Archived Education Projects

Date: October 24, 2012

On October 24, we participated in National Food Day at the Public Market. We collaborated with the Network for a Healthy California with a stall offering live cooking demos during which chefs Julie Darling and Amy DiBiase made a gorgeous minestrone soup with ingredients harvested from the market. More than 150 students, plus accompanying adults and shoppers enjoyed the soup along with a market tour, Harvest Nutrition Obstacle Course, and “Meet the Farmer” scavenger hunt run by the Network for a Healthy California. In addition to Julie and Amy, members Marie Kelley, Candy Wallace, Caron Golden, Amy Finley, and Trish Watlington helped dish up and distribute 300 servings of soup to attendees.

Date: January 10, 2013

On January 10, 2013 LDNY celebrated Food Day with the first cooking demonstration of its Parents Resource Program. (The event originally was scheduled for October 30 but had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.) Through our Green Tables initiative LDNY is collaborating with Wellness in the Schools (WITS) to promote community health and well being by educating children and parents in the community about where their food comes from and why it is key to their future. In partnership with Wellness in the Schools LDNY has created a resource for the parents of the children they are serving. Our goal is to foster a healthier lifestyle outside school by helping parents to make more informed food choices and by creating opportunities for parents and children to learn how to shop and prepare meals together.

The event took place at PS278 located in the Inwood Section of Manhattan. Parents were greeted by Nancy Easton, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wellness in the Schools, who introduced Georgia Downard, Co-Chairman of LDNY's Green Tables Committee. After a brief description of LDNY and the Parents Resource Program, Georgia introduced Ellie Krieger, host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite, and member of LDNY's Green Tables Committee. In her wonderfully engaging style, Ellie prepared three simple recipes based on cooked (leftover) chicken. Taking into consideration that most parents work, have little time to prepare meals during the week but wish to feed their families healthy, nutritious meals, roasting one or two chickens on the weekend and using the leftovers creatively during the week would take the stress out of meal planning while insuring their families were eating well. Giving tips on cooking techniques, ingredients and seasonings, Ellie prepared Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Spinach Quesadillas and Curried Chicken Salad.

The demonstration was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Nora Favelukes. Speaking in Spanish (the school's parent body is 80% Dominican), Nora briefly described the Parent Resource Program and then introduced Regina Ragone, Food Director of Family Circle and Polly Talbott, Founder and Director of a la Carte Culinary Services. Regina and Polly shared their expertise in how to shop to get the most for your money, meal planning strategies for the busy parent and ways to incorporate healthy foods into your family meals. The discussion was followed by a question and answer period. On their way out, parents were given samples of the three recipes prepared.

Date: October 30, 2012

LDNY has joined forces with Wellness in the Schools (WITS) to create a parent resource program for the parents of 40 NYC public schools. The program will focus on educating parents about healthy eating, enabling them to make healthy choices for their children at home. While the WITS Cook for Kids program has been successful within schools, the LDNY collaboration will allow the program to achieve stronger results by reinforcing healthy behaviors outside the school environment.

The LDNY Food Day Green Tables event will take place at Public School 98, 512 West 212th Street from 6pm to 7:30pm. Dame Ellie Krieger will be hosting and doing recipe demonstrations.Her demonstration will be followed by a panel discussion ending with questions and answers. There will be three panelists, all members of LDNY, who will address topics such as how to shop to get the most for your money, meal planning strategies for the busy parent and how to incorporate healthy foods into meals (substituting healthy alternatives for those not as nutritious.) Recipes will be printed in both English and Spanish and distributed to all in attendance.

Date: October 28, 2012

LDE DC has partnered with Martha’s Table, a non-profit organization that supports the needs of low-income families, and Occasions Catering to produce “Food Day Fun!,” an afternoon designed to promote cooking and enjoying healthy, seasonal food in a fun manner. The theme for the day is “Eating a Rainbow”, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

Date TBD

We are hoping to partner with our local NPR affiliate to put on a public concert in their auditorium featuring local musicians who garden and cook (we have quite a few). We also hope to have an educational element so that between sets we'll have Dames and others providing information about Green Tables, good nutrition and Food Day.

Our New York Chapter boasts two Dames on the Food Day National Advisory Board: Dame Ellie Krieger (below, left), host of the Food Network's "Healthy Appetite" and Dame Marion Nestle (below, right), author and Paulette Goddard Professor in Nutrition, Food Studies & Public Health. We are proud that two members of our chapter are leading the charge nationally on behalf of the values that Food Day and Green Tables share!

 

Date: October 24, 2012

A la Carte Cooking School, 32 Atlantic Avenue in Lynbrook, New York will be celebrating National Food Day by hosting a live, online, interactive cooking class called “Dinner Time” on Wednesday October 24, 2012 from 6 to 8 pm Eastern time. The class will be taught by A la Carte’s owner and director, Polly Talbott, CCP and Chef Katie Vultaggio. The menu will feature:

Avocado, Tomato and Arugula Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
Seared Scallops on a Bed of Quinoa, Tomatoes and Cilantro
Spaghetti Squash with Red Peppers, Peas and White Clam Sauce
Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Vegan Chocolate Frosting - (you might wonder what IS in them!)

It is a live broadcast of an actual hands-on cooking class with real students. Local students can participate in person, but everyone else can “participate” for free and cook with us via the internet. Simply sign up at www.alacartecs.com and enter “Food Day” in the coupon code box. Sign up at least a day ahead so you can download the recipes, download some software and shop! Call 516-599-2922.
 

Date: October 24, 2012

Les Dames d’Escoffier of Charleston will join with Trident Dietetic Association to discuss the health benefits of dishes created with local produce. In honor of eating well!

Chefs from The Charleston Chapter of Les dames will be preparing dishes from local produce and registered dieticians will be on hand to discuss the nutritional value.

Date: October 24, 2012

Partnering with Network for a Healthy California, LDEISD will provide volunteers for Market Tour and Scavenger Hunt with school children, teachers and parents. LDEISD will also do vegetable minestrone demo and tasting.

Download flier

Date: October 22, 2012

Join us for an in-depth educational tour of the Coachella Valley
Discover some of the amazing tree and row crops grown in the Coachella Valley
Meet major farmers and growers who provide locally grown fruits and vegetables to purveyors throughout California and the world.
Learn about sustainable farming practices and commercial food waste recycling.
See state-of-the-art drip irrigation.

Includes luxury bus, narrated tour and buffet lunch at Shield Date Garden.

Must RSVP and reservations paid prior to October 15, 2012
Bus departs promptly at 8 a.m. from Shields Date Gardens and returns between 12 and 12:30 p.m.

Brochure

Contact Nancy Cohee at ldeips123@gmail.com

 As an urban chapter partnering for Food Day with Heritage Prairie Farm and FamilyFarm.org gives our membership an opportunity to connect with local farmers.

WHAT: Join us at FamilyFarmed.org’s annual fundraiser, the Autumn Harvest Supper, as we celebrate the farmers that grow our food and the chefs that transform it!

Top Chef alum Sarah Grueneberg and chef Chris Marchino of Spiaggia will create dishes that highlight the season’s bounty.

Eat honey fresh from the comb, dance to bluegrass tunes, drink local libations, and eat world class dishes at an afternoon you’re sure to remember.

Participating Farms:
Becker Lane Organic Farm, Mint Creek Farm, Seedling Orchard, and more. Special thanks to Heritage Prairie Farm, whose constant support has made this event possible.

Leave the driving to us: Chartered buses leave from Glencoe Train Station and Lincoln Park at 1:30 pm and return by 7:30 pm. Joined by mixologists serving craft cocktails and beer, the party starts on the way to the farm!

Become a sponsor: Buy 6 or more tickets and you’ll be recognized as a Host of the event. Your name will be listed here and in the print program and announced during the event. Additionally, we’ll save seats for you and your party at the family style supper table. Buy your tickets, here.

WHERE: Heritage Prairie Farm (about an hour west of Chicago)
2N308 Brundige Road
Elburn, Illinois 60119

WHEN: Sunday, October 21, 2012
3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

COST:
VIP Package – $225
Enjoy a pre-reception with the chefs that includes a premium bar, exclusive appetizer, raffle tickets, a VIP bus from the Chicago area, and all the amenities included below.
General Admission – $175

Enjoy round trip transportation from Chicago via chartered bus, a family style dinner, tours of the farm, open bar, appetizers, and music.

To reserve by credit card, follow link to registration site.

2012 Autumn Harvest Supper

As an urban chapter partnering for Food Day with Heritage Prairie Farm and FamilyFarm.org gives our membership an opportunity to connect with local farmers.

Date: October 21, 2012

October 21st was a picture perfect fall Chicago day to celebrate Food Day hosted by Dame Browyn Weaver of Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn, IL and to celebrate the season’s bounty and FamilyFarmed.org. Buses were arranged from various locations to the farm with a mixologist from Koval Distillery, an artisan distiller.


Dames and guests were greeted by the hosts and offered a plethora of beautiful Hors d’oeuvres that showcased local produce and farmers. A tour of the farm revealed the unique crop rotation system. There was a silent auction, live music provided by Sunnyside Up, several artisan vendors with their wares and an opportunity to shop in the Heritage Prairie farm store to buy Bron’s honey and other specialty food items.


