Week two of the Bridge to Wellness program found me with a lot of energy (go, breakfast!) and excited about the evening’s lecture by Dr. Autumn Frandsen, practitioner of naturopathic medicine  at the Center for Integrative & Natural Medicine.  We all enjoyed some organic butternut squash stuffed red and white quinoa while Dr. Frandsen walked us through the process of digestion.

laced with turmeric, cayenne, oregano and cumin, quinoa stuffing pairs well with any seasonal squash

It had been years since my last nutrition class at NYU, and while the mechanics have remained the same, life has not: the demands on a working mom are greater than on an unencumbered grad student, and I took to heart Dr. Frandsen’s admonition to RELAX!!! already.  Taking time to enjoy a meal in the company of others not only enhances enjoyment, but according to Dr. Frandsen it also helps the body to do it’s job more efficiently by directing blood flow to the gut. (The technical term for this process is parasympathetic stimulation.) So while the definition of slow food and the Slow Food movement has many layers, it would seem that the literal meaning is important, too.

Hail the Snail and eat..more..slowly

Everyone took a deep breath to relax as Dr. Frandsen moved on from digestion to macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). To insure ample intake of the latter, we should eat nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and we Floridians can count on a local supply almost all year.  A majority of the ten “superfoods” (broccoli, quinoa, green tea, berries, salmon, kombucha, dark chocolate, avocado, spinach and garlic) grow here, as do many other nutrient-dense choices.  Strawberries and citrus, at their peak right now, are among the best water-soluble carbs for lowering lipids, and the former pair beautifully with Florida-grown arugula for a healthy winter salad.

Just 3 ingredients: strawberries, arugula and a drizzle of balsamic.

Florida’s waters are also teeming with healthy seafood, but Alaskan salmon gets all the press for it’s high Omega 3 content, which is revered for fighting heart disease.  I reached out to Orlando’s own Seafood Lady Maureen Berry to see if she could point me towards a good choice that swims closer to home, and she queried Mindy Lee at the Florida Department of Agriculture.  According to Mindy, Spanish mackerel packs 1.67 grams of Omega 3 per four-ounce portion, well within the range cited for salmon.  Spanish mackerel is in season right now, and unlike king mackerel, there is no advisory for mercury content in this delicious local choice.

Next post: fitness, weight loss and hormones, oh my!

The event was to celebrate the East Coast release of Koko Brown Ale, Kona’s first new mainland beer offering in four years.  The tasty amber brew incorporates dried, toasted coconut into the mash for a nutty flavor that, as we would all discover, pairs well with food. Koko Brown with coconut shrimp from Millikens Reef, a favorite for seafood in the area, was a delicious no-brainer.

a sampler of shrimp at Millikens Reef

The dried coconut meat used in cooking and to flavor the beer comes from mature, brown coconuts.   While the sweetened version used to be the norm, unsweetened flakes are now easy to find.  More scarce in local markets are young, green coconuts, which contain nearly a pint of coconut water, the kind that’s sold seemingly everywhere in adult-sized juice boxes.  The most widely available brands, however, are pasteurized, as farmer Larry Siegel was quick to point out during his animated demonstration.

Larry Siegel augurs a green coconut

Larry sells coconuts of all ages on his website (turn your speakers up and enjoy the thumping club music while you browse), as well as a nifty metal augur that makes opening them a snap.  However loads of customers, many of whom are of Southeast Asian or Latin American origin, visit his plantation near Ft. Lauderdale to stock up on the healthy fruits.  The fresh water definitely hit the spot after our SUP lesson at SOBE Surf — this addictive water sport takes a lot of energy!

SOBE Surf founder Gerard Middleton

That exertion left me feeling very entitled to a post-SUP beer, as well as the beer floats that we sampled after that night’s dinner at SOBE’s lodge.

