelt can be served as a side, added to soups, and even made into a "risotto" like dish. While you can't always use it in place of rice, it's usually safe to try. My favorite way to use spelt is cold salads.

Afternoon Snack News

2010-03-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

The afternoon snack system is changing, we are evolving the fare to include more protein. Over the past couple of weeks many new foods have been tried out.

Some of the recipes that are being worked on are Hummus and other bean dips like White Bean, Black Bean Hummus and an Egyptian style Fava Bean Dip that will be tested next week. Last week edamame was tried with mixed results, but the kids that liked LOVED it, so we'll be trying again.

Your child may have mentioned that the Corn Bread has been different lately. Corn bread is making the switch from lunch to snack. With the recipe has been altered to reduce the sugar, and increase the protein by switching to whole wheat flour and using soymilk.

Two other snack bar recipes have been tried with great success. The first was a Banana Oat Bar and the other was a Oat and Flax Seed Bar. Both recipes have only been tried once, they still need a bit of tweaking before they're ready for the camera. With the bars Soy or Cow's milk will be served.

The smell of fresh roasted Pumpkin Seeds has been filling the air more often. They are roasted in a similar style to Sunflower Seeds.

Recipes for the bars and such will be available soon, as will the recipes for the beans and grains. I'll let you know when in the weekly email with the menu.

How to Prepare...Mushrooms

2010-03-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

I would really like to know the story of how edible mushrooms were discovered. I'm glad that someone was strange enough to look a (most likely) slimy fungus and think, "I wonder how that would taste sauteed with garlic?". Not to mention who brave they must have been considering that most mushrooms are poisonous. I would like to thank the pioneers of gastronomy for ensuring that we can enjoy what is one of the most delicious foods safely.

Nutritionally mushrooms are just so-so. If you need Selenium in your diet, mushrooms are the answer. They also have a good amount of B Vitamins, Phosphorus, Potassium and Iron. Mushrooms may not be the best thing to eat when you are feeling under the weather, the copper in them may reduce the Vitamin C absorbed in the body.

It can be difficult to get adults to eat mushrooms, so I was a little weary the first time they were served. The younger kids downstairs gobble them up, upstairs they're still a little skeptical, there is hope though. Roasting them seems to be the most popular way, stewing them was a disaster.

This time I used Crimini Mushrooms from Ostrom's in Olympia WA.

Using a small knife cut the mushroom into quarters. Then drizzle with olive oil, salt and dried thyme and mix well. At home try adding finely chopped onion and garlic.

Use a pan so that the mushrooms will be crowded on, no more than two layers deep.

Roast in an extremely hot oven, 450-500 for around 20 minutes. They're going to look a bit dried out and nicely browned.

Let them rest on the pan for 10 minutes, they will start to release their juices. The older rooms get parsley added at the end. A squeeze of lemon or splash of balsamic would be great to try at home.

Winter Citrus

2010-02-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

We have been getting some fantastic citrus out of California lately. Here's a sampling.

Valencia Oranges - Bursting with sweet almost "orange drink" like juice.

Blood Oranges - Sweet with hint of cranberry

A smaller variety of Blood Oranges - Tasted like a delicious vinaigrette.

Rio Star Grapefruit (actually from Texas) - Just sweet and tart enough. One of my favorite fruits, ever.

Minneolas - A hybrid of grapefruit and tangerines. You could smell these a mile away.

TED Talks about Food.

2010-02-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

The TED Conference was last week. TED is a foundation that organizes events where people they chose talk for eighteen minutes about "ideas worth spreading". This time around two of my favorites foodies were invited. After watching the talks I knew that the families of ChildRoots would find these of interest.

This is Jamie Oliver's talk about children and the modern American diet. I've alway been a fan of Jamie Oliver's approach to food. His food is simple, clean and fresh. This talk is centers on a television show that Jamie currently filming, so it comes off a little like a commercial, the message still very relevant.

The next respectable foodie is Mark Bittman, I'm sure a familiar name amongst CR parents. A cookbook author and food writer for the New York Times, his perspective on the state of food today is sensible and sustainable.

This other talk was suggested because of the other two. Ann Cooper (the renegade lunchlady) is the head of nutrition for the Berkeley, CA schools. She has proven that using organic, locally sourced food in schools can work.

There is a food revolution coming, ChildRoots is proud to be a part of it.

Fresh Roasted Sunflower Seeds.

2010-02-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

Sunflower Seeds have been a staple of ChildRoots afternoon snacks since the beginning. A handful of them will provide excellent quantities of vitamin E, B vitamins, and gobs of nutrients. We were using a roasted unsalted variety from our vendor, a couple of months ago I started to get them raw. Not only is it cheaper, but I can control the (type and amount of) oil and the salt level. I've never been a big fan of sunflower seed, I don't think that I've ever had fresh roasted sunflower seeds before. I can't believe the difference in flavor, I am now a friend of the sunflower seed. Here's my method.

Take a sheet pan an pour four cups of raw sunflower seeds. Spinkle with and acceptable amount of salt and drizzle with olive oil. I can't recommend keeping some oil in a squeezie bottle enough. They go into a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes.