The spectacular Spiaggia farm-to-table meal was created by Top Chef Alum & Executive Chef Sarah Grueneberg and Executive Sous-Chef Chris Marchino who partnered with Harvest Moon Farms, Otter Creek Organic Farms, Goodness Greeness, Mint Creek, Angelic Organics, Becker Lane Organic and the host farm. Together, they created a 5 course family-style meal that rivaled any fine dining establishment. A particular favorite was the 3rd course Becker Lane Pork Sausage Stuffed Cabbage with Brown Butter and Crispy Shallots/Marinated Becker Lane Pork Loin with Pear Mostarda/ Slow Roasted Becker Lane Pork Belly with Aleppo Pepper and Spigarello.


The beautiful white tent was simply decorated. The tables were adorned with different varieties of local squash (which were sent home with guests in the goody bags) and some simple fall flowers. After an idyllic day spent at the farm, the fully-sated crowd boarded the buses back to city life.
 

Date: Octobor 9, 2012 

We are offering a 9am tour of our plantation and factory to educate guests on the growing of cacao in the U.S. and its labor-intensive processing to make single-origin, quality milk, dark and criollo chocolate. Fun includes walking amid fruiting cacao trees, slicing open a ripe cacao pod and tasting fresh, delicious chocolate. Fee is $12 per person.  Press release

Nation's First 'Tree to Bar' Operation

Date: October 7, 2012

Philadelphia’s Food Day celebration “Breadbasket” is a collaborative event with the Philadelphia Chapter of Les Dames D' Escoffier and Philadelphia Slow Food and over 20 non profit organizations. This exciting event will focus on meeting the people who shape Philadelphia’s “Local Access Food Community”. Our amazing panel will discuss topics such as sustainable agriculture challenges in our region, urban farms, fighting hunger and providing nutritional meals, nutrition education programs, providing local nutritional foods to schools and institutions, engaging youth in farming and greening of Philadelphia. After an interactive panel discussion a buffet lunch prepared by Les Dames D' Escoffier featuring local products will be served. Our guests will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with all of our participating organizations. Proceeds from this event will be donated to local organizations.

Contact: Linda Geren at highviewfarm@gmail.com

Date: October 5, 2012

Artist Jonathan Green, in association with Only the Best Connections by Sarah, present a unique experience featuring the culture and history of rice through art, food and historic interpretation in a pedestrian journey through downtown Charleston on Friday, October 5th.

The Rice Culture Dinner consists of delicious food, intriguing stories and enlightening history to promote awareness and support for the Rice Culture Project. The Rice Culture Project is a non-profit organization established by Jonathan Green dedicated to teaching school children the story of the African American people and the pivotal role they played in the development of the lucrative lowcountry rice economy.
The event begins at 5pm on King Street at Heirloom Book Company with cocktails, a “Carolina Gold Rice Tasting," and a Q&A session with Jonathan as he discusses the Rice Culture Project and the upcoming Rice Symposium at the College of Charleston. At 7pm, the attendees will progress two blocks up King Street to the Charleston Library Society to hear a presentation from Middleton Place historic interpreter, Robert Sherman, followed by a seated dinner of South Carolina quail, Charleston Gold Rice, a bounty of local vegetables, and a rice pudding dessert by Caviar & Bananas.

Ticket pricing is prorated on attending all or partial portions of dinner and presentation. Cocktails and Rice Tasting - $35, Dinner & Program only - $75, and to attend Rice Tasting & Dinner - $100. To purchase tickets go to riceculture.brownpapertickets.com or to order by phone call (800) 838-3006,

For more information visit the Charleston Library Society web site at www.charlestonlibrarysociety.org or the Heirloom Book Company web site at www.heirloombookcompany.com.

Date: October 2, 2012

Public screening party of the Teen Episode of the Food Network’s hit TV show “Chopped” starring Teen Battle Chef and HealthCorps student, Joel Allette of Harlem. The party at 4Food in midtown begins @8:30 and we will screen the show @10:00 PM/EST (check listings for other time zones).

* Enjoy a burger and drinks - 'Happy Hour" prices extend throughout the evening
* Meet Joel and his family and hear what it was like to 'cook under pressure' on a national TV show
* Watch the Teen Episode of Chopped on the giant 4Food screen!
* Meet TBC students and alumni from across 5 boroughs
* Learn how your school can get a Teen Battle Chef program

Teen Battle Chef is a national Youth Development developed by FamilyCook Productions exploring culinary, food systems and gardening education, while battling obesity and chronic disease.

 DATE: October 2, 2012

Chef Lisa Dupar is partnering up with Seattle Waste Management to host a cooking demo at the Carnation Farmer’s Market featuring waste free cooking. All of the items she demos will be compostable and local or organic with sustainable ingredients.

Waste Management contacted Lisa because they knew that she was one of the top chefs in the area in terms of being earth friendly and waste free. They really wanted to show people that you can compost your food scraps and make your cooking waste free so that it is delicious, healthy and good for the environment all at the same time.

Date: October 24, 2012

On October 24, Restaurant Nora will again be featuring a special Food Day vegetarian four course tasting menu made with local organic ingredients for $68. We look forward to seeing you and supporting the Food Day cause together!

If you are interested in attending, please make a dinner reservation by calling Restaurant Nora at (202) 462-5143. We will be accepting reservations from 5.30pm to 10pm.

Restaurant Nora is located at 2132 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. www.noras.com

The DFW Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier partners with the American Institute of Wine and Food DFW Chapter on its Days of Taste® initiative. Days of Taste® is a national discovery-based program of AIWF, modeled after a French program called “Journée de Gout,” which also means “Days of Taste®.” Designed for fourth and fifth grade students to learn about food and how it weaves its way through daily life from farm to table, it has become a signature program of The AIWF and Les Dames DFW Chapter. The DFW provides the Days of Taste® experience to 100 students annually in underserved communities; students and teachers alike find the program engaging, kinesthetic, educational and just plain old fun.

Farm Tour with Community Kitchen Students

The Phoenix Dames adopted the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance Community Kitchen as their main charity for 2010-2011. The Community Kitchen is a 16-week program for homeless and disadvantaged adults, providing training and food service industry job placement. The meals prepared by the students feed the hungry in the community.

The Dames held their January meeting at the Kitchen where they toured the facility to learn about philanthropic opportunities and already have been making a difference in the community. Essence Café + Bakery, co-owned by past chapter president Eugenia Theodosopoulos, hosted a fundraiser by designating 100% of sales from the daily menu special to St. Mary’s. Maya Dailey, owner of Maya’s Farm, hosted a class of 29 students from the program with a morning filled with a farm tour, frittata cooking demo by Rancho Pinot chef Chrysa Robertson, and a farm fresh breakfast. The ladies have also been interviewing graduates of the program as potential new hires, donating culinary magazines and books, providing hands-on educational support in the kitchen, and donating kitchen knives as gifts to the graduates.

Dames Charleen Badman in the school cafeteria

Partial reprint from “Mystery Meat to Organic Produce” article written by Phoenix Dames Sharon Salomon, MS, RD and published in Edible Phoenix whose Phoenix editor and publisher is Phoenix Dames Pamela Hamilton.

…Chef Badman Steps Up

Some local chefs have done similar projects on their own without registering with Chefs Move to Schools.

A few weeks ago, I witnessed the kind of excitement in a school cafeteria that rivals what you’d expect if Justin Bieber were to show up.

The kids filed into the cafeteria smiling and enthusiastic because they knew it was a special day: Chef-owner Charleen Badman and co-owner Pavle Milic, from FnB

Restaurant in Scottsdale, were there to cook and serve lunch for the 525 students and staff at the school.

Several weeks earlier, while dining at FnB, Taylor Jones, an assistant principal at Arcadia Learning Center in Scottsdale, asked Chef Badman if she’d be interested in coming to the school to do a cooking demo. Badman loved the idea and so enjoyed her first encounter with the students that she offered to cook lunch for everyone at the school.

The kitchen at the school will soon undergo a renovation but currently is small and has only ovens, so most of the food arrives already cooked or frozen and is reheated at the school. Obviously that limits the offerings. Imelda Ortiz, kitchen manager, does the best she can with the equipment she has, but most lunches consist of sandwiches, salads, chicken nuggets, etc.

Badman and Milic arrived early in the morning loaded down with both cooked food and raw ingredients. When I got to the school, volunteers were busy slicing locally grown organic oranges and apples and vegetables from Bob McClendon’s farm. Chef Badman had already prepared the hot portion of the meal at the restaurant.

Badman treated the students to roasted Jidori chicken, cauliflower in béchamel and beanie weenies made with Schreiner’s sausages and pinto beans, all cooked from scratch.  Marsha McClendon was on hand to help with the salad bar, stocked with her farm’s freshest just-picked vegetables including intriguingly beautiful watermelon radishes and purple carrots.

The kids were ecstatic. The teachers had prepared them for the special experience and they were eager and willing to try the food.