Root beer's got nothing on this one

These used Pipeline Porter, a Kona beer that uses local coffee beans in the brewing process.  Enjoying the float, my mind wandered to the simple Italian treat affogato, a scoop of gelato drowned in espresso.  And while I haven’t tried it yet, I couldn’t help but think of a local twist: Koko Brown Ale with a scoop of coconut ice cream from Gaby’s Farm, which is made in Miami and available locally at Whole Foods Market.  With or without the ice cream, though, it’s hard to beat a perfect pint.

a perfect pint

Finding and eating great food is part of my job, and so an approach that looks at diet as just one aspect of wellness is key, especially when work compels me to enjoy the occasional delicious beer float.

Did I mention that this was delicious?

According to Bradley, the time between New Year’s Day and the Super Bowl is prime time for the marketers of canned shakes and processed foods that promise weight loss. As soon as I arrived for Week One of Bridge to Wellness, it was clear that no one here would be singing the praises of cereal bars instead of breakfast.  Nurse Sarah greeted us with servings of sweet-and-sour edamame salad with spinach, an energizing beginning to the evening.

Salads, not shakes

As we munched and listed to Dr. Kalidas explain precisely how the body’s web of systems work together to support wellness, I took note of things that I could incorporate into my life right away.  As usual, this took the form of a grocery list, which happily took me to some favorite places around Central Florida later that same week.

Easy one: green tea.  I’m a tea drinker anyway, and switching to antioxidant-rich green tea was a no-brainer, especially when it served as an excuse to stop by The Spice & Tea Exchange on Park Avenue.

Mystic Dragon was the prettiest

After my tea purchase I hopped across the street to Ten Thousand Villages to pick up a bar of the organic Fair Trade chocolate they carry.  Dark chocolate is another choice that’s high in antioxidants, and in indulgent choice at that.

Not just dark, Very Dark, and Fair Trade to boot

Surely chocolate won’t be part of every lesson — life just ain’t like that — but the boost in energy I’m already feeling from eating more veggies (local and seasonal, of course), drinking more water and meeting new people in class is encouraging.  Stay tuned for Week Two…

It is easy, eating greens

Root for your favorite beer at Whole Foods Market Orlando’s First Battle of the Brews Competition.  From 3-4pm, 50 beer enthusiasts will judge 8 beers in a traditional football-playoff format. The one beer left standing will be declared the Ultimate Taste Test Champion. Registration is limited to the first 50 customers ages 21 and up (proof of age required) at the store’s customer service desk in person or at (407) 355-7100. Participation and admission is free of charge. The store will also be accepting donations of non-perishable foods for Second Harvest Food Bank.

FEBRUARY 9

Learn about “superfoods” for healthy sweets and treats with nutrition educator Kiara Oberhaensli at the Center for Integrative & Natural Medicine.  $20 includes samples and take-home recipes.  Class begins at 6pm; call (407) 355-9246 to reserve.

FEBRUARY 10

Shakespeare’s Cymbeline at Orlando Shakespeare Theater, and we’ll be there after the show to share some local-food goodness!  Tickets for the 8pm show are available at the box office, and all guests are invited to the after-party for food and fun with the cast and crew.

FEBRUARY 15

Join herbalist Emily Ruff from the Florida School of Holistic Living at Whole Foods Market Winter Park at 6:30pm for Herbs for a Healthy Heart.  February is American Heart Month, and Emily will discuss which whole herbs can ease anxiety, promote circulation and even strengthen the heart muscle.  Register online for this free class.

FEBRUARY 19

Homegrown Co-op members and their guests are invited to tour Kissimmee’s Green Place for Natural and Organic Vegetables from 10-11:30am.  This free tour is limited to 35 guests ages 6 and up.  To receive detailed instructions, contact Jackie McFadden at (407) 637-2461 or eeant@mac.com and list your name, number in your party, e-mail and/or phone number.

FEBRUARY 20-24

Change up your dinner routine and learn the staples of Italian family cooking with Elisa Scarpa of Fatto in Casa.  Classes run from 10am-1:30pm in Elisa’s beautiful Audubon Park home, and $65 includes a full lunch.  The Family Meals class will repeat every day from February 20-24; email elisa@fattoincasa.us to reserve.