This is the deliciousness that comes out of the oven, and not to mention the smell.

Immediately and carefully slide them in to a bowl, preferably one that isn't plastic. Stir them for a minute or two, this will help the salt coat evenly.

These are so much better than the ones that come from the package. Hopefully in the fall we'll be able to try this with seeds from the giant sunflowers in front of ChildRoots. We tried to harvest them last year, sadly we did not dry them properly and they got moldy. We will learn from our mistakes.

How to cut...Apples

2010-02-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly certain that everyone is familiar with Apples, and they're a huge part of the menu at ChildRoots. Thanks to Christina's friends at Kiyokawa Family Orchard we have had a wide variety. These are the Granny Smiths and I'll be using them to demonstrate the cuts at CR. During this discovered that my camera does not like taking pictures of peeled Apples.

Start by rinsing and drying.

Lets start with the cuts for the real little friends. For them the apple and peeled and stood stem side down. (sorry blurry)

Using a sharp knife cut around the core. More about core and peels at the end of the post.

Stand a piece on a side and slice it thin. (sorry blurry)

Roll the piece to another side and slice into long sticks.

Pinch the sticks together and chop into a tiny dice.

The next step is small batons the friends can pick up and bite. Start by slicing a piece of the apple.

Turn the apple and slice down into the small batons.

Once the friends get the hang of biting they move onto peeled and extremely thin.

Now once the peel gets introduced, again stand the apple stem end down.

Cut around the core.

Depending on the age of the kids in the room the thickness of the slices varies.

Upstairs in the Pre-School they're ready for hand held. Yet again, stand the apple stem down.

Cut apple in half, rotate and cut again. How many cuts you can do depends on the size of the fruit.

As for the cores and peels, they can be saved in a bag in a freezer. I've put apple cores into stocks, they add sweetness and a floral accent. They can be stuffed into chicken or turkey with herbs, garlic and onions.Or they can simply be composted.

B-Line

2010-02-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have noticed that our produce is now coming via B-Line. B-line, founded by Kathryn and Franklin Racine-Jones, is a delivery service that wants "to make our community more livable by providing sustainable urban delivery solutions to businesses and organizations." Our new produce distributor, Organically Grown Company, has teamed up with B-Line in an effort to conserve gas and cut down on city congestion. We at ChildRoots really couldn't be happier to be working with B-Line. Here's Judy, one of the "peddlers", making their first delivery to CR.

How to prepare... Spaghetti Squash

2010-01-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti Squash is popular amongst the teachers at ChildRoots, the kids get excited when they smell it. It is by far one of the easier squash to prepare. Spaghetti Squash is simple to cut and scoops with almost no effort. Spaghetti Squash is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.

After washing the squash, dry it so it won't slip. Then, using a sharp knife, cut off the stem.
This is a bit tricky, i stand the squash on its end and very carefully cut it in half.
Then cut the squash into quarters. I like to cut it into quarters so that there are edges to brown, the brown edges are the best.
Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds.
Lay flat on a well oiled sheet pan.
Bake in a 450 degree oven until the skin is bubbly and brown. Also when the squash should give easily when poked. I should about an hour, give or take 15 minutes. Once out of the oven let them sit for5 minutes on the sheet.
After 5 minutes flip them over and let them over and let them rest until they are cool enough for you to handle them.
When you can handle them safely, scrap the squash from the skin.
Collect in a pan add Olive oil and salt.
Use a potato masher to mash and mix the squash.
There have been arguments over the spaghetti squash. And be sure to look out for teacher Beth on squash days. she may scare you.

Apples and Pears of Kiyokowa Family Orchards.

2010-01-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

For months ChildRoots has been getting all of our apples and pears for Christina's friends at Kiyokawa Family Orchards. There have been so many varieties I couldn't keep them straight.
Here are some examples.
How many varieties can you name?

How to prepare...Broccoli

2010-01-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

Broccoli is sorta "in season" right now, I used it to break up the greens, squash, roots cycle we've been going through. I normally tell you about the vegetable, this time I'll leave that to Wikipedia.

I really underestimated the popularity of Broccoli last week. The bowls came back almost licked clean. Growing up my exposure to broccoli had only been in Chinese food. Once I started cooking broccoli was one of the first vegetables that I attempted. I learned early on that boiling broccoli wasn't the way to go for me, that mushy texture isn't appealing and you lose nutrients in the water. I knew the kids wouldn't go for mushy boiled broccoli. Not to mention the smell from all that boiling! At ChildRoots I steam broccoli. Steaming it brings the flavor out, and softens it just enough.

This broccoli came to us from Heger Organics out of California. The tough skin and tight bunches tell me that it has seen some cold weather, and will need a little bit more steaming time.
I snap the floret off the main stalk, breaking up the bigger ones, collect them in the steam basket. I've always liked my broccoli to look a bit rustic.
I use the stems too!
Since these were cold weather broccoli, I used a knife to cut the tough outer layer off. If this was warm weather broccoli, you could just go over it with a peeler.
I then cut the stems into pieces that are roughly the size of the stems on the florets.

