Honey!

Hello Localvores!

Science teacher and beekeeper Andy Moore with some of his insect friends

I would like to introduce to you a very sweet sponsor of our program, Mr. Moore. But before I talk about Mr. Moore and his donation; I'd like to share about some of the reservations I had I about this entire Localvore endeavor. A week before the start of school my thoughts were escalating in anxiety, "this is an impossible feat, how can this be pulled off, what if people don't sign up, what if people do and there isn't enough..." Once Mr. Moore heard about the project, he offered to supply us with honey. My anxieties calmed because I realized, when there's a project that has a positive impact on the community, supplies find you. I also realized that this project parallels what bees do--older bees leave the hive to collect the nectar and bring it back for the younger bees to turn into honey. For this project, older folks are leaving the school to bring back what's been harvested for the younger folk to create into an energy-rich food to keep our colony going. In time, these younger ones will grow and go out to do the foraging. The most important part of this dynamic is understanding that it takes teamwork of an entire colony. The result of which is sweet and sustaining.

I asked Mr. Moore to share how he got involved with beekeeping and here is what he wrote below:

Mr. Moore maintains multiple beehives

"I learned beekeeping from a great friend of mine, Duane Waid.  Mr. Waid hired me on as an apprentice for two years (2001 and 2002).  Mr. Waid, who lives in Interlaken, NY, is an entrepreneur.  He started his own printing press and published the PennySaver from 1951 to 1976.  When he retired and sold his massive stock of printing machinery, Mr. Waid decided beekeeping would be a fun retirement project.  Mr. Waid began beekeeping in 1976, at the age of 55.  This year is also the year I was born.

By the time Mr. Waid and I had the opportunity to work together, he was into his second career pretty full time (hobbies sometimes can do this).  His generosity of time, material (he gave me all my equipment, FREE, so I could start work immediately), and counsel helped me gain the confidence to continue beekeeping on my own.

Beekeeping is by far the most incredible scientific thing I've ever been part of.  I've helped others get started, so I feel like it has been of service to many.  As the years pass in the rearview mirror, I've been at it for 15 years now.  With any luck, I will be able to continue this work for the rest of my life."

Many thanks, Mr. Moore, for your support and donations!

Meet Farmer Pete and Farmer Karen!

Hello Localvores! Mrs. Bryant here to introduce to you another generous couple whose help has been vital to making this project possible.

The story behind their involvement: Years ago Karen (Mrs. Salino as the kids call her) and I  became fast friends when we helped each other teach our reading classes. From there we started collaborating on everything from lesson plans to apron making. When the Localvore idea was in the works last spring, I decided I should probably do some gardening myself since I have never grown a thing, not even a houseplant. Knowing that Karen and Pete have the kind of land suitable for this endeavor, and Pete is experienced in farming, I asked if I could try my hand at a patch on their land. Being the generous people they are, and having a passion for gardening and sustainability, they were delighted to support me.

    The morning I came over to start my seeds, a question had been circling through my mind; why do some families have gardens and others don't when it is so beneficial to have one? There must have been someone in my family history who had one--why did it stop? I told Pete is probably happened when my great grandparents immigrated from Eastern Europe and went directly to working in a factory. Pete said, "they lost the connection to the land." A simple observation on his part maybe but something worth pondering, why have many of us lost our connection to the land? How does that cause other disconnects that we are not aware of? After seeing how challenging it can be to grow a nice sized beet (mine were the size of cherry tomatoes) I realized I have become casual about grocery shopping and menu planning. I walk into a supermarket and purchase apple-sized beets with no thought  about the work behind it. Reconnecting to the land increases our appreciation for the produce available to us. Reconnecting to the land also allows for other deeper connections with people. As I harvest with the Salinos, we excitedly talk about what we have recently read in the latest issue of Modern Farmer, we spout out ideas about heirloom varieties we will try to grow next spring, and my favorite topic- what recipes can we make with what we are harvesting! Reconnecting with the land, has brought back fervor to menu planning, passion for produce, and deeper relationships.

Thank you Farmer Karen and Farmer Pete- you are giving me a different kind of education and I hope I can pass it on to the students.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Kale

So many people asked for yesterday's cupcake recipe, so here it is:

Mari's Birthday Cupcake

This recipe was adapted from America's Test Kitchen recipe (The Complete America's Test Kitchen Cookbook, pg 758).

Note: I doubled the recipe below and added 2 cups of blanched kale bn and put through a food processor for about 30 seconds, scrape down sides to have evenly chopped.

Chocolate cupcakes

3 ounces high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot coffee

3/4 cup bread flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons white vinegar,

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup kale, see note above

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard size muffin pan  (cups with a 1/2 cup capacity) with baking cup liners. Place the chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Whisk the flour , granulated sugar, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Incorporate kale into batter.

3. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin pan cups. Bake until the cupcakes are set and firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in tin on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift out of pan and cool on wire rack for about 1 hour before frosting.

Frosting (adapted from "Hello, Cupcake" frosting recipe)

Butter, unsalted, 8 tbsp (1 stick)
Semisweet chocolate, 2 oz (approx 60 pcs)
Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, 1/2 cup
Confectioner's Sugar, 3.75 cup (16 oz.)
Fat Free Milk, 1/2 cup

8 ounces goat cheese

Put goat cheese in separate medium bowl.

Combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer.

Add the confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk, adding more milk if necessary to thin, and beat until fluffy and smooth.
incorporate goat cheese.
If you're not using it right away, cover the frosting container tightly. You may need to beat in more milk to get it to a spreadable consistency.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Number of Serving 20

Meet The Farmers!