FEBRUARY 25

Join Terry Meer of Simple Living Institute for a hands-on, beginner-level workshop to learn to brew beer in your own kitchen. From 2-5pm at 16206 Hamilton Road in Orlando, Terry will guide you through the mash, sparge, and fermenting process, show you how to keg your new brew and sample some of his favorites. Advance registration required via info@simplelivinginstitute.org.  $20 members/$25 non-members.

The Town of Harmony, the largest Green Certified Community in Central Florida, will be hosting their first Annual Healthy Lifestyle Festival in their Town Square from 10am-3pm. This free, family-friendly festival will host a morning 5K, fitness demos, healthy living workshops, “green” living demos, food trucks from TheFoodTruckBazaar.com, cooking demos, healthy eating exhibits, vendors and other exhibits, and a kid’s area.  More info at www.harmonyfestivals.com.

Florida produces one-third of the fresh tomatoes in the United States, Estabrook writes, but to combat sandy soil devoid of nutrients, insects and diseases, some growers heap herbicides and pesticides on the plants, then gas them with ethylene. Add to that the exploitation of laborers, and it paints a dismal picture of the Sunshine State.

But you can find guilt-free tomatoes in Florida during tomato season, generally November through June — tomatoes that smell like tomatoes and are delicious with nothing more than a good shake of coarse salt. Most of these crops are grown hydroponically, in a nurturing environment that reduces or eliminates the need for pesticides and fertilizers.

In Sanford, Melanie Corun and Roger Worst have been raising hydroponic crops for more than 10 years at Waterkist Farm, and you can find them every Saturday at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market. Local chefs including those from The Ravenous Pig, Luma on Park and the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, are well acquainted with Waterkist perfection. A fair amount of the farm’s harvest makes its way to grocery stores as far away as New York City, but the Winter Park market remains a favorite place to sell its tomatoes, grown in 13,000 square feet of  pristine indoor space — about 3,000 tomato plants, including prized heirlooms.

In nearby Geneva, Rest Haven Farms is beginning its 10th season of hydroponic tomatoes. Planting started in August, with the harvest distributed to local farm markets in November. Bob and Laura Braun and their 11-year-old son, Zack, cultivate more than 2,000 tomato plants in 6,600 square feet. In addition to popular red beefsteaks, they offer varied crops each year — last year it was five varieties of cherry tomatoes and four varieties of heirlooms. You’ll find them at Lake Eola Farmers’ Market on Sundays, Lake Mary Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and the Wickham Park Farmers’ Market in Melbourne on Thursdays.

“We typically harvest 40 pounds per plant per season,” Laura says. “We use only organic and botanical controls, and pick at the height of ripeness.”

In South Florida, Teena Borek’s legendary Homestead farm, Teena’s Pride, includes 10 acres of hydroponic greenhouses for her 20 varieties of prized heirloom tomatoes — all grown without the use of herbicides. Heart of Christmas Farm in Christmas and 3 Boys Farm in Ruskin also grow hydroponic tomatoes using organic practices.

Other small farms, such as Turkey Hill Farm and Orchard Pond Organics in Tallahassee and Full Earth Farm in neighboring Quincy, are growing tomatoes the old-fashioned way: in the ground, using all-natural growing practices including hand-harvested compost to enrich the typically sandy soil. The resulting product isn’t particularly shelf-stable or unblemished, but the flavor is remarkable.

To ensure you’re buying responsibly grown tomatoes, check farmers’ markets, including Audubon Park and College Park, where you can talk with the growers. Homegrown Co-op in Orlando carries organic tomatoes in season, and Whole Foods often stocks locally grown organic heirloom varieties. —Pam Brandon

Golabki or tuna poke?