Place them in the steamer basket, cover and steam for about four minutes. I like them to still be a little crispy.
Once the broccoli is steamed I toss it with salt and parsley.
This is a very basic formula for broccoli. You can dress it up any number of ways. You can also do the steaming ahead of time and save it for your sautes and stir-fries.

Organically Grown Company

2009-12-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

Since the end of farmers market season we ChildRoots need to find a new way to access, good quality, organic, local(ish) produce. Our old produce company wasn't much help so we switched to Organically Grown Company. They are a local distributor with a strong focus on organics and sustainability. They are also the people behind the Ladybug truck you see all over town.

Blue Ballet Squash
Spaghetti SquashChiogga Beets
Carvival Squash
Celery Root
Sugar Pie Pumpkins
Acorn Squash
Crenshaw Melons - These were tremendously popular.
Mangoes - Now is the time.

Produce of Late.

2009-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've done a produce round up. Now that we're getting into the winter, produce is going to become a bit familiar. We just have to make it through to spring.

With the farms winding down for the season, I've had to rely more on a distributor. Soon I'll have everything set up with a new distributor which focuses on local(ish) seasonal produce, and they'll have all the information about the farms. These following veggies are all from California farms.

Brussel Sprouts

Galia Melons - a honey/cantaloupe hybrid

Ruby Garnet Yams

These are from Gee Creek Farm

Butterball Potatoes
German Giant Radishes - they were sent instead of the French Breakfast Radishes, which were wiped out in a frost.

And from Winter Green Farm.

Lacinato Kale
Acorn Squash
Purple Topped Turnips
Romanesco (recipe coming soon)

How to Prepare...Kale.

2009-12-01T17:38:00.001-08:00

This batch of Redbor Kale came to us from Gee Creek Farm. As Lyle the farmer said "they have been frost kissed to make them nice and sweet." I believe that the various kales are the most successful of the greens, the kids seem to gobble it up. I know the Christina and Teacher Beth especially love the kale days. Loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, and packed with fiber, calcium and potassium, kale should be staple of everyone's winter diet.

There are so many ways to cook kale; braising, steaming, stirfry, or it can just be eaten raw. At ChildRoots I've found that roasting is the way go. I love the effect that roasting has on kale, it gives it a little more sweetness and you don't lose so much of the texture.

After soaking the kale in cold water, let it drain for a few minutes.
Then lay it flat on a large cutting board. Notice how I pulled the twisty tie ends toward the end of the stems.
Then slice the kale in a width the you like, being aware of the twisty tie. We feed the stem ends to the guinea pig, rats, and Bunny FuFu.
Toss the kale strips with olive oil, thyme and salt.
Find a sheet pan that makes the kale looks crowded. Then place in a hot oven, I use a 450 oven at CR.
Roast until the top layer is brownish, and you can start to smell the kale. It take about 15-20 minutes.
At CR the kale then gets moved to the steam table until service. At home I would turn the oven off and leave it in there until you're ready.
When bowling up for service I toss in some more olive oil and salt.
I can't reccommend enough that roasted kale goes fantastically well with roasted sweet potatoes or squash.

How To Prepare...SweetMeat Squash

2009-11-22T11:11:00.001-08:00

Winter basically means squash in the produce world. They grow well in the cold weather and actually get better with a little storage. The storage give the flavor and sweetness time to develop. I was excited to use this SweetMeat Squash from Gee Creek Farm. SweetMeat is an heirloom variety that grows really well in the Pacific Northwest. They can grow to be quite large and are usually sold in chunks.

It's a little hard to find the nutritional facts about SweetMeat Squash. It's safe to assume that like most squash it is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Particularly vitamins A and C, folate, potassium and calcium.

This was the first time I worked with SweetMeat Squash, I was excited to use it and see the how the kids recieved it. When choosing squash don't let any growths or discoloring worry you too much, lookout for soft spots and mushy stems, those are bad signs to me. I decided to roast it, that really is the best way to serve squash in my opinion. This process can be used for almost any variety of squash.
Wash the squash and dry it off with a clean towel.
Break off the stem and us that spot as your point of entry. Be care doing this, make sure the blade of the knife is not facing you. You may want to use a folded dish towel in your other hand to protect it against slips. If your comfortable using a band saw or a hacksaw, you may want use one of those.
Slowly bring the knife down one side, then rotate the squash and cut down the other side. This really is the hardest step, so be very careful.
Hopefully yours will turn out something like this.
Then flip the squash flat side down, and cut into quarters.
This is when the seeds get scooped out. I recently discovered that all squash seeds, not just pumpking, can be cleaned, roasted and eaten. Some of them contain good amounts of omega fatty acids, protein and vitamin K.
Then choose the largest flat side and put it face down and cut the peice in half.
Place all the peices on a sheet pan. Coat them lightly with oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Then place in a 400 degree oven.
Pull the tray out when a butter knife pierces easily, and they have a delicious looking color to them. This will take about an hour.
Let them cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out of the skin. At ChildRoots I scoop them into the steam table, but at home i would recommend using a oven safe pan. Now would be the time to add some additional oil or butter, use your discrestion.
Then using a potato masher, mash the squash and taste for seasoning. Then put the pan back in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Right before serving I like to garnish with parsley.
All the squashes have been loved by the kids at CR, and with winter setting in they'll be getting them once or twice a week until spring.