For me, the best part was eavesdropping on their conversations.

Here are some of the comments I overheard:

“It doesn’t suck as much as much as the food usually does.”

“These people are for real about cooking.”

“This tastes like actual food.”

“This is what a real meal should look like.”

Chefs Badman and Carter’s efforts are not the ultimate solution for school lunch, but they demonstrate to officials that students are receptive to new foods and that more can be done with the equipment at hand.

As Taylor says, “Charleen is our fairy godmother. She’s helping the kids to learn to eat fresh and not processed foods.”

The Palm Springs chapter Green Table Project is active on several fronts this year. We have an ongoing project with the Palm Springs High School Organic Garden Club. Since the start of this school year, they are now in their third year and with a growing garden. Enthusiasm is high with lots of plans for the new semester. They will be putting in a winter crop, installing a decorative four foot picket fence around the garden and adding additional planting area along the fence. We will have pictures as soon as it is complete.
 

We are also planning to expand our school Green Table Project this year by helping another high school garden program. The Desert Hot Springs High School is looking for help starting a garden program and has submitted a very impressive budget for our consideration.
 

Additional plans to organize a farm tour program available in an ongoing basis to additional groups are underway. Considering the well received 2010 Palm Springs Conference tour our chapter organized, similar farm tours will be available on a regular basis. We are currently preparing a November farm tour for local chefs. Our near goal is to introduce to our local population, our winter residents and other interested groups to the agriculture planted, grown and harvested in our valley.. 

Our Chapter supports two causes with annual donations of funds. These two groups are: Project Chef and Growing Chefs. Both of these groups are dedicated to teaching children about growing and eating healthy, nutritious food. Several of our members are directly involved with these organizations. 

The St. Louis Chapter Green Tables Committee (GTC) has had two major initiatives.  The first project is “Recipes from Home”.  The project get family favorite recipes for local fruits and vegetables, engages students in the menu process with the goal of increasing acceptability of vegetables and fruits. Using criteria created by GTC students submit their favorite family recipe.  The recipes are initially judged by the GTC – to determine compliance with contest rules, taste potential, and nutrition.  The top five ‘student chefs’  are invited to cook with a Dame –insuring that the recipe is correct, the preparation steps are understood, and the look and taste is as it should be.  Next, the recipe is brought up to volume and taste tested by students who vote for the best recipe.  The top three are celebrated and incorporated into the school menu.  GTC assembles fabulous gift baskets for the top winners.   

The second initiative is the Children’s Farmers Market tours.  Children and their parents are invited to participate in an educational tour of an area farmer's market and to work with students from local culinary schools.  A Dame hosts a walking tour, providing information on the taste, nutrition, and seasonality of produce, as well as the benefits of eating locally.  The children collect a basket of fresh produce, talk to farmers about the vegetable or fruit, and prepare a tasty snack.  The market provides advertising for the event and donates the basket of produce for the cooking program (a cost of about $20-$30).  

Our newest project, slated to begin Spring 2012 is the ‘Cooking in the Garden’ project.  We have contacted local schools with school gardens and solicited their interest in GTC teaching children (and their families) how to prepare/preserve produce grown in their gardens. 

Les Dames d’ Escoffier San Antonio wholeheartedly joined  the Green Tables initiative in 2005 by supporting our own Dame Jenny Mattingsley’s Alamo Achievement Garden for an alternative high school.  Jenny was allowed to make gardening a part of the curriculum at this SAISD School, greatly benefiting the students.  In 2005 we also discovered Green Spaces Alliance (formerly Bexar Land Trust) who share common goals with the LDEI Green Tables Initiative.  Their mission is “to sustain the natural environment and enhance urban spaces through land conservation, community engagement, and education”.  It was then we sponsored our first community garden, Jardín de la Esperanza (aka Time Dollar) with a $1,500 grant to build a garden.  Since then, the space, which is nestled in the center of a low-income West side neighborhood, has become a hub for community activity.  Each year we have contributed financially and with member volunteers to enhance the space. This year we donated an additional $2,500 for the organization to provide square foot gardens to the community.  Dame Di-Anna Arias  and son Jordon volunteered to provide and pass out food to those in need supplementing a program by  the San Antonio Food Bank.  November 17^th Dame  and Nutritionist, Linda Triesch will present a nutritional cooking demonstration at the center.

In 2011 the Washington Chapter of Green Tables has focused it’s efforts on developing relationships with organizations that will give us the opportunity to provide nutritional and cooking education classes for lower income elementary school children and their families. We are currently speaking with the following four organizations: Martha’s Table, Horace Mann Elementary School, Elsie Whitlow Stokes Charter Elementary School, and THEARC community center. A large number of the children served by these organizations participate in the federally subsidized school lunch program. Until recently, the community serviced by THEARC was a food desert.

With Martha’s Table, an organization committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for families, we are helping to expand the Meals for Minds program in DC. The purpose of the program is to provide groceries to the families of students in schools where there are high concentrations of low-income populations. At targeted schools, a monthly mobile grocery store is set up. Each qualifying family can take home one 22 pound bag of groceries per child enrolled in the school. The monthly items are designed to fit within the Department of Agriculture’s new food plate. Our work will be to partner with Martha’s Table to draft menus and recipes coordinated to the monthly food distribution. Dames will then be on site at the mobile grocery store to provide nutritional education and cooking demonstrations of the recipes.

Horace Mann, Stokes, and THEARC all have community gardens and are committed to improving the health and wellness of the communities that they serve. All three are also interested in having Dames provide cooking and nutritional education classes for their communities focused on fresh, seasonal, healthy ingredients. We are currently working with each of them to develop these programs.

 Philly Green Tables had a wonderful opportunity to partner with Philadelphia Fair Food and their Farm to School program. October was Farm to School month and all across the nation efforts were made to feature locally grown foods in our school cafeteria's. The purpose was to allow our kids to experience the wonderful flavors of fresh local food and to learn the importance of knowing what they are eating and where their food comes from. On October 19th Fair Food, with the assistance of members of the Philadelphia Les Dames, hosted a Professional Development Day for cafeteria managers and cooks to enhance their knowledge of fresh, local produce and skills in utilizing them. The program took place at the Philadelphia High School for Girls and was a huge success with more than 25 Philadelphia schools in attendance.

As a special thank you, all participating schools received Aliza Greens book Field Guide to Produce as a gift!

The day started out with Fair Food’s Farm to School Manager Deb Bentzel explaining the history of the Farm to School Program, Why buy local?, and what is Eat Fresh Here. Dame Linda Geren did a food and physical safety introduction and then we broke out into 2 groups. The managers group discussed purchasing & receiving and nutrition education. The cooks group, led by Dame Linda Geren, was hands on washing, preparation, presentation and storage of produce. We had 4 stations using our 4 kits- romaine lettuce led by Dame Stormy Lundy, collards led by Dame Valerie Erwin, cabbage led by Ian Moroney Chef of Pumpkin and broccoli led by Dame Kathy Gold.

Everyone involved had a great time and it was gratifying having a positive impact on so many different levels: feeding our kids better food, supporting local farmers, providing educational opportunities for people working in food service and connecting to our community.

International Food Day celebration, held at the Greenfield School on October 24, was a kick off for the schools new Healthy Greenfield Committee. This fun interactive and informative event was for the kids and their families in effort to improve health awareness in the school and eventually 

improve the quality of the cafeteria food. 

Kids sampled several different kinds of local apples and herbs provided by Green Tables and Slow Food Philly which got kids thinking about raising natural foods and gardens, enjoying food diversity and appreciating flavors. Other treats included herbal lemonade, healthy snacks and smoothies. Raffles were sold with funds benefiting Greenfield’s Greening Project which provides a quality-learning atmosphere that empowers students through community and environmental health.

On Oct. 5, 2010, we produced a one-of-a-kind forum on the mysteries of California’s water supply and how it affects the food we eat and beverages we drink.

Titled “Portioning California’s Water for Farms, Fish & Families: What Food Professionals, Chefs, Restaurateurs and Consumers Should Know About Urgent Water Issues in California," it was held in Berkeley and was open to members, walk-in college students and the public.

Water, it turns out, is not a dry topic. SF Dames Sibella Kraus assembled a panel of experts so knowledgeable about the workings of this state’s complex water system that we barely dipped below the surface of what there is to know. They covered where water goes; how it’s managed; why water supplies are threatened; how urban needs compete with agricultural needs, and why the north state’s smaller population has more water than the drier south state with its exploding population.

Two amazing details emerged: 1) drip irrigation produces food with increased flavor  2) the next marketing trend may be the “water footprint” on our food.

On a beautiful sunny day in May, twelve Dames* were honorary 5^th grade students for the day at Olivewood Garden & Learning Center. As with any school program, a bit of homework was assigned... reading about seed balls, composting, and cooking! The field trip was conducted as if we were the school kids! Dressed for the garden and work, the group was split into 2 groups and we rotated  between a gardening activity with Martha in an extensive organic garden, and a cooking class with Dames Julie Darling and Caron Golden in the kitchen of Olivewood's lovely Victorian home.

