Profile: Rodney Taylor In honor of the accomplishments of Rodney Taylor to bring
farm-fresh produce to his school lunch program in Southern California
(use the profile link above to learn more), this cookbook page features
a variety of recipes using fresh...and refreshing...produce choices.
Profile: Rodney Taylor
A New Look for the School Lunch
School cafeterias have never been the destination place for a decent meal. Today, Rodney Taylor is changing that. As Director of Food and Nutrition Services in California’s Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Taylor introduced an innovative program that revitalized the lackluster school salad bar. The concept couldn’t be simpler: buy fresh produce from local farmers and prepare it especially for students.
Taylor’s program goes one step further by offering nutrition education classes, farm and farmer’s market tours, organic gardening projects, and physical education. “When we are engaged in treating the whole child,” says Taylor, “they are smarter and healthier for the experience.”
Begun as a pilot program in 1997, Taylor soon realized that the Farmer’s Market Salad Bar could help change the nature of school food service. “The key was that the produce was made user-friendly for the kids,” he recalls. “The apples were quartered. The strawberries were sliced. And the grapes were already plucked. No one was prodding the kids to eat. They made their own choices and they actually ate more produce because it was so well-presented.”
By 2000, the Farmer’s Market Fresh Fruit and Salad Bar was rolled out to all 15 schools in Taylor’s district. In the first year, sales jumped from 30 to more than 100 salad bar meals a day. “The kids love it,” says Taylor. “And it supports our goal of helping students to become lifelong healthy eaters.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is so impressed with the program that they’ve asked Taylor to consult with other schools to help develop similar nutrition-based programs around the country.
Health Message:
National Farm-to-School Movement is on a Roll
Back in the mid-1990s, a number of people in different pockets of the country had a similar idea. Why not save our small farms and improve the food served to our school children at the same time? Schools could get fresher, more nutritious food and support the local economy by purchasing from local farmers.
But it’s been a long, arduous process to coordinate school food service, administrators, farmers, legislators, and the public-and to convince them that it will work. Fortunately, in 2000, the USDA began supporting the movement with a substantial grant and has since facilitated connections between school food service, state departments of agriculture, and other important groups. Also, the 2002 Farm Bill now directs school food service officials to buy locally whenever possible. These are great strides for a movement that offers tremendous benefits for our children. Sure, farm-to-school programs provide better-tasting food, but they also help children eat more fruits and vegetables. By focusing on healthy alternatives to the fast food and soft drinks sold in many schools, these programs help to combat the recent increases in childhood diseases such as obesity and type II diabetes.
Farm-to-school programs are currently operating in California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Programs are also underway in Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, and Washington.
This salsa comes straight from Rodney Taylor’s department of food and nutrition services in California’s Santa-Monica Malibu Unified School District. “With oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and lime juice,” says Taylor, “it may be the most refreshing thing you ever lay your lips on.” Serve with baked tortilla chips. Or try it over grilled fish. (Makes approximately 5 cups)
Ingredients:
2 navel oranges, peeled and seeded
2 tangerines, peeled and seeded
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and seeded
1 organic red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or basil
Juice of 2 limes
Directions
Cut the oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit into small pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Helping Hand: To easily seed and chop a pepper, hold the pepper by its stem and cut the flesh off the core. Discard the core, seeds and all. To chop a jalapeno pepper without touching it, seed as described above, then use the flat blade of a paring knife to hold the pepper on the cutting board while chopping with your chef’s knife.
The citrus and
anise-flavored fennel in this salad really wake up the tastebuds. So does the peppery bite of watercress! If
you can’t find fresh watercress in the herb section of your grocery store, use a torn-up head of buttercrunch
lettuce. And, in that case, you might want to double or triple to hot pepper sauce for extra kick.
(Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients
1 small jicama, peeled and cut into 2” long matchsticks (about 3 cups)
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 2” long matchsticks (about 3 cups)
3 large seedless navel oranges
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed (optional)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or more to taste)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bunches watercress, stems removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the jicama and fennel.
Peel and section two of the oranges. Cut each section in half (or quarters if very large) and add to the bowl.
Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange and the lime into a small bowl. Whisk in the oil in a thin steady stream until incorporated. Whisk in the salt, nutmeg, ground fennel seed (if using), hot pepper sauce, and black pepper. Pour over the jicama and toss.
Divide the watercress among 6 salad plates. Top with the jicama mixture. Pour any remaining dressing evenly over the salads and sprinkle each with the basil and sliced almonds.
Helping Hand 1: To avoid the somewhat bitter membranes in the oranges, make “supremes” out of the sections. Start with the whole orange and cut off 1/2 inch from the top and bottom just to expose the flesh. Stand the orange on one of the cut sides and cut off the peel all the way around the orange. Stand the rindless orange on end and run the knife on either side of each segment in a V-shape to remove each segment from its surrounding membrane. Place the supremes in the bowl and squeeze any remaining juice from the cut scraps.
Helping Hand 2: To trim fennel, cut off the stems and fronds where they turn pale green and while bulb begins. Save the stems and fronds for another use (toss them into a stock or sauce for a delicate anise flavor; the fronds also make a beautiful garnish). Trim off the base of the bulb and cut it in half through the base. To make curved matchsticks, cut or pull off the naturally crescent-shaped slices from the core of each half.
This is true comfort food.
Warm, filling, and supremely satisfying straight from the oven. Plus, the asparagus is high in folate and a
cancer-fighting antioxidant called “glutathione.” Who knew? You can also use half-and-half in the white sauce
for extra richness, but if you want this a little lighter, use low-fat milk instead. (Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
8 button mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
3 scallions, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk, divided
1 cup half-and-half or 2% milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons seasoned dried bread crumbs
Directions
Move the oven rack to the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix the chicken, asparagus, and mushrooms in a large roasting pan or on a rimmed cookie sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Roast in the top third of the oven, turning once or twice, just until the chicken is no longer pink and the asparagus is almost tender, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the chopped scallions.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half or milk until smooth and bubbly. Cook until thick like gravy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme and pour over the chicken mixture.
In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over top and bake until bubbly and golden, about 35 minutes.
Helping Hand: To trim asparagus, hold one end of an asparagus spear in each hand and bend the stalk. The spear will naturally break toward the bottom of the stalk where it becomes tough. Cut the asparagus on the diagonal for a more decorative look.