Noris Dairy

2009-11-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

A very welcome addition to the ChildRoots Family is Noris Dairy. We have started recieving weekly deliveries from this organic dairy out of Crabtree Or. We will be using their milk, cheese, butter and yogurt. If you are a ChildRoots Family then you can join our dairy co-op and take advantage of the wholesales prices, for organic dairy it is an incredible deal. Look for me (Chef Joseph) at CR and ask me about it.

How to prepare...Bok Choy

2009-11-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

Bok Choy and I have a spotty history. Growing up I would always pick it out of the Chinese food take-out, I found it unappealing. When I moved to Seattle 10 years ago my first job was in the kitchen at PCC Natural Market, there I learned to appreciate Bok Choy. The trick is to not over cook it, that's when it gets that slimy texture. Some people like it that way, I'm just not one of them.

Our Bok Choy is from Gee Creek Farm and is still in the Baby phase, so it was sweet and not too "green" tasting. Bok Choy is a good veggie to be eating at the onset of winter. High in vitamins A, B6, C, and packed with beta-caroten, calcium, dietary fiber and antioxidants that will help fight off the cold.

You may notice some holes in the leaves, don't be turned off by them. The wholes are proof that its organic, and means that it is probably really tasty. This batch cames with some slugs, one of which became our breakroom mascot. Sluggers spent the day in the breakroom with us before being set free outside.
As you may have noticed, I like to soak my veggies in cold water for about ten minutes. This helps get the greens crisp and the stalk crunchy. Also soaking helps loosen any large clumps of dirt that may be hiding inside the "bulb".
After the soaking shake out the extra water and lay flat on a large cutting board.
Trim off about 1/8 of an inch off the root end and slice through the middle, on bigger bulbs you may want to roll it and slice it again.
Then roll the leaves an slice down starting at the leaves. On some of them i like to leave the leaves whole for variety.
After they are chopped they go back into the sink, which has been filled with clean cold water. This is mainly to get the rest of the hiding dirt out.
At home I would recommend using a salad spinner after the second soaking, then they can be placed into whatever you steam in. I use a false bottom hotel pan.
I then wrap the top tightly with foil and place in the steam table, where it steams for 15-20 minutes. When doing a smaller quantity it takes a lot less time.
After steaming the bok choy gets the olive oil and salt treatment.

Another suggestion as to how to prepare Bok Choy is grilled or broiled quickly. Slice the blubs in have oil the cut side and place down on the grilled or cut side up under the broiler (middle rack) until the leaves get limp. Then sprinkle with salt or drizzle with soy sauce.

Produce!

2009-11-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here are the most crops most recently used at ChildRoots.

From the Kiyokawa Family Orchard.
Red Barlett Pears
An Unknown Plum VarietyItalian PlumsKiyokawa Orchards have also been providing us with many varieties of apples, but since we all know what apples look like, I haven't been showing them. Let me know if this bothers you.

Shoot, I forgot to note the farm these gorgeous Ruby Red Grapefruits came from. I do know that they are from California.

Kabocha Squash from Teacher Beverly's garden!

From Gee Creek Farm.
Redbor Kale
Sweat Meat Squash Baby Bok Choy
From Winter Green Farm
Spaghetti Squash
Lacinato Kale
Nikola Yellow Potatoes

How to Prepare...Delicata Squash

2009-11-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

Delicata Squash was a smashing success, there were no leftovers that day. High in fiber and vitamins A & C and considered a novelty squash. Delicata have a nutty cornlike flavor, and is one of the few squashes that you can eat the skin on. These squash came from Winter Green Farm.

I decided to roast the squash with the skin, the infant rooms did get them peeled though.

Start by cutting off about 1/2 an inch of the stem end and a quarter inch from the flower end.
Then carefully cut it in half. Use a spoon to scape out the seeds (which can be cleaned and roasted if you so choose). If you want to peel it, now would be the best time.

Lay the squash flat side down, cut it into quarters.

Then slice it as thin as you like, you could even us a food processor with the thick slicing attachment.

The slices are then tossed with olive oil and salt.

Spread onto an oiled baking sheet, and roast in a 450 degree oven until a small knife pierces them easily and they take on a nice color.
Toss with some parsley and serve.

Roasted Delicata goes well with pasta and a soft goat cheese.

Produce Update.

2009-10-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

We've been getting a lot of great produce, here are some of the highlights.

From Gee Creek Farms:

Indian Red Mustard Greens

French Red Fingerling Potatoes

Mixed Grapes foraged from Christina's parent's yard.

From the Kiyokawa Family Orchards:

Italian Plums

Hidden Rose Apples!!

Honey Crisp ApplesAn Unknown Variety of giant pears. Some of them were bigger than Cory's head.

From Winter Green Farm:

Delicata Squash - Instructions for these coming soon.

Parsnips - I prepared these the same way i did the roasted carrots. The kids really liked them.