Food plays a starring role, and wine, beer and cocktails provide the backbeat for this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Sept. 30–Nov. 13. For adventurous eaters, the Disney festival is like a culinary trip around the globe without a passport: chicken souvlaki with tzatziki in Greece, goulash in Poland, rib-eye tacos in Mexico, calamari salad in Portugal, lamb sliders in New Zealand.
More than 25 international Marketplaces feature these tapas-sized portions, priced from $3 to $8. It’s fun to stroll and share tastes without a big commitment (at least try France’s garlic snails in brioche). Kids can pick up a free “Marketplace Discovery Passport” to be stamped at each international marketplace for a fun diversion as they make their way around the lagoon.

Also fun for kids is the new “cranberry bog,” telling the story behind the harvesting of the cranberry, one of only a handful of fruits native to North America.

Beyond tastes and sips, there’s daily live entertainment along the promenade, from music to acrobatics and improv performances. There also are special culinary programs with noted winemakers, and hundreds of chefs and speakers hosting elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.

Some events are included with park admission; others require reservations and separate admission. For a full schedule, visit www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

Two locavore events join forces

Two November food events are combining efforts this year to raise awareness of the local food movement — the second annual Eat Local Week, Nov. 11-18, will lead up to the second annual Winter Park Harvest Festival Nov. 19-20.

Eat Local Week, presented by Slow Food Orlando, includes special dining offers, workshops, tours and tastings featuring more than 30 area farmers and food artisans. Participating restaurants will present prix fixe menus ranging from $10 to $40, using ingredients sourced no more than 200 miles from Central Florida.

“By purchasing food directly from producers or dining at restaurants that feature locally grown ingredients, the money goes right to the people who produced your food, creating a more sustainable future for Central Florida’s food system,” explains Gabriela Othon Lothrop, the organizer for Eat Local Week. “Not only do we benefit from wonderful food by eating local, but there is no middle man — the money stays in our community and builds a stronger local economy.”

At press time, participants include Big Wheel Provisions, Boathouse of Winter Park, Cress Restaurant, Dandelion Communitea Café, K Restaurant, Loews Royal Pacific, Luma on Park, Mi Tomatina Paella Bar, Paxia, Pine 22, Primo Restaurant, The Ravenous Pig, The Rusty Spoon, Sandwich Bar and Stardust Video and Coffee.

Pick up an Eat Local Week scorecard wherever edible Orlando is available so you can check off attended events, then enter scorecards into a prize drawing at the Winter Park Harvest Festival, which is expanding to include two full days of events. The weekend will include activities for children and families, seminars, cooking demonstrations, live music and round-table discussions. Some of the area’s best chefs will create locally sourced cuisine at the farm-to-table dinner on Saturday night, and at Sunday’s all-day, 100-percent-local farmers’ market, shop for everything you need to create a locally sourced Thanksgiving feast.

For more information on Eat Local Week and to see a schedule of events, visit www.eatlocalweek.com. Visit www.winterparkharvestfestival.com to see a complete listing of seminar topics and events and to purchase tickets for the farm-to-table dinner.

A corny way to have fun

If you’re looking to get lost this fall, Sept. 17 kicks off Scott’s Fall Corn Maze at Long & Scott Farms in nearby Zellwood. One of only a handful in Florida, and the only one in Central Florida, the corn maze is a nostalgic autumn amusement that mixes traditional — hay rides and farm tours — with modern activities. “We try to incorporate something new every year,” says Anna Sciarrino, director of Sales and Marketing at Long & Scott Farms. This year’s theme is Renewable Energy, so activities also include stations with clues and games to help kids learn more about the topic. Games, food vendors, fishing for kids and group farm tours, as well as an all-new zip line and giant jumping pillow, will entertain visitors.

Last year, the maze welcomed more than 30,000 people, so this year, the farm extended the dates into December. During the week, the maze is open only to large groups by reservation, but on weekends, it is open to the general public. Famous for its Zellwood Sweet Corn, Long & Scott Farms covers 1,200 acres and has been owned by the same family since 1963.

For more information, visit www.longandscottfarms.com/fall_maze.html.

