CR's First Sampling Event.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.