How to Prepare...Radishes

2009-10-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Radishes were one of my mom's favorites, I grew up eating them. Originating in Africa as the Black Radish, it was Asia and Europe that cultivated radishes into the many varieties we know today. I've tried radishes several times with different varieties, Diakon and German Giant specifically, without much success. When Gee Creek Farm started offering the French Breakfast variety, that has a mild flavor and great color, I thought I would give them another chance. The French Breakfast Radishes were received extremely well.

Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium.

I'm not a fan of cooking Radishes, they lose both flavor and color. I prepared them the way my mom ate them most of the time, raw with just a little bit of salt. I prepare this first thing when i get there, the Radishes need a couple of hours in the fridge.

Of course start by soaking in cold water for ten to fifteen minutes. This may crisp them up is any of them have gotten a little soft.

Take them out of the water and rinse off under cold water, then twist off the tops. You may want to be careful with the greens, I discovered that I am allergic to them. Recipes for radish greens can be found, I generally discard them.

Using a small knife cut off the ends and cut them to the size and shapes you'd like.

Slices

Batons

Diced.

Once cut I put them in the bowl and toss with salt and olive oil, then place them in the fridge for a couple of hours.

After a couple of hours in the fridge the radishes soften quite a bit. At home I would add thinly slice red onions before the salt and olive oil. After refrigerating toss with chopped fresh spinach and add black pepper.

One of the best ways to eat radishes is on a butter sandwich, it's a very french way to eat them. Simply slice a baguette, spread a layer of butter topped thinly sliced radishes. Trust me, it's delicious.

How To Prepare...Celery Root

2009-10-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to use Celery Root, also called Celeriac, at ChildRoots for some time. I got happy when i saw it on the Winter Green Farm's list. Celery Root has a savory green flavor, and a spongy mildly chewy texture. It contain a high amount of Vitamin C, something I'm trying to serve a lot of now at the beginning of cold and flu season. Good amounts of potassium, phosphorus, thiamine, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B6.

Celery Root is popular in Europe, where it usually appears in stews and soups. I worked at a place a couple of years ago that did amazing things with roasted Celery Root. Roasting mellows the green flavor and add a good sweetness. I figured that would be the best way to introduce the children to Celery Root.

Like most root vegetables and greens I start by soaking them in cold water for fifteen minutes. If you have a vegetable brush, giving them a quick scrub isn't a bad idea.
Shake off the excess water lay on the cutting board and cut off the top and about 1/2 inch off the bottom. Don't try to cut off all the root, just cut off enough so the celery root will stand up. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do with the greens, they're a bit bitter and not really tasty. The can be used to make stock or fed to the guinea pigs or rabbits.
Stand it up and look for the circle of solid root. See it?
Carefully start a the circle and cut down the side, rotating the root until your all the way around. Don't worry about going all the way down, and try not to cut too deep.
Lay the root on it's side and trim down the root nubs. Don't try to cut them all the way off, just shave it down until there are just a few crevices to deal with.
Stand the root up with the root end up.
Use a smaller knife and do a series of "V" cuts to remove the crevices.
Slice the root into four or five slice of equal width.
Stack two or three layers and slice four or five times.
Then rotate the root and chop into cubes. Place the cubes in a stainer and rinse them off. Some discoloration caused by oxidation may occur.
Toss the cubes with olive oil and salt, place on a sheet pan and roast in a hot oven.
Pull them out when the cubes are fork tender and the edges and tips take on a dark brown cover.
Celery Root was a surprising success, a few of the children exclaimed that they liked it better than potatoes, and teachers were battling for leftovers.

At home I like to make salads out of raw shredded celery root. I just made this recipe for a potluck, i can't recommend it enough.
Celeriac and Radish Salad
I did change it a bit. Instead of the mustard seed in the dressing I used 1TB whole grain mustard. I also switched out the watercress for arugula.

Late Summer, Early Fall.

2009-10-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Fall is finally here, it's my favorite time of year for produce. Greens start getting rich and sweet with cold temperatures, squashes of many varieties are appearing, and root vegetables galore coming soon. Here's some of the produce we've had recently.

All of this came from Gee Creek Farms.

Sweet Gypsy Peppers

The last of the Heirlooms

Old fashioned Green Kale

French Breakfast Radishes

Tree fruit from Kiyokawa Family Orchards

Bartlett Pears

I forget the name, they were giant and juicy Peaches.

Pluots!

Red Bartletts

Christina brought in a case of apples from her parent's trees. There were several unidentified varieties. They were delicious.

Winter Green Farm is embracing the fall.

Kabocha Squash

Nantes Carrots

A first for ChildRoots, Celery Root.

I'll be posting how to prepare the Celery Root soon. It was quite a success, not much in the way of leftovers that day. One friend even said it was better than potatoes.

How To Prepare...Collard Greens

2009-10-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

While some of the world grow Collard Greens as an ornamental, we at ChildRoots like to eat the giant green leaves. This batch of Collards came to us from Winter Green Farm. It's no secret that I love greens, I serve them once a week. They are a bit difficult for the kids to accept, but they are slowly coming over to the green side.