Hello Localvores!  Mrs. Bryant here--allow me to introduce to you the very essential and generous people who are making this project as tasty as it is!

First I must mention Daryl Anderson, a retired teacher who I was visiting this summer to ask about making homemade cheese.  At the end of my visit, Daryl insisted I go over and meet these “really great people who run a CSA on the land.” That’s when I met Aaron and Kara who run Plowbreak Farm CSA.  This moment was the most pivotal of this endeavor.  Up until this point, my plan was to keep this Localvore Project pretty simple, straightforward, and predictable.  While chatting with Aaron, Kara, and Daryl, I mentioned that I was going to attempt this project this year.  Aaron and Kara, who are passionate about food justice and bringing good food to the community, immediately said they would donate every week.  I was excited, but at that point did not see the magnitude of this gift.  Not only is it generous, but it is pushing and challenging us all to research menu options that we would never ventured towards before.  This gift has unexpectedly brought out a new appreciation for the paradise of living in the finger lakes- where fresh food is in abundance.  This gift has opened our minds and tastebuds to foods and flavors that we may have gone through our entire lives without trying; and thank goodness we haven’t, because living without this food is not living!  This is much more than a donation; it's a gift that brings joy, smiles, and people together.  Thank you, Kara and Aaron.

Stick around to meet the next farmer soon!

Our first lunch

Today was our first Localvore lunch. The menu was minestrone soup with local kale and house-made mozzarella, homemade bread with house-made goat cheese and butter, and chocolate cupcakes featuring a mystery vegetable and chocolate chevre frosting. More than 30 staff members purchased lunch today, and we had lots of helpers. Retired teachers Dorothy Sholeen and Karen Salino came in to help give out cupcake samples to students, heat up soup, and help us keep the lunch line moving. Students helped get teachers checked in and told them about our ingredients and dishes.

Getting ready for this lunch was quite an endeavor. Since it's early in the school year, Mrs. Bryant did a bunch of the cooking ahead of time using ingredients from our farmer-partners at Plowbreak Farm. Students made and delivered ad flyers, made the butter and goat cheese, and frosted the cupcakes. They watched Mrs. Bryant and Mrs. Salino make the mozzarella--the process is very fast and involves really hot ingredients, so it wasn't feasible to make this a hands-on activity.


The students of the Localvore Club were united in their assessment of our first lunch:"it was awesome!!!"  Alyssa said her favorite part was "helping the teachers out when they came in the door."  Kelli said, "I loved just seeing all of the teachers and all of their smiles."  Alyssa added, "they were so excited!" Alyssa and Kelli both agreed that it "felt great to be the expert about something and be able to tell the teachers." Mari's favorite part was the cupcake with the mystery vegetable.  Donovan said he enjoyed doing the food preparation and also how the chocolate goat cheese frosting tasted.  Matthew said he thought it was "fun because I got to talk to the teachers I used to have." Everyone agreed that they had no idea that it was so easy to make your own cheese and butter. Tomorrow morning, students will be delivering next week's menu!

Students sample the Mystery Vegetable Cupcakes.

Today's lunch: Minestrone with local kale and house-made mozzarella cheese, homemade bread with house-made goat cheese and butter, and  our mystery vegetable cupcake.

Mystery vegetable cupcakes. There were so many guesses!

Kelli and Mari greet staff and check their names off.

Can Mrs. DeSantis guess the mystery vegetable?

More students enjoying cupcake samples They loved them!

Welcome!

OK, here we go! You've landed on a blog maintained by members of the Localvore Club at Russell I. Doig Middle School in Trumansburg, New York. We are students and staff, united by our love of food, cooking, and community. This project grew out of teacher Melissa Bryant's unit on Michael Pollin's The Omnivore's Dilemma--a challenging read for middle schoolers, who told Mrs. Bryant that they would buy into the book's ideas more if they could cook. "Great idea!" said Mrs. Bryant, "Let's cook, then!"

Mrs. Bryant met with Trisha Armstrong, a teacher at another school who has run a cooking program for a long time. Mrs. Armstrong gave her lots of ideas, and Mrs. Bryant approached our principal, Mr. Josh Hunkele, who said, "Yes! Absolutely!" They decided to have students offer up a homemade lunch to staff every Thursday at a cost of $6. Making these lunches won't just involve cooking--students will be researching recipes and ingredients in order to be able to write up information about the nutrition profile of the menu. They will take turns writing blog posts, and will use math and science as they cook. They'll learn about managing their time, advertising their services, and keeping their customers happy.

Over the summer, some pretty magical things happened. Mrs. Bryant visited a retired Trumansburg teacher, who knew some folks running a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Those folks said that Mrs. Bryant could have any and all vegetables left at the end of the weekly CSA pickup. Another retired teacher offered up an old refrigerator, which is now Mrs. Bryant's cheese cave. Other teachers and community members offered up their time, expertise, community connections, and support. Everyone Mrs. Bryant has talked to has been unfailingly enthusiastic.

Since the CSA donations started before the school year, Mrs. Bryant and her friends started freezing produce and cooking ahead. During the first week of school, she introduced the idea to her students and they immediately got busy. They made, printed, and distributed the week's menu--minestrone soup with local kale and homemade mozzarella cheese, homemade bread and butter, and a "mystery vegetable" cupcake with chocolate goat cheese icing. Students got their first cooking lesson as they made the butter and goat cheese. They are ready to go for next week!