*Dames present:  Maria Gomez Laurens,Carol Blomstrom, Stephanie Sibley, Sharon Talerman, Sally Bernstein, Candy Wallace, Marie Kelley, Victoria McGeath, Sara Polczynski, Tricia McCormick, Caron Golden, Julie Darling.

After the field trip, we had a terrific lunch from the garden and voted unanimously to "adopt" Olivewood as our Green Tables project. Since then many Dames volunteer teach in the kitchen, have assisted with fundraising and LDEISD has donated many items on Olivewood's "wish list"! The gardens and program have expanded and soared!

Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center

Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center is a 1/2 acre urban, organic garden located in National City, and is surrounded by a community with some of the highest childhood obesity rates in the state. In the three closest schools, 99% of the students come from families who are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged. 

Olivewood Gardens is a destination for children from the surrounding urban community to explore connections between plants and history, science, art, literature, math and nutrition where learning is centered within the context of the garden. Organic fruits and vegetables are planted, grown and harvested by the staff and the children for nutrition classes, cooking demonstrations and workshops.  The goal is to educate students, teachers, families, and volunteers to be healthy and active citizens.

Copy and photos submitted by Dame Marie Kelley

On Monday October 31st Green Tables had the opportunity to join Pumpkin’s Chefs Ian Moroney & Chris Kearse at COOK Philly’s new collaborative kitchen-classroom for a fun hands on cooking demonstration and five course autumnal tasting menu. Pork from Dame Linda Geren’s Highview Farm was featured, and spoke about her beautiful farm and sustainable agriculture. $365 was donated to Green Tables Initiative scholarship fund.

Pictures can tell you more than words to paraphrase an old adage.  You can see and feel success in our photographs, and we are delighted to share them with you. We initiated and developed a Food and Nutrition Competitive Grants  Program is the summer of 2010, launched it that fall providing $7, 300 in grants and saw it come to fruition in the spring and summer of  this year, 2011.

Our grant process – LOI, RFP, with one hour interviews of each group requesting funds – was rigorous for all, but provided a window of opportunity to select the projects which would make an impact in a specific community, have the potential to grow and had the people in place who had the passion and willingness to see their project through to completion.

A grant commitment letter was developed and signed by each grant recipient before funds were released.  Project impact assessments were completed by committee members in early summer 2011.

Projects included:  Funds to install feed troughs and gutters for use as raised vegetable planters at an elementary school; funds to purchase cooking equipment for another public elementary school to prepare foods grown in the school’s integrated teaching garden; funds to expand a community demonstration garden used by a high school culinary arts program and funds to enhance a learning-garden program which impacts a school student body of approximately 500 students.

For complete criteria and guidelines, and more grant program details, visit our web site at www.lesdamesseattle.com  and click on Green Tables. You will also want to review our Green Tables article in the spring 2011Quarterly.

Growing funds for our competitive grants program took on new meaning at the Chapter’s bi-annual dinner and auction March 31, 2011.  The cork pull – numbered corks with corresponding numbered bottles of wine donated by chapter members were offered to attendees for a donation.  Attendees pulled a cork out of a large-garden pot and were provided with a great bottle of wine. The committee received major dollars for heading up and implementing this part of the auction.

The committee also planned, organized and implemented one of the top money- generating, live-auction items -- a private tour for eight of the famed DunnGardens in north Seattle with a luncheon following in the private dining room of the Gardens’curators. A bidding war for this extraordinary item garnered $2,700 for our 2011 Green Tables Grants.

Our 2012 grant cycle begins on November 1, 2011 when Letters of Interest are due.  We are looking forward to a bumper crop of new and exciting grant opportunities to develop in our communities and to share results with you at the 2012 AGM.

Slow Food Philadelphia’s Snail of Approval Program launch event was held on November 14th at Reading Terminal Market. This grand celebration of food, beer and wine recognized food service industry members who contribute to the quality, authenticity and sustainability of the food supply of our region. Philadelphia Green Tables new weekly Raffle Program made its debut at this event. 

On Saturday, September 17, 2011 the Boston Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier held their annual Green Tables event called “A Feast in a Field.” The event was held at Verrill Farm in historical Concord, Massachusetts. Dame Jen Verrill of the Northeast Chapter generously donated the site including a tent with lighting, as well as all the produce we needed for our menu.
 

The evening began with a selection of fine wines donated by Dame Leslie Lamb of Gordon’s Fine Wines. Hors d’oeuvres passed to the guests consisted of Corn Fritters with Spicy Sauce, Bruschetta with Fresh Farmer’s Cheese, Fig and Aged Balsamic with Micro Greens, Beet Ravioli with Goat Cheese, Baby Potatoes with Gravlax and Sour Cream.
 

Chef and Dame Guida Ponte as well as an assortment of volunteers created a beautiful buffet and offered Dry-Aged Beef Roasted with Grilled Peaches. The beef was sourced locally from Open Meadow Farm in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. We also dined on Roast Pork Loin with Sautéed Apples. The pork loin was provided by Blood Farm, a local farm as well. Verrill Farms’ gorgeous produce provided the ingredients for all the side dishes that accompanied our main course; Spiced Cornbread, Field Green Salad, Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes with Herbs, Seasonal Vegetables and Risotto with Farm Grown Vegetables. The meal was rounded out with an Upside Down Apple Cake prepared and provided by Dame Judy Mattera, owner of Sweet Solutions.
 

Dame Simone Williamson of Be Our Guest generously donated all the linen, glassware, dishes and silverware for the event. Live music from The Yankee Stompers livened up the evening while guests perused the many Silent Auction items generously donated from various Boston area restaurants.
 

This year we were fortunate to have Toni Elka from Future Chefs and Christine Rinaldo of The Food Project attend the dinner. They both spoke about what their organizations have accomplished and what their goals and hopes are for each of their prospective organizations. The money raised from our Green Tables event will be shared between Future Chefs and The Food Project.
 

We look forward to our 4th annual Feast in a Field in 2012!

Atlanta, Georgia Green Tables Mission:
Les Dames d’Escoffier, Atlanta Green Table’s initiative mission is to inspire and promote a community table, whose centerpiece is focused on whole, local, and sustainable food.

Atlanta, Georgia Green Tables 2011 Programs include:
 

Green Ribbon:
We recognize outstanding, individual and business, achievements in sustainable initiatives relating to food and farms. The criteria for nomination should include 2010-2011 efforts. Recipient will be awarded during our annual Afternoon in the Country and acknowledged in our program. 2010 recipient was Marie Nygren.


Oakhurst Community Garden Project:
Youth come for a cooking lesson with LDEI volunteers. Their day begins in the garden harvesting some fresh herbs and produce that can be used. Everyone returns to the kitchen to discuss healthy food preparation techniques. The children are enthralled as they learn the trade secrets of top chefs.
 

One of the most beautiful parts of the experience is sitting down and eating what has been prepared. Sure enough, the participants munch through the meals they've prepared. But what is most touching is the informal discussion about food preferences and trying new things.


Oakhurst Community Garden Project, Healthy Eating Workshop:
Decatur Education Foundation and Dekalb County Cooperative Extension partner with LDEI to host a complimentary workshop. Families will learn about the benefits of healthy eating! Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and work. This 3-part workshop features the basics of Healthy Snacks, How to Eat Healthy on a Budget, & Nutrition 101.

LDEI Local Monthly Program Sponsorship:
Green Tables will sponsor two of our chapters monthly programs. For 2011 we hosted our program at Oakhurst community garden.

LDEI International Conference:
Green Tables will sponsor a Farm Tour on Thursday, 11.3.2011. We will also sponsor the Saturday, 11.5.2011 breakfast and panel session featuring the lasts Green Tables projects and our partnerships.
 

Atlanta, Georgia Co-Chairs:
Kristy Cook, CMP, kristy@affairs.com
Nancy Lutz, nancy@affairs.com

The LDEI Green Tables Initiative was launched in 2005 to further the linkages between urban and rural farms and gardens to school, restaurant and kitchen tables in LDEI chapter communities throughout the international organization. Board member Cheryl Indelicato, parent to Junipero Serra 7th grader Dominick Hoover, said, "We want to continue to promote community health and well-being to our students and learn the joy of growing a garden at home."

On behalf of LDEI Monterey Bay Chapter, board member Helaine Tregenza, owner of The Raised Bed™ - grow your own, facilitated the installation of two donated 4’ x 8’ custom redwood raised beds on the Juniper Serra campus. Filled with a special planting mix, each bed was planted with organic vegetable seedlings on April 14th, with the assistance of the first and second graders, as they received a gardening lesson and planted seeds in pots to take home.
 

The goal of Les Dames d’Escoffier New York’s Green Tables co-chairs Dame Georgia Chan Downard and Dame Julia Harrison was to make a difference in the lives of young women in New York City most in need of vocational guidance and support for learning to eat better and to feed their new families well. The program’s goals were to help these young women develop self-sufficiency and increased self-confidence through culinary careers, and to experience healthier food choices

The program included series of field trips in June with residents of Inwood House, a New York City residence known for its extraordinary programs dedicated to helping young people become self reliant, healthy adults. This includes providing foster care for pregnant and new-parent teenage girls and programs that move them toward self-sufficiency and awareness of vocational opportunities.

