Out of the Box Cooking Series a Hit

In addition to preparing more than 7,000 meals each month, Head Start Nutrition Staff work to introduce new foods to students and their families.

The Out of the Box Recipe Series on soup and salad was well-attended and well-received.

Recipe demonstrations and tips were shared with families via Zoom and pre-recorded videos. Each registered family then received a box of ingredients and tools to recreate the recipe at home.

The Zoom meeting gave families a chance to ask Registered Dietician Marge Robison questions about substitutions or tips for picky eaters.

Robison’s advice included pairing new foods with preferred foods and continuing to “present, present, present.”

The fall series featured a Classic Minestrone Soup and an Autumn Pear Salad (recipe below). A two-part series on healthy snacks is planned for next spring.

Recipes and links to the videos have been shared on ClassTag and are also available on www.lccaa.net.

Autumn Pear Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes Ready In: 15 minutes Yield: 5 servings

This flavorful Pear Salad will easily become a favorite fall recipe! It’s layered with tender spring greens, sweet juicy pears, crunchy walnuts, salty rich parmesan and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. A highlight of any meal!

INGREDIENTS- Balsamic Viniagrette

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons finely diced shallot

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INGREDIENTS-Salad

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon salted butter

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

7 ounces spring salad & spinach blend

2 ounces parmesan cheese, shaved

2 pears, sliced thin (Bartlett or Anjou are great)

1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1. To a blender add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, diced shallot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Blend mixture until well emulsified, about 20 seconds. You can also add ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.

3. In a medium skillet, melt butter along with brown sugar over medium heat. Once mixture has melted, add walnuts and cook, stirring constantly until carmelized, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate in a single layer to cool.

4. Layer lettuce and pears in a large bowl and toss with dressing then top with parmesan, dried cranberries and candied walnuts and serve (alternately just layer all the salad ingredients then drizzle with dressing).

Note: Top this salad with dressing just before serving as it will wilt the lettuce after a while.