Like most greens Collards are packed with vitamins and minerals. Vitamins K, A, and C are the most prevalent. manganese, folate, and calcium represent strong for the minerals. A lot of the nutrient aren't readily available until the Collards are cooked. The traditional southern method involves ham hocks, lard and hours of stewing. At CR I do a simpler version that retains the texture and you can actually taste the greens.

Start by soaking them in cold water.
Shake the water off and lay on a large cutting board. Cut off the stems, line up the leaves and slice them lengthwise.
arrange the leaves, and slice down.
as you slice them place them in a pot with some water, stock powder, dried onions, and salt.
Simmer on medium, stir them gently. Cook until the leaves are wilted and tender, but not mush.
Lift the greens out the pot using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Toss with olive oil and adjust salt.
"Out of the south, into your mouth!" - Teacher Gwen

How To Prepare...Beets

2009-10-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

High in folic acid, potassium, calcium and antioxidants, Beets can be a hard sell to a lot of people, not just children. Too many of us have memories of warmed beets from a can. I know I personally didn't like beets until I had fresh ones. And didn't learn to love them until I had them roasted. Beet days are popular at ChildRoots, there are never leftovers.

These beets came from Gee Creek Farm.

Start by soaking in cold water to rinse the dirt off and crisp up the greens.
Shake off as much water as you can and lay the bunch flat on a large cutting board. If the greens aren't too unruly, I keep them bunched.
Roll the leaves as tight as you can.
Then chop down the roll, stopping when you start seeing just stem. Place the greens in a bowl, toss with salt and put aside.
Using a small knife, trim the stems and the roots.
Then peel, you may want to wear gloves, this will stain your hands.
Dice them and toss with olive oil and salt.
Layer onto a sheet pan and roast until a small knife goes in easily.

Once the beets are tender put the greens over the beets and put back in the oven until the greens are wilted.
Another way do roasted beets:
-trim the greens
-wash, peel, and roast beets whole
-when easily poked with a knife, put the beet in fridge and cool
-chop the greens and toss with some salt
-chop the beets
-saute the beets (butter or olive oil)
-toss in the greens and a pinch of salt
-add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of your favorite vinegar
-enjoy

Lovely Produce

2009-09-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Here's some of the beautiful produce we've had recently.

Purple peppers, Yellow chard, Yellow Beans, Red Beets and Mediterranean Cucumbers from Gee Creek Farm.

Sorry about the cucumber picture, I forgot my camera, and took this with my phone.

How To Prepare...White Turnips.

2009-09-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

We're entering root vegetable season, one of my favorite times. Recently we got some White Turnips from Winter Green Farm. This was a first for ChildRoots, I've never served turnips before, and was excited to see how the kids reacted to them. Also these small turnips had some excellent looking edible greens, so I wanted to use them too.

Turnips roots are rich in vitamin C. The green are packed with vitamin A, folate, Vitamin K, calcium and more vitamin C. When buying greens look for firm roots and rich leaves that aren't wilted. And never buy them without the greens. Can you tell that I love greens?

The roots of the turnip can be eaten raw or cooked, this time I decided to steam them.

Start by soaking them in cold water.
Pull one bunch out at a time and shake it, get off as much of the water as possible. Then lay it on cutting board.
Notice that they are still bunched by a rubber band, keep that there. It will help, just be aware of it. Roll up the leaves as tight as you can.
Hold the greens like above, then keep your fingertips where they are and curl your fingers until the knuckles are just past the tip. Chop down length of the greens, stop at the stem.
Collect the greens and put aside, in the fridge is best.
Turn the bundle and cut off the roots. (Sorry about the picture)
Cut off the tip and stem, use a small knife for this.
Still using a small knife, stand the turnip on the fat end and quarter it.

Collect the turnips in you steamer basket of choice.
Steam them for about 15-20 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a small knife. Then open the steamer and add the greens.
Recover the steamer and steam for around 5 minutes, or until the greens look soft. Remove from steamer, place in a bowl and toss with olive oil and salt.
I'm happy to report that they were well received by kids. I didn't get that many back from the classrooms. I can't wait to do them again, next time they'll be roasted.

Farmer Update

2009-09-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

We're off to a good start on our farmer partnership program. Here are pictures of some of the goodies we've been enjoying.

Yellow Beans from Gee Creek Farm.
Pink Pearl Apples from Kiyokawa Family Orchards.
Yellow Watermelons from Gathering Together Farm.
Chioggia Beets also from Gee Creek Farm.
Mixed Pears from Kiyokawa Family Orchards
Juicy Red Tomatoes from Winter Green Farm.

How To Prepare...Carrots

2009-09-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Carrots are one of the favorites at CR. An excellent source of vitamin A, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Sometimes I steam them, sometimes they are roasted. This time I'll show you how I roast them.

Start with some Nantes Carrots from Winter Green Farm.
I peel them carefully, and rinse them off. You can save the peels, more on that later.
I hold the carrot strait in from off me and cut them on the bias. Be sure to keep the fingers curled under. Save those tips and ends.
Once they are all cut I toss them with olive oil and salt.
I layer them about three layers deep on a well oiled sheet pan.
Roast them in a very hot oven until the tips are just starting to burn.
At home you can then toss them with fresh herbs, orange juice or champagne vinegar.