Our Green Tables committee, thanks to Dame Liz Neumark, connected with Inwood House and trustee emeritus Sherrell Andrews. Neumark supported field trips put together to introduce residents to suitable and realistic food industry career opportunities.

At New York City College of Technology, the first field trip, the girls were given an overview of the college’s culinary and hospitality programs and toured the facilities. Lunch prepared and served by the students ended the program. Dame Joyce O'Neill contacted Dame Karen Goodlad, assistant professor at NY Tech who organized the program. The student guides Karen enlisted were welcoming, enthusiastic and inspiring.

The second trip, to the Union Square Farmers' Market, was the first time many of the girls had visited a farmers’ market and tasted local ingredients. Working with a contact at NY Grows provided by Dame Dana Jacobi, the group enjoyed touring the market with Davy Hughes, a market manager. It was wonderful seeing their faces as they tasted local strawberries, apple juice pressed by a local orchard, and milk fresh from Ronnybrook Dairy. This trip ended with a snack at City Bakery. Escort Dame Nora Favelukes enriched the experience by answering questions about the wine business and her work in wine public relations and marketing.

The third trip began with a golf cart tour of the NY Botanical Gardens, stopping to visit the catering facilities and restaurants operated by Abigail Kirsch Catering Relationships. Dame Alison Awerbach introduced female staff members who shared their experiences in building culinary careers. She followed this by drawing the girls into an interactive give-and-take on personal presentation and interviewing skills. The tour ended with a lavish snack and a cupcake decorating contest where the girls stunned everyone with their talent and creativity. Alison and her articulate staff made this trip an exceptionally action- and information-packed experience.

Watching these mature yet vulnerable teens discover new worlds that they can enter and engage with our hosts and escorts was worth every minute of collaboration with Inwood House and particularly with Adamma Anyaehie, the center’s Senior Director of Residential Service, whose time and support made this Green Tables program possible.

Members of the Les Dames d’Escoffier New York Green Tables committee are Joyce O'Neill, Jeannie Voltz, Lila Gault and Mary Cleaver.

 THE PROJECT’S MISSION -- To educate and inspire the large and diverse group of children who are members of the Robert R. McCormick Boys & Girls Club of Chicago.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM -- The Green Tables Initiative is a Les Dames d’Escoffier sponsored program, which turns our attention to sustainability and a wholesome diet for our citizens and especially for our children. The Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier has developed a program for the McCormick Boys & Girls Club in Chicago to promote good healthy food by classes, seminars, gardening, and cooking demonstrations. Members volunteer their expertise to this ambitious program that began spring 2007 with earth boxes and has expanded each year. The current program includes planting, weeding and harvesting the garden, as well as cooking classes and field trips.
 

The program includes the following elements:
 A curriculum of classes, workshops and guest lectures. Tastings, tours and simple cooking classes taught or led by Les Dames members with some hands-on classes at Chicago culinary schools as budget permits.
 Field trips provide experiential learning as the students visit organic farms and gardens, local farmers markets and orchards.
 Indoor demonstrations and tastings during the winter months; outreach into the community to understand food, local farms and community supported agriculture programs during the growing season.
 Programming that reaches parents and engages them in the same topics that their children are learning.
 Children-nurtured gardens in the raised garden beds and earth boxes on-site at the McCormick Club made possible with Les Dames funding.
 

WHY IT WORKS -- Les Dames and the Boys & Girls Club share common goals: One of the main educational focuses for the club is health, so this program fits their mission as well as Les Dames’.
 

There is a full time staff and dedicated Executive Director and Program Director. The staff and Board of McCormick are extremely excited about this project. Food literacy and nutrition education are not currently funded or supported by volunteers except for occasional classes in the Smart Girls program. The kids are very interested – anything with food draws a crowd. They want to work on their gardens. They are hungry to learn.

Several Les Dames members act as a liaison with the club and our members enthusiastically volunteer to teach classes, lead tours or help with tastings.
 

HOW IT WORKS -- Several Les Dames members provided individual donations to get the program started and a special fund has been set up at the club to accept donations specifically related to this program.
 

Mary Abbott Hess and Sharon Olson worked on developing the program, coordinating with the club and documenting its progress. Karen Levin was the first program chair of this project followed by Donna Pierce and Jean True. The chair schedules Les Dames members to volunteer. And members volunteer their time, expertise and a lot of sweat equity into making the garden grow and the harvest a success.

Some technical expertise is needed that goes beyond the expertise of Les Dames members. We have funded a contract with The Organic Gardener, professional garden educators, to develop a curriculum of bi-weekly lessons during the growing season.
 

Les Dames funding provided equipment and supplies to support demonstrations on-site by Les Dames members and guest chefs to teach participatory cooking classes throughout the year.
 

ABOUT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB -- Their mission is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” They serve boys and girls from pre-school through college age. 95% of children are 6 to 18 years old, a time when they are establishing habits that will often last a lifetime.

The McCormick Club has over 2,200 children as members with average daily attendance of over 300 kids. It is the largest Boys & Girls Club in Chicago. This Club, in Uptown, is convenient to many Les Dames Chicago members.
 

WHY IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE -- 75% of the children who participate in the Boys & Girls Clubs come from single parent households; 48% from families with household income below $28,000. The McCormick Club is well established and has many programs in place to offer these kids a safe and nurturing environment. There are activities that include literacy, physical education, art, ceramics, photography, computer labs for homework assistance and even a recording studio. Yet, when it comes to nutrition, the executive director told us many of these kids think a bag of Cheetos® is a good lunch. Many have little or no connection with food, nutrition or the quality it can add to their lives. We knew we were making a difference when we heard from one of the kids who had never tasted a sugar snap pea before that they were “sweet, crunchy and better than potato chips.”

 

 Kansas City Les Dames Chapter was instrumental in developing the Food Now “eat with the locals” event.

Food NOW – eat with the locals was held in August, 2010, and again on August 27, 2011.
This unique dinner event is a collaboration of farmers, restaurantuers and volunteers. All the food is donated by local farmers, prepared by local chefs who buy and serve local food in their restaurants and served up by a variety of hospitality professionals. Our Kansas City chapter has an 85% participation. Our chapter handles the entire silent and live auction (collecting items, packaging and executing the auction). While our we have over 85% participation from our membership, local Kansas City Dames – Jane Zieha owner of Blue Bird Bistro and Renee Kelly owner of Caenen’s Castle contributed many hours of their time to make it a success.

Proceeds benefit Cultivate Kansas City (formerly Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture) Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition and the Kansas City Community Gardens.
 

Over the summer Dames have volunteered their time at the Independence Missouri Farmers Market demonstrating recipes using local seasonal produce through Beans and Greens program.

Les Dames sponsored the bi-annual Urban Farms Tour in June and we provided demos and recipes at the KC Community Garden Fall Family Festival in September, 2011.
 

More opportunities open up daily. We look forward to next year’s projects.

The Houston Chapter actively supports Recipe for Success foundation, an organization committed to combating childhood obesity by connecting children with their food. RFS builds school gardens and engages elementary aged students in hands on gardening and cooking experiences. Houston Dames volunteer through the RFS Chefs in Schools program where they adopt an elementary class for the school year are actively involved in teaching seasonal cooking classes with their group on a monthly basis. In addition to hosting restaurant field trip opportunities for their class, Houston Dames also regularly participate in special events and fundraisers to help support the mission. In 2011, the Houston Chapter sponsored weekly after school classes at MacGregor Elementary in Houston. If it wasn’t for the dames, the elementary school would have not been able to continue with their after school gardening and cooking program.

Barbara McKnight making lettuce wraps with her 4th graders	Barbara McKnight on the White House Lawn at the Chefs Moves to School launch	Chara Gafford talking to her class
Claire Smith teaching 4th graders how to make fruit kabobs	Molly Kiminski teaching a class for the Peanut Association	Barbara McKnight harvesting with 4th graders
Chara Gafford cooking with 4th graders	Grace Cavnar cooking with 4th graders	Claire Smith on a restaurant field trip

On Saturday, November 13, 2010, the Charleston chapter of LDEI sponsored the third annual Charleston Farmers Market Harvest Fare. The annual, admission-free event in Marion Square highlighted market vendors, their produce and local chefs in a series of cooking demonstrations.

Talented members partnered with farmers to highlight seasonal recipes through demos and tastings. LDEI expanded the event this year to include a Children’s Tent with activities and dishes especially for the younger palate.