—Jamie Gardner

Come see edible Orlando at the Orlando Home Show

Edible Orlando will host the main stage at the Orlando Home Show Oct. 7–9 with cooking demonstrations by area chefs, food personalities and edible Orlando staff.

Mattocks

One of the headliners is Orlando resident Charles Mattocks, no stranger to the spotlight. As The Poor Chef, he creates healthy family meals for $7 or less and has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America and The Today Show. A nephew of reggae legend Bob Marley, Mattocks grew up eating Caribbean staples like chicken curry, rice and peas and bananas and dumplings, but since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a year ago, his cooking, and his career, have changed dramatically. “Diabetes needs a rock star,” Mattocks says.

According to the Florida Hospital Diabetes Institute, more than 1.5 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with diabetes this year and another 7 million will remain undiagnosed, people Mattocks hopes to reach when he completes his documentary film The Diabetic You.
“By taking ownership of your own health, you can avoid the use of prescription medications,” says Dr. Kalidas from The Center for Natural and Integrative Medicine, who also appears in the film. “Incorporating lifestyle, exercise and nutritional modifications are key first-line therapies.”

Mattocks’ years of culinary experience give him the ability to tweak traditional recipes to make them friendly to diabetic diets. “We come from a high-carb culture,” says Mattocks, “but now I do curry chicken with a fresh cilantro salad, lemon juice and olive oil, so I still get the flavors I love.”

For a complete schedule of cooking demonstrations, visit www.orlandohomeshow.com. The Diabetic You will be released in 2012. More info at www.thediabeticyou.com.

Sesame Noodles with Greens and Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu
Serves 2

1 package extra-firm tofu, drained
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large bunch Swiss chard or kale, roughly chopped
½ pound udon or soba noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions
Cut tofu in half through the middle and place the 2 halves on 2 layers of paper towels. Top with another layer of paper towels, and then top with a clean dish towel. Place a cookie sheet on top of the tofu, and place a big can or 3 small cans on top of the cookie sheet. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl.

Set aside.

Cut tofu into fourths, then again corner to corner to make 8 triangles. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until oil shimmers, then add tofu in one layer. Cook for 8 minutes on each side, sprinkling lightly with salt after flipping. When tofu is very crisp and golden, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Keep the plate near the stove to keep tofu warm.

Heat a large sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add greens. Toss until they are mostly wilted. Add noodles and reserved sauce, and toss to combine. Cook until everything is hot and the greens are cooked. Top the noodles and greens with the tofu, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Ahhhhhh….back to school daze. Whether you miss the little (or not so little) guys underfoot, one thing’s for certain: they’ll be back. And they’ll be hungry. So after you skip through your gloriously peaceful home with a cup of coffee, consider a warm and comforting soup for dinner—one that won’t infringe upon some well-deserved you time.

This lemony-lime concoction of rice, chicken, green chilies and chickpeas ladled over melty, Monterey jack cheese, then topped with crisp tortilla strips and fresh mint should hit the spot. Simple, quick and perfectly pantry-friendly, this healthy and authentically Mexican treat is on the table in 30 minutes.

Of course there are many wonderful ways to make this soup your own. Try with fresh corn off the cob, or garnish with diced avocado, tomatoes, sliced scallions or chopped black olives. Another one-pot wonder for the ages—or at least your recipe file.

Lotsa Lemon and Lime Chicken and Chick Pea Soup
Serves 6 to 8

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
Coarse salt, cracked black pepper, to taste
1 cup white rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or more to taste
8 cups chicken stock
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4-ounce can fire-roasted green chilies
1 cup canned tomatillos, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes, or more to taste
Juice of 1 large lemon, or more to taste
Shredded Monterey jack cheese, tortilla strips, minced fresh mint, for serving

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until softened, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in rice and sauté until grains are slightly opaque. Add cumin, oregano, stock, chicken, chickpeas, chilies and tomatillos. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Remove chicken and cut into bite-size pieces, then add back to soup. Add lime and lemon juices and taste for seasoning.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls over shredded cheese; top with tortilla chips and fresh mint.