Remember those peels, tips and ends?
Save them for use in stocks. At home i keep a bag in the freezer and keep adding vegetable scraps till its full. Once it's full, I roast them up, and boil them into stock. At CR we often feed them to Bunny Foo Foo.

How To Prepare...Artichoke Hearts

2009-09-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Artichokes--a large edible thistle--are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron and calcium. I should confess that i use a canned, not marinated, variety at CR. I would prefer to use frozen, they have a much better texture, but i have yet to find a good source of those. For cooking at home you can find frozen varieties at New Seasons or Trader Joe's. There are two local artichoke seasons a year, late spring and a late summer, although non-local varieties can be found year round now. Unfortunately, I do not have the time or resources to prep enough fresh artichokes for the center.

This is a flowering artichoke that grew in front of ChildRoots last summer.
I have a very simple method for the artichokes. Artichokes are usually a guest star in a recipe, I want to make it more of a side dish. First I place them in a strainer and rinse them for a few minutes to get rid of as much of the briny flavor as possible. Then I let them drip for awhile and let the excess moisture drain away.The artichokes are then tossed with olive oil, salt and thyme. Then they are layered onto sheet pans and roasted in a very hot oven till the tips take on a dark brown color.
At home you can use the roasted artichokes in so many ways, besides as a tasty side dish. My favorite uses would be in pastas or a frittata with heirloom tomatoes and spinach.

Winter Greens Farm

2009-09-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

The next farm I would like to introduce is Winter Green Farm out of Noti, OR. They will be supplying CR with many varieties of organic produce. Winter Green Farm can be found at the Eastbank Farmers Market on Thursdays, the Hollywood Farmers Market and PSU Farmers Market on Saturdays, and the King Farmers Market on Sundays. Stop by their booth too say hi, and mention that you heard about them through ChildRoots.

Bright and crisp Nantes Carrots.
Dark and beautiful Purple Majesty Potatoes.

Gee Creek Farm

2009-08-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

We have now started to receive deliveries from Gee Creek Farm out of Ridgefield, WA. The farmer, Lyle, will be bringing us an assortment of vegetables every week. You can find the Gee Creek Farm at the PSU Farmers Market on Saturday, the Peoples Co-Op Farmers Market on Wednesdays, and the Hillsdale Farmers Market on Sundays. Be sure to stop by and say hi to Lyle, and tell him that your a ChildRoots family or friend.

Patty Pan squash we had on Monday.

Red Swiss Chard from Wednesday.

Absolutely delicious Sungold Cherry Tomatoes enjoyed on Thursday
Purple Kohlrabi that will be prepared on Monday.

How to cut...melons

2009-08-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

This time around I'll describe how I cut the melons for the kids. Melons are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin A, and folic acids.

To tell if a melon is ripe, it should have a good bright color and give just slightly when you push on it. Smell the melon, you should be able to notice a sweet smell on a ripe one. Also, I usually give them a good shake and listen or feel for jiggling seeds. not always the easiest method, but the most reliable.

As always start with a large cutting board and a good sharp knife.

Start by thoroughly washing the outside of the melon with hot water. Then place on the cutting board and cut off both ends, usually taking off about 1/2 an inch. then stand it up on one end and slice down the middle.
Then take a large spoon and carve around the seeds first, then scoop them out.
If you plan on taking the rind off the melon lay it flat side down on the cutting board and cut it down the middle, parallel to the ends.
Stand up the melon quarter on the widest side. Take your knife and follow the rind line with the back of the knife, don't worry too much about the front. Repeat that process several times to get off the rind, you may need to go back and do some clean up shaving.
You can then cut it any way you want, but for the smaller kids I slice it thin.
Then I turn it and cut that in half.
This gives me small manageable piece that are easy to chop.
For the older kids I leave the rind on and slice it down the length.
Then take a few slice and lay it flat on the board.
Cut the slice to whatever size seems appropriate.
The Pre-Schoolers get the largest slices.

How To Prepare...Tofu

2009-08-15T11:24:00.001-07:00

Tofu, the ever popular soybean curd. The children get pretty excited on tofu day, I'll never forget one room jumping up and down screaming "tofu!" as I walked in with it. One child described it as clouds, and another called it "the other chicken".

I've had a lot of experience with many forms and types of tofu, for the most part firm or extra firm tofu is the way to go. The brand we use at CR (and I use at home) is Surata Soyfoods firm nigari tofu(made in Eugene, OR). Nigari is a form of salt that is used in the coagulation of the soymilk, it produces the firmest texture.

Getting people to eat tofu can be a challenge sometimes. the way I cook it at CR has proven to be a great way to introduce tofu to a skeptical crowd. It's all about changing the texture a little, and adding a flavor that is somewhat familiar...