Main Tent:

Sarah O’Kelley, chef/co-owner The Glass Onion, cooks with CFM vendor Celeste Albers of Green Grocer

Nathalie Dupree, renowned cookbook author and TV personality, demos with CFM vendor Karen Kennerty of Kennerty Farms

Holly Herrick, celebrated cookbook author, teams-up with CFM vendors Maria Denaro of Tiverton Farms and Katherine Kipp of Burden Creek Dairy

Children’s Tent:

Kathleen Rogers team-up with Thackeray Farms

Patricia Agnew, food writer and culinary educator cooks, pairs with CFM vendor Helen Fields of Joseph Fields Farm 

Recipe Handouts

Invitaiton

AIWF Days of Taste® activities bring chefs, farmers, producers and dietitians to fourth and fifth graders to teach students in an engaging way about the importance of fresh food and how ingredients weave their way through daily life, from farm to table.  Our focus and main objectives are to build a food and nutrition vocabulary, understand that locally grown ingredients are the freshest, and gain the experience to contrast flavors and develop taste memories. Students compare and contrast tastes and textures as well as develop understandings about different foods and basic nutrition principles that will remain with them into adulthood. In addition, basic knife skills, proper table etiquette, careers in foodservice and food safety and sanitation principals are discussed.  

Dallas Dame Christina LaBarba	Dallas Dame Courtney Lusher

 Charleston Dames support Lowcountry Local First and Our Local Foods, LLC, two Charleston area organizations, with healthy recipes for children and adults. These recipes help the organizations to encourage families to shop local, involve their children in menu planning and food choices, and focus on nutrition. The recipes are organized by month and highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Lowcountry Local First advocates the benefits of a local living economy through support of area farmers and businesses. They will incorporate the recipes into a yearly “Eat Local” postcard series, monthly spotlights on their website, handouts at area farmer’s markets, and content for their school gardening programs.  

Our Local Foods, LLC, is a model of local sustainable agriculture. Based on Thornhill Farm in McClellanville, SC, it is an organic farm, CSA program, and therapy garden for developmentally disabled youth. The LDEI recipes will be a kid-friendly spotlight in their newsletter and on the website.

1. AG IN THE CLASSROOM PROGRAM:
Florida Ag in the Classroom (FAIC) and the Food, Land & People Project is a program from the State of Florida to increase student awareness & knowledge about farms, natural resources, growing produce, and producing the food we eat. Teachers of all grades are instructed and get a comprehensive set of projects to teach students. These projects fulfill the requirements of the School Board. Our chapter has been involved thusly:

Aventura Charter Elementary School students with Dame Ariana Kumpis on Arbor Day learning the program of Ag in the Classroom	Culinary Arts South Dade High School students with Dame Ariana Kumpis washing and preping heirloom tomatoes and other harvested veggies for a pasta salad
Field Trip Asia Cafe: South Dade High School Culinary Arts students attending a sushi demonstration at Asia Cafe	South Dade High School student hands-on experience of cake decorating
Science and Ag teachers of different schools participating in the Buzzy Bee exercise of the Ag in the Classroom Program	Ag in the Classroom Workshop sponsored by LDE Miami for teachers of different schools during summer break.

In June 2010, we conducted a 3-day afternoon educational experience for 20 public 9^th and 10^th graders from the PUEO program at Punahou School. This is a partnership with the Hawaii State Department of Education that encourages and reinforces college readiness among selected public school students. Our focus was to encourage their further education beyond high school, set goals, and provide ideas for possible careers. As members of LDEI Hawaii we shared our educational paths and professions in the food, beverage and/or tourism industries. At the same time we connected the farm to the table and what happens to the waste. The first day was working in the Punahou School herb and vegetable garden digging paths and laying mulch. From an expert they learned how restaurant waste is converted into fertilizer and fuel. The second day students prepared pizzas using locally grown vegetables and firing them in the pizza oven located in the school's ceramic lab. Here the dames shared their careers in photography, food styling, creating herb rubs and ginger syrups, catering, being private chefs and teaching.  Students sampled buffalo mozzarella, olive oils, parmesano reggiano and a variety of gourmet ingredients. The 3^rd day, students experienced fine dining hosted by Hula Grill at the Outrigger Waikiki. Again another group of Dames shared their careers in marketing, the challenges facing farmers in Hawaii, being employed in the hospitality industry. In addition they learned about table setting, manners and etiquette. 
 

Assembling the pizza with locally grown veggies	Firing the pizza in the ceramic lab oven.

 Hawaii August Newsletter

Food styling	Herb, cheese, olive,olive oil tasing
Menu planning

Located in Awendaw, SC, Windwood Farm has serviced hundreds of abused, neglected children since 1985. Charleston Dames volunteer their time teaching groups of young boys about food, its preparation, and nutrition with a fun and simple baking session. Many of the children have never seen the produce and ingredients used in the lessons. It also gives them a chance to work with foods they are growing in their own garden.

Hawaii Dames gathered at Ma'o Farms on September 25 for Community Day. It was an appropriate way to kick off EAT LOCAL week. Dames cut sugar cane for the CSA baskets and weeded garden plots. Our chapter is helping Ma'o by developing recipes and consumer storage/handling instructions for their market baskets. Ma'o Farms is a 501c3 youth-oriented organic farm with youth leadership and social development as the core values. 

Please visit The Gallery (click here) to view photos.
 

The goal of the “Meet the Farmer” series is to familiarize Dames with local farms in the Philadelphia area and to promote “Buy Fresh, Buy Local”. The first farm tour was on October 30 to Dame Linda Geren’s High View Farm in New Jersey. Linda shared the challenges of running a sustainable farm. She raises sheep breeds (Cormo, Finn and Suffolk crosses) that are considered a “natural color breed”. The yarn made from the wool is in natural colors: ivory, gray and dark brown. In addition, she has Heritage Landrace pigs and Borer goats. We enjoyed a country brunch featuring a baked egg scramble made with free-range eggs from her farm, lamb sausages, spicy pork sausages, smoked ham, homemade breads and more. All the lamb and pork products served at the brunch were raised on the farm and are available both retail and wholesale as well as by special order for private individuals. The meats are all USDA inspected and the lamb is “Animal Welfare Approved”. All the smoked products are nitrate free. Dames Marie Connell, Jennifer Lindner McGlinn, Eileen Talanian, Michele Haines and Pat Ward prepared breads and helped serve the brunch.

On April 4, twenty Dames enjoyed a tour of Shellbark Hollow Farm in West Chester, PA. Farmer Donna Demchur Levitsky gave us an overview of artisan cheese-making and a tasting of several award-winning artisan goat cheeses, cheese spreads, yogurt and kefir, all from purebred Nubian goats. She manages the farm with her brother, Peter Demchur. Everything is hand-made on site, packaged and delivered fresh to local markets, restaurants, vineyards and specialty shops. After our tour of the farm, we all purchased cheeses to take home. Our next stop was lunch in the Terrain at Styers in Glen Mills. Terrain is an antique green house and its menu features produce from local growers. Styers is a nursery offering a wide range of local plants and herbs with an extensive gift shop. Dame Marie Connell donated her delightful homemade rhubarb tarts for dessert.
 

The last stop was in Pete’s Produce Farm in Westtown to shop the many brands of local honey, preserves, breads, cookies, etc. We met in the farmer’s market area of the farm where Farmer Peter Flynn demonstrated his flour grinder. Pet grinds his famous whole-grain flour here. Several of us purchased some for our future baking. We plan to return to his farm in the fall during apple and pumpkin season for a hayride. Both Styers and Pete’s are venues where our event host, Dame Marie Connell, sells her My House Cookies.
 

Please visit The Gallery (click here) to view photos.
 

Many Houston Dames volunteer countless hours with the Recipe for Success Foundation delivering hands on cooking classes with harvests from the school recipe gardens. Dame, Gracie Cavnar is the founder and CEO of this organization that provides Seed-to-Plate Education (TM) to thousands of children each month. Website: www.recipe4success.org.

Here is a link to a video
 

Please visit The Gallery (click here) to view photos of Dames all working in Recipe for Success kitchen classrooms or gardens, or hosting field trips to their restaurants.
 

At the October Farm-to-Table Dinner in Chef Valerie Erwin’s Gee Chee Girl Rice Café, Dame Linda Geren connected with Chris Bolden-Newsome, Community Farm Coordinator of Seeds for Learning Farm at Martin Luther King High School in Philadelphia. In this after-school program, students work in the school garden, harvest the vegetables and herbs, sell produce in a neighborhood farmers’ market and learn about healthy life styles. In January, Dames Linda Geren, Eileen Talanian and Pat Ward met these eight students who shared their farm experiences and expressed interest in learning to cook. Two weeks later, these Dames gave a hands-on class featuring typical leftovers in their refrigerators: pizza, cooked rice and fried chicken. Everyone enjoyed the healthy “new” dishes they created.

On February 22, these students went to Dame Linda Geren’s High View Farm for a sheep shearing done by America’s foremost hand-shearer, Kevin Ford. Linda shared her life-long love of farming as well as the challenges of running a sustainable farm. The students learned that the sheep were Cormo, Finn and Suffolk crosses and considered a “natural color breed”. The farm tour included the sheep shearing, hand cleaning of the fleece and an overview of the other animals on the farm: goats, chickens and horses. Several Dames, Jennifer Lindner McGlinn, Marie Connell and Pat Ward, served the students homemade chicken & vegetable soup, Guinness glazed ham on rolls, roasted vegetable sandwiches, egg salad on whole wheat rolls, local goat cheese, hot apple cider, hot chocolate and of course, homemade cookies and breads baked by our Dames. All the meats and free-range eggs were from Linda’s farm. Each student received a lamb cookie decorated by Jennifer to take home. Linda feels it’s important to share the sustainable farm life style with city kids.