Diva confession: Fresh is always best. Tortilla strips are readily available in most supermarkets—but it’s ridiculously easy to fry up a batch at home. Heat an inch or so of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. As the oil heats, cut a stack of soft corn tortillas into 1/2 to 1-inch strips. When the oil is shimmering, add the strips in batches, careful not to overcrowd. Cook the strips until golden brown, tossing occasionally. Drain on paper towels, seasoning with coarse salt.

“I see a real need for change in the way that kids relate to food,” says Jones, who began about eight years ago to help build the OJA vegetable garden on a small plot on the school’s kickball field. “Being a responsible steward of the earth is what we want to be doing with these kids — those kinds of lessons are life lessons.”

This past spring, the OJA garden won a statewide competition for the best school garden sponsored by the University of Florida, Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. And this year the school’s garden curriculum will be healthier than ever, says Jones, as he and a school task force attended an enlightening three-day summer workshop in June at the Edible Schoolyard (ESY) in Berkeley, California. A program developed by the Chez Panisse Foundation and chef-author Alice Waters, ESY is a 1-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom for urban public school students to grow, harvest and prepare seasonal produce. The OJA team, whose trip was sponsored by Florida Hospital, learned a lot about integrating food-systems concepts into a core curriculum.

K Restaurant chef-owner Kevin Fonzo, another task force member who has contributed his culinary talents each month to OJA’s gardening program, returned from the workshop with a bounty of teaching ideas. “It was amazing to me how they tied in the math, science and social studies. The humanities teacher was talking about barter and trade and how cardamom got from India to Europe. They made hummus and their own pita bread with flour they milled from the wheat they grew in their garden. Now I know how to tackle a class with the kids and make it interesting for them.” The workshop so inspired Fonzo that he plans to work with OJA students once a week this year.

Jones, with assistance from edible Orlando staffer and raw-food chef Sarah Cahill, is eager to continue to build OJA’s edible garden and integrate new food concepts into the curriculum. “We have more space this year, and we are better gardeners. A lot of kids really are not exposed to good choices, and it’s nice to work with a group of people interested in making those connections in innovative ways.”

Orange County Students Grow Healthful Eats

Innovation is also on the menu at Meadow Woods Elementary School in Orlando, where fifth-grade students are thinking beyond the goodies in their lunch boxes. They’re munching on celery stalks, nibbling lettuce leaves and enjoying lots of other produce they plant and harvest themselves.

Along with the school’s third- and fourth-grade students, the children grow their own fruits and vegetables in eight raised-bed gardens on school property. The University of Florida’s Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Orange County extension gardening program, funded in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Family Nutrition Program, now serves five Orange County schools, including Meadow Woods, where more than half the student population receives free or reduced-cost school lunches. Last year, the garden-based nutrition program reached 264 students in five schools that also included Hungerford, Hidden Oaks, Winegard and Maxey elementary schools. In all, the children tended 27 raised-bed gardens at the five schools, says Annie Peterson, Family Nutrition Program instructor.  Each semester, the 14-lesson program touches on all aspects of raising fresh food and harvesting it for the table, from planting of seedlings and fertilizing with compost to harvesting the crop and preparing nutritious, sanitary foods.

“Many of [the students] don’t realize how food grows and where it comes from,” says Peterson, who hopes to expand the program to other schools. “It really is a good learning experience for them, and just taking ownership of the garden is something they’re really proud of.”

Tim Hurley, gardener and IFAS program assistant, says the children often turn up their noses when they get their first whiff of the mushroom compost used in their organic gardens. But, he says, “once a kid plants a plant, they’re going to taste it, and they usually want to do more. We show them how to germinate seeds, how to transplant, how sunflowers attract pollinators to the garden, and we do a lesson on good bugs and bad bugs. Every day, we have to water and look for signs of insects. They like to watch the plants grow, and they’re amazed that a tomato can double its size over a [school] break.”