Here's How:

Start by freezing the tofu in the packaging. Freezing the tofu causes in to take on a chewier consistency. Take the tofu our of the freezer and put it in the fridge, two days before you want to use it. After it's completely thawed, I give it a good squeeze. you don't want to dry it out, just get rid of some of the excess water. I do this over a strainer, so I don't lose any tofu bits down the drain.
I then stand it up and slice it into three slabs and place in a large tub. I then add no salt stock powder, salt and olive oil.
Then using gloved hands, I gingerly mash the tofu. I try not to break it up too much, unless you want a more granulated texture. During the mashing I also do a lot of tossing this helps to get the seasoning and olive oil mixed evenly through out. Once I have it well mixed, I move the tofu to a baking pan. I like to mound it in a thick layer.
I like the thick layer because then you get different textures after it's baked. I bake it till the tips of the top layer are a nice dark brown.
The tofu comes out with a "chicken" like consistency, and a savory flavor. At home you can use the baked tofu in scrambles, burritos, stir fries, and soups. I love to throw it into tomato sauce and use it over pasta.
I am working on a ChildRoots recipe book, that will have amounts, times and temperatures. The work to at home conversions are taking a bit of trial and error so stay tuned...

(I hope to have it worked out sometime in the next month or so.)

Kiyokawa Family Orchards

2009-08-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

I'm pleased to introduce the Kiyokawa Family Orchards, located in Parkdale, OR, as one of the first of our farm friends. They can be found at the Beaverton Farmers Market on Saturdays, the Ecotrust Farmers Market (in the Pearl) on Thursdays, and the Hollywood Farmers Market on Saturdays. They will be supplying us with a wide variety of cherries and peaches for the rest of the summer, and apples and pears in the fall and winter.

These are the Lapins Cherries that the children have been eating.

How to prepare...Green Beans.

2009-08-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first in a series of posts explaining how I prepare the food at CR, another popular question.

The other day the kids had green beans from Montecucco Farms in Canby, OR. Green Beans scream summer to me, I grew up eating them raw and sun warmed from my mother's garden. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, complex B's, potassium and calcium. Interestingly you only get full access to the nutrients after they are cooked, if eaten raw a small percentage goes right through. This batch of green beans had a dark green color and a little bit of chewiness. That tells me that they got plenty of sun, but not enough water to keep up.

The first step is picking the stem end of the green beans, this would be a good time to involve a child. I pick them and put them into a strainer, so they're ready for the next step, rinsing thoroughly. If you ever need to pick 15 pounds of green beans quickly let me know, I can offer you some pointers.
This time I steamed the green beans for about three t0 four minutes, until just beyond soft but not mushy. There are many ways to steam veggies, it's a much better option than boiling them. When veggies are boiled some of the nutrients are left in the water and over cooking is easier. Then I portion them out.
Once I have the bowls set up I splash them with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toss with some oregano. I always start off light on the seasoning - you can always add more, but you can't remove any. I recommend having some oil in a squeeze bottle (with a small nozzle hole), this will help with the portion control. I also like to use my hands (gloved or impeccably clean) for the mixing, you can do a more thorough job that way.

How to cut...a pineapple.

2009-08-05T16:44:00.001-07:00

There are several questions i get from parents all the time, one of them is about how I cut the fruit. So I have decided to start documenting the process here. (Be warned: while I may know how to cut fruit, I am not a professional photographer so bear with me on the illustrations.)

Let's start with a PINEAPPLE.

To find out if a pineapple is ripe, tug on one of the leaves in the crown. If it comes off easily then you know it is ripe.

Always start with a good sharp knife and a large cutting board.

Grab all the leaves at the top of the pineapple, or the crown, and twist it off. Rinse the pineapple and lay it flat on a cutting board.
Cut off both ends of the pineapple. Usually only taking about 3/4 inch off each end. Then stand the pineapple up right on the cutting board.

Now you can quarter it by cutting the upright pineapple in half - one way and then the other.
Now comes the part that may take a little practice.
Lay one quarter with one of the cut sides down. Hold the pineapple steady by placing the palm of you non-cutting hand on the skin. Then holding the knife at a 45 degree angle, cut along the length of the pineapple quarter. Thus removing the hard fibrous core. *Don't throw the core away, we'll return to that later.
Now flip the de-cored quarter over so that the skin side is down.
Now slice it. When I am preparing pineapple for snack, here at the center, I would addjust the width of the slices depending on the age of the children I am serving.

*As for the cores, I usually put them in the breakroom for teachers to snack on. You can eat up and down the sides like an ear of corn. But if your really hardcore, you can eat the whole thing.
If you have a juicer, these pieces juice beautifully. You can also freeze them and throw them into soups, beans, or bbq sauce for some added sweetness!

The world of food at ChildRoots.

2009-08-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, Joseph here.
I just wanted to say that i will be posting all about the food that your child enjoys during the day at CR. I'll be giving away the secrets of our kitchen and information about the food.
Starting this week I'll be hitting the farmers market to look for some farms to partner up with. I'm hoping to establish some direct-from-the-farms connections that will help CR serve fresh seasonal food. Because of this we will be going to a weekly menu, instead of the former monthly version.

If you know a farmer or have a favorite farm please let me know by emailing me at childrootscook@gmail.com