Please visit The Gallery (click here) to view photos.
 

THE PROJECT’S MISSION -- To educate and inspire the large and diverse group of children who are members of the Robert R. McCormick Boys & Girls Club of Chicago.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM -- The Green Tables Initiative is a Les Dames d’Escoffier sponsored program, which turns our attention to sustainability and a wholesome diet for our citizens and especially for our children. The Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier has developed a program for the McCormick Boys & Girls Club in Chicago to promote good healthy food by classes, seminars, gardening, and cooking demonstrations. Members volunteer their expertise to this ambitious program that began spring 2007 with earth boxes and has expanded each year. The current program includes planting, weeding and harvesting the garden, as well as cooking classes and field trips.

The program includes the following elements:
„X A curriculum of classes, workshops and guest lectures. Tastings, tours and simple cooking taught or led by Les Dames members with some hands-on classes at Chicago culinary schools as budget permits.
„X Field trips provide experiential learning as the students visit organic farms and gardens, local farmers markets and orchards.
„X Indoor demonstrations and tastings during the winter months; outreach into the community to understand food, local farms and community supported agriculture programs during the growing season.
„X Programming that reaches parents and engages them in the same topics that their children are learning.
„X Children-nurtured gardens in the raised garden beds and earth boxes on-site at the McCormick Club made possible with Les Dames funding.

WHY IT WORKS -- Les Dames and the Boys & Girls Club share common goals: One of the main educational focuses for the club is health, so this program fits their mission as well as Les Dames’.

There is a full time staff and dedicated Executive Director and Program Director. The staff and Board of McCormick are extremely excited about this project. Food literacy and nutrition education are not currently funded or supported by volunteers except for occasional classes in the Smart Girls program. The kids are very interested – anything with food draws a crowd. They want to work on their gardens. They are hungry to learn.

Several Les Dames members act as a liaison with the club and our members enthusiastically volunteer to teach classes, lead tours or help with tastings.

HOW IT WORKS -- Several Les Dames members provided individual donations to get the program started and a special fund has been set up at the club to accept donations specifically related to this program.

Mary Abbott Hess and Sharon Olson work on developing the curriculum for the program, coordinating with the club and documenting its progress. Karen Levin schedules Les Dames members to volunteer. And members volunteer their time, expertise and a lot of sweat equity into making the garden grow and the harvest a success.

Some technical expertise is needed that goes beyond the expertise of Les Dames members. We initiated contacts with both University of Illinois Cooperative Extension and The Organic Gardener to provide materials and instruction related to this program. We have a contract with professional garden educators to develop a curriculum of bi-weekly lessons during the growing season.

In 2010, there will be a mobile demonstration kitchen on-site for Les Dames members and guest chefs to teach participatory cooking classes throughout the year.

ABOUT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB -- Their mission is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” They serve boys and girls from pre-school through college age. 95% of children are 6 to 18 years old, a time when they are establishing habits that will often last a lifetime.

The McCormick Club has over 2,200 children as members with average daily attendance of over 300 kids. It is the largest Boys & Girls Club in Chicago. This Club, in Uptown, is convenient to many Les Dames Chicago members.

WHY IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE -- 75% of the children who participate in the Boys & Girls Clubs come from single parent households; 48% from families with household income below $28,000. The McCormick Club is well established and has many programs in place to offer these kids a safe and nurturing environment. There are activities that include literacy, physical education, art, ceramics, photography, computer labs for homework assistance and even a recording studio. Yet, when it comes to nutrition, the executive director told us many of these kids think a bag of Cheetos® is a good lunch. Many have little or no connection with food, nutrition or the quality it can add to their lives. We knew we were making a difference when we heard from one of the kids who had never tasted a sugar snap pea before that they were “sweet, crunchy and better than potato chips.”

Curriculum

Questionnaire

Instructor Guide

Georgia Organics, Riverwood International Charter High School Program: In partnership with Georgia Organics, Les Dames d’Escoffier will adopt a class. Program ideas include a nutritionist panel, mindful eating program, tasting table experience 

Past Accomplishments:
--The Bridge, program dedicated to improving the of life/ social functioning of GA troubled/abused adolescent
--Farm to School Programs/ Chef to School Training/Georgia Organics
--Cooking Classes/Panel Discussions/Georgina Organics
--School Cafeteria Workshops/ Georgia Organics
--Chef Demos/Morningside Farmers Market
--Culinary Yard Sales/Chef Demos/ Peachtree Road Farmers Market
 

Les Dames d’Escoffier will recognizes outstanding, individual and business, achievements in sustainable initiatives relating to food and farms. The criteria for nomination should include 2009-2010 efforts. Our chosen recipient will be awarded during our annual Afternoon in the Country and acknowledged in our program.

On Saturday, August 28th, our chapter in partnership with several Kansas City Agencies just had our first big fundraiser - Food Now! With 300 people in attendance for a first time event, we are ball park estimating that we have raised about $30,000 for 3 agencies in KC - KC Center for Urban Agriculture, KC Community Gardens and The Greater KC Food Policy Coalition. For event details, please visit: www.foodnow.org

 

Oakhurst Community Garden Project, Boys & Girls Club: In partnership with the Oakhurst Community Garden Project, the youth from the Boys and Girls Club come for a cooking lesson with two local food professionals. Their day begins in the garden harvesting some fresh herbs and produce that can be added to the menu. Everyone returns to the kitchen and after washing their hands, they discuss healthy food preparation techniques. The children are enthralled as they learn the trade secrets of top chefs. 

The focus is primarily on the cooking, but another big part is the nutritional segment. The children are learning about what's healthy. They're also learning how to measure things properly and about proper table etiquette. The chefs also teach the youth how to set a table and use proper manners - napkins on laps and sitting up straight without elbows on the table.

Of course, one of the most beautiful parts of the experience is sitting down and eating what has been prepared. Sure enough, the participants munch through the meals they've prepared. But what is most touching is the informal discussion about food preferences and trying new things.

Oakhurst Community Garden Project, Healthy Eating Workshop: In partnership with the Decatur Education Foundation and the Dekalb County Cooperative Extension, Les Dames d’Escoffier will host a complimentary workshop on Healthy Eating. Families will focus on learning about the benefits of healthy eating! Eating healthy doesn't always have to be expensive. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and ork. But if you think of the rewards—better health and more money—you’ll find it’s worth the effort. This 3-part workshop features the basics of Healthy Snacks, How to Eat Healthy on a Budget, & Nutrition 101.
 

The Overlook Farms in Clarksville, Missouri, hosted a day-long event for Dames and their guests last June, with a tour and cooking demonstration. Dames learned about the organic practices employed by Overlook in both their produce fields and with their livestock.
 

Several Phoenix Dames – two chefs, a farmer and two marketing professionals – presented a marketing seminar to close to 200 Farmer-Chef attendees at the 2nd annual conference. Sponsored by Slow Food Phoenix, Edible Phoenix (owned by Dame Pamela Hamilton) and other local organizations, the purpose of the Farmer-Chef Connection is to bring together farmers/small producers and the chefs and restaurants who want to procure local products.

The marketing panel presented ideas and tools for the participants to incorporate into their daily businesses, including how to use menus, staff training, sampling, education and social media, and how to leverage each other for stronger businesses.
 

Kansas City Dames were one of many sponsors of the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture’s self-guided tour of urban farms on Sunday, June 28 that included more than 30 farms and gardens from Shawnee, KS, to Independence, MO. The tour included a variety of for-profit, non-profit and a variety of urban agriculture sites. Sixteen pre-tour events took place the week before the finale tour, including gardening seminars, “eat local” restaurant dinners and a film viewing on how to raise chickens in an urban setting. The goal of the week-long series of events was to educate and inform the public about how to create “a home-grown” life. For more information, contact Dame Katherine Kelly at katherine@kccua.org.
 

Hawaii Dames hosted an educational program for 40 tenth-grade public school students on June 26th, sponsored by the Waikiki Outrigger Hotel. After a tour of the Outrigger, where students learned about careers in the foodservice and hospitality industry, they were treated to a lunch featuring a fish tasting, Kalua pig pot stickers, greens from Nalo Farms and fresh pasta with locally grown tomatoes and homemade bread. During the lunch Dames shared nutrition information and demonstrated table etiquette skills. The Dames also delivered a presentation about the sources of local foods and the challenges facing farmers in producing and marketing local foods
 

Dames Hayley Matson-Mathes, Joan Namkoong and Melanie Kosaka all had a hand in the production of an instructional DVD, “Farm to Kitchen.” The educational video showcases farms, farmers and products available in Hawaii, and demonstrates how those goods are harvested before reaching the professional kitchen. The DVD is offered for free to culinary students in high schools, and for $25 to all culinary professionals.
 

The Chicago Chapter has adopted a food literacy program that will include both cooking and gardening components to educate and inspire the large and diverse group of children who are members of the Robert R. McCormick Boys & Girls Club of Chicago.