As the school year progresses, the children’s vegetable repertoire expands rapidly to include peppers, squash, eggplants, greens, cucumbers and pole beans, Hurley says. And students become excited about tasting foods that are new to them, adds nutrition program assistant Deborah Freeman.

“Their knowledge of the variety of vegetables is limited, and they are amazed at the options they can choose from,” Freeman says. “They’ll try all of it, even the ones who are hesitant at first. It’s so much fun — everybody has a job. Those who don’t harvest can wash, cut or dry the vegetables. It’s learning that there’s more to food than what they may have been taught and that they can make choices. If they’ve had it in their salad, they might consider having it in their school lunch. I like to think that this can have long-term results — it is becoming a trend, and it is growing.”

Local Chefs Join In

It was First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative that spurred Chef Jamie McFadden in August 2010 to don his gardening gloves at the non-profit Morning Star School for special-needs children.

“The kids had already started a garden, and it was amazing to see how excited they were to have us come in and spend time with them,” says McFadden, owner of Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine of Winter Park. Together with teacher Tracy Potter of Altamonte Springs, who has taken time off from teaching to spend time raising her young daughter, McFadden developed a lesson plan with fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-based activities that the children enjoy. Last November, the class of about 22 children, ages 8 to 16, harvested squash, tomatoes and zucchini and dined on ratatouille — a dish they knew from the Disney film of the same name.

“The kids had seen the movie, and they tasted the vegetables before [cooking] and after,” Potter says. Another harvest yielded an abundance of green beans “and some of the kids came up with the idea of giving some to a soup kitchen. They really have a connection to the garden and eating, and they’re really enthusiastic about it. It gives them a view of their community and the community outside of where they live. It teaches them to think globally.”

Green Thumbs Up for New Smyrna Beach Middle School

School-garden experiments are groundbreaking at New Smyrna Beach Middle School as part of the Greenovation initiative supported by parents, community members, school leaders and local businesses. A founding member of the Greenovation partnership, PTSA secretary Valeh Levy, says volunteers and partners, including the City of Edgewater, have helped refurbish a campus greenhouse and donated custom-built garden boxes, a tumbling composter, a red worm farm, rain barrels and an aquaponics unit. Aquaponics is a sort-of hybrid of hydroponics and aquaculture — fish waste from the 400-gallon tank feeds the plants housed in PVC piping — a small version of the similar hydroponics facility visitors can see at The Land greenhouses at Epcot in Walt Disney World Resort. Each semester, more than 120 middle-school students will maintain the system, monitor plant growth and harvest produce, says agriscience teacher William Smith. They also will work on an Urban Oasis Garden project, growing ornamentals and seasonal vegetables.

“In the beginning, [students] are kind of apprehensive about gardening because a lot of them live in urban areas — a concrete environment,” says Smith, who guided the students last year as they grew blueberries and vegetables in container gardens and ground plots with micro-sprinklers. “When they see the plants coming up and they see the fruits of their labor, it’s motivating for them.”

The entire Greenovation project puts environmental education front and center in the school and community population, Levy says. “It will enrich their lives, it’s fun and hands-on . . . and it gives them tools to be positive stewards of the Earth.”

Vegan Cheesecake
by Carla Wilson

Serves 4 to 6

12 vegan graham crackers
4 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted
3 (8-ounce) tubs plain Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs. Combine crumbs with melted margarine, stirring until mixture resembles wet sand. Press into a pie plate. Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, combine Tofutti “cream cheese”, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once mixture is smooth, fold in flour, stirring until combined.

Pour into piecrust. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top just starts to turn light brown.

Refrigerate overnight to allow cheesecake to set.

Monterey Farms Mushroom Loaf
by Dandelion CommuniTEA Café

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped cashews
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup Marsala cooking wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegan gravy, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan; cook onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, mushrooms, cashews and walnuts; cook, stirring often, adding oil as needed to keep mixture from burning. Add sorghum flour, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add Marsala, lemon juice, arrowroot, dried thyme, salt and rosemary. Cook until thick, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste.

Press into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with gravy.