CHEF spotlight
Culinary Chef & RDN Level Up with Chef Brenda Child Nutrition Program Consultant Chef Brenda Thompson
Chef Jason Hull Director of Food Services/Chef Co-Director Culinary Farm Marin County Day School
Herbs and spices have been getting a lot of attention in child nutrition programs (CNP) lately. On the Facebook page @schoolchefs, Chef Sharon Schaefer, SNS asked school chefs what their favorite seasonings are. There were so many great comments, sparking new creativity and collaboration for all of us school chefs out there. And by the way, if you cook in schools, you are a school chef. You do not have to go to culinary school to be considered a “chef.” So, if you haven’t already, please join us! In addition, in the JAN21, School Nutrition Magazine, Contributing Editor, Kelsey Casselbury did a great piece on The Fundamentals of Flavor - Take your cooking to the next level by mastering the concepts of salt, fat, acid and heat. It is a great piece on seasoning. Herbs and spices are essential to low-sodium cooking in CNP. They elevate our dishes by adding delicious flavor, eye appeal, and wonderful aromas to our recipes. Herbs come from the leaves, stems and soft portions of plants. The most common herbs that I see in CNP are basil, cilantro, parsley, oregano, and thyme. We must not forget mint, sage, chives, dill, tarragon, rosemary, and lavender. Herbs come in fresh and dried form. Fresh herbs last about 4-7 days under refrigeration. Dried herbs are at their peak flavor for up to 6 months after purchase. Be sure to store them in a dark, cool, and dry place to maintain freshness. Spices come from roots, buds, flowers, bark, seeds, and fruits. The most common spices that I see in schools are black pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, and dry mustard. Spices can be purchased in their whole form but are more convenient and cost effective when purchased ground. Like herbs, dried, ground spices are at their peak flavor for up to 6 months after purchase. We must not forget trending seasoning blends such as herbs de Provence, everything but the bagel, chili-lime, and no salt added seasoning blends. These blends can add so much culinary flare to school menus. To get started, check out Chef Brenda’s Seasoned Roasted Potatoes recipe that utilizes the herb de Provence blend.
I have been working in school nutrition for 17 years now. We have transitioned from a lunch room with many touch points including beautiful salad bars, consistently filled with organic veggies from our school gardens, and self serve milk with lots of options for our students to no options and feeding in the classrooms and outdoor spaces from to-go boxes. When making these changes, we knew scratch cooking and more plant based foods would drive our success which has been a solid recipe for success. I am a proud member of the Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kids Collaborative. In 2010 I was invited to the White House by Michelle Obama and Chef Sam Kass to help launch Chefs Moves to Schools. I have also been able to create the Culinary Farm program which connects our students to where food comes from, our school gardens and local farms to their lunch. This teaches the students how to fuel their bodies in healthy ways for themselves and the planet. My hope is my program inspires school nutrition across the country. We are all in this together!
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Individual Fruit Cups
Salad in a Cup
Watch the Seasoned Roasted Potato Recipe Video
Download the recipe here.
Roasted Potato Video
> Chicken enchilada with our house beans and salad
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