Every other Wednesday, through November, Dames will hold simple demonstrations, tastings and occasionally incorporate field trips/tours to involve 8 to 12 year-olds in the food and cooking part of the program. And hopefully, with more funding, the program will expand into hands on-cooking classes and more field trips.

Alternating Wednesdays are reserved for gardening, and Dames will help at the gardening classes and assist with field trips to other gardens and farms. The Dames have also contracted with The Organic Gardener, who will come to the Club to provide expertise and guidance. Part of the program will be at least 5 trips to the Green City Market and the Edible Garden at Farm in the Zoo.

Dame Karen Levin is responsible for this Green Tables Initiative community service project and will coordinate member participation. Dame Mary Abbott Hess and Dame Sharon Olson are the project coordinators and will plan the curriculum. This Chicago Les Dames supported program will be a prominent feature of the McCormick Boys & Girls Club website. 

Dames Hess and Olson report, “It is our hope that every chapter member will participate in the Green Tables Initiative in some way: teach or help teach a food or cooking class, plan a lesson or tasting, host or help chaperone a tour or field trip, work with the kids in the garden, or donate funds to support the program. Community service is a vital part of Les Dames’ mission, and contributing to the Boys & Girls Club will be an excellent opportunity to do that with panache.”

 

Houston Dames are busy on weekends manning the Cook's Corner at the Bayou City Farmer's Market managed by Dame Jacquie Miller. Dames create recipes using local, seasonally available produce, meats, eggs and cheese and hand out samples and recipes to inspire shoppers. In addition to making and handing out delicious samples, Houston Dames sell the Mary Nell Reck cookbook Flavors of Life with the funds going to culinary scholarships.

The DC chapter held its third annual Green Kids at Market Day in July. Five FRESHFARM markets participated: H Street, Dupont Circle, Arlington, Silver Spring and Takoma Park. The weekend event was co-sponsored by the Washington chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and FRESHFARM Markets. Coordinated by Dames Ann Yonkers and Liz Falk, activities included ice cream making, build-a-bug, chef’s toque decorating, a chef demo and a “passport” scavenger hunt. A record number of 1,100 shoppers (approximately 140 kids) participated. FRESHFARM Market manager Rachael Winch summed it up for her weekly report: “This may have been my favorite farmers market thus far!” Co-founded by Dames Ann Yonkers and Bernadine Price in 1997, FRESHFARM operates outlets throughout the Washington area; the original is Dupont Circle. Participating markets are producer-only; vendors may sell only what they grow, raise or make themselves. Farms are usually located within 150 miles of Washington.

Dame Alice Waters’s edible school gardens are widely recognized for their contribution to sustainable agriculture and food quality awareness, as are the gardens of Dame Delores Cakebread at Cakebread Cellars. San Francisco Dames held their spring meeting at Cakebread Cellars, and toured the gorgeous organic edible landscape. Dame Delores created a series of garden workshops to educate the press and the public.

The San Diego chapter has initiated chapter involvement with school gardens. One elementary school has received state funds and LDEI members will assist with cooking demonstrations. School field trips to a local farm are being planned. Partnering with local organizations that support school gardens is being initiated. LDEI has offered to assist with curriculum, nutrition and cooking classes.

Dame Jenny Mattingsly continues to work with students at the Alamo Achievement Center, a group of high school students at this alternative school. Their spring organic garden is producing prolifically with the bounty being shared by students and their families.

The chapter is exploring expansion of its scholarship program to include women who are interested in furthering their education in agriculture and sustainable growing practices. A chapter meeting was held at a kitchen design center where Dames learned about going green in the kitchen.

The chapter sponsored and participated in a field trip with kids from the Eastside Children's Garden to Cedar Summit Farm, an organic dairy farm, located in New Prague, about an hour south of St Paul. Dames also participated in spring planting at the gardens. Fennel, cabbage, kale, green onions, carrots, potatoes, herbs and flowers were planted. Dames also taught summer classes offered at the garden.

The Los Angeles chapter joined forces with Nancy Silverton and Emily Green at the 24th Street School Garden project that Nancy and Emily are spearheading. The chapter hosted a dine-around fundraiser, with the money earmarked for the garden. The chapter is working on an education project at the Veterans Hospital in West Los Angeles.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Kansas City chapter announced its Top 10 Green Tables Initiatives:
EDUCATION/ADVOCACY/PHILANTHROPY
1. $3,000 for Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture
2. $3,000 for Kansas City Community Gardens
3. New Roots for Refugees is a program that helps refugee women put down new roots to start their own small farm businesses. Dames met with Burmese, Somali, and Burundian women. KCCUA staff developed a brochure for each of the women highlighting her story, her approach to farming and cooking, and featuring her recipes translated into English. The brochures are distributed at farmers markets.
4. The Kansas City Community Gardens Fall Festival featured dames demonstrating grilling vegetables and making vinaigrette with groceries provided by Whole Foods Market and produce provided by KCCUA. A donation of $3,000 was given.
5. An educational series incorporating aspects of the LDEI Green Tables Initiative, Learning to Live Green, was held at the Whole Foods Cooking Studio. Dames and their friends learned how to be green at events, at businesses and at home.
6. The chapter was selected to receive 5% of the revenues of Whole Foods Market for one day on Wednesday, December 10, 2008. These monies will fund chapter philanthropic projects for 2009. The event was promoted to members and the community.
7. A Farmer's Table Dinner with Dame Diana Endicott of Rainbow Organic is planned for Saturday, January 17, 2009 at Blue Bird Bistro. After cocktails, Dame Diana will discuss her path to providing locally grown food to our community. Following will be a five-course dinner prepared exclusively with locally grown food.
8. Something To Talk About: A quarterly discussion group for Dames and their guests led by Dame members is set for Monday, April 20th, 6:30 pm at Whole Foods Community Room. Topic: “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan.
9. Food Policy Council is a new initiative spearheaded by KC Healthy Kids to bring together individuals, organizations and businesses involved in different aspects of the KC food system to promote policies that will lead to a healthier diet .
10. The Philanthropy Committee proposed that Dames collaborate with Slow Food to organize an Outstanding in the Field event that would take place in the fields at Drumm Farm Institute in Independence. The event would feature local foods prepared by celebrity chefs as a fundraiser for KCCUA, KCCG, the KC Food Policy Council and children’s gardening activities at Drumm Farm.
 

The Hawaii chapter, partnering with Slow Food Hawaii, welcomed 22 sixth- and seventh-graders to a luncheon on the Big Island at Daniel Thiebaut's historic restaurant, where students were introduced to the world of fine dining – Hawaiian style. The luncheon featured three courses with all the ingredients procured from the islands. Dames helped the students piece together a map that showed the location of the farms, ranches and food processors that had contributed to the feast.

The chapter hosted a Brunch with Dallas Dames at the Milestone Culinary Arts Center. Topics included cooking and green energy demonstrations in the demo theater.

The Colorado chapter featured Mayan tamales, hibiscus tea, and chocolate on the menu for the fourth-grade class at Fairview Elementary in Denver. Twenty fourth-graders learned how to make Mayan pinwheel tamales from cookbook author and indigenous food expert, Beverly Cox and food journalist, Kimberly Lord Stewart. The students are also preparing to plant a summer fruit, vegetable and flower garden and sell their wares at the Sunnyvale neighborhood farmers market. The Denver Urban Gardens group handles the garden aspect. During the winter, the students make compost and plant seedling in the classroom. By July, the students have enough bounty to sell their wares to the community. As continuation in the classroom, the chapter offers cooking demonstrations for students and parents at the farmers market. Through a DUG grant, each student who participates in the garden project gets a $5 coupon each week for fresh produce. The culinary nutrition segment of the program has been so successful that the Directors of Headstart have approached Colorado LDEI about expanding the program to low-income preschools.

The chapter also contributes to the Countryside Conservancy Farmers' Market Junior Chef Program. The focus is on forging connections between kids, farmers and food producers; teaching nutritional fundamentals; and simple hands-on food preparation. Some of our members participate in the educational component.

The Chicago chapter hosted a field trip for culinary students to the Chicago International Produce Market. Dames shared with students insights into selecting produce, using seasonal foods and uses of unfamiliar produce. The field trip was part of the chapter’s newest community service project, sponsoring a culinary seminar at the Walter Payton College Prep (WPCP). The chapter is working with the staff of the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC) to present the program. Walter Payton is a Chicago public school. Culinary education is one of the most popular electives in the high school’s half-day seminar programs. In addition to learning about healthy cooking, students have gone on several food-related field trips. The Chicago chapter is exploring ways to partner with civic groups like the “Healthy Schools Campaign” to offer their services as cooking teachers in the schools, and participants in the state-wide effort to integrate cooking and healthy eating into school programs. This effort is headed by Dame Lois Levine who teaches cooking classes in the public school system.

The Charleston chapter and the Charleston Children's Garden Project continue their partnership that began in 2007. The project involves a dedicated group of volunteers who inspire, plant and maintain community gardens throughout the metro Charleston area each year. Dames help develop demonstration gardens and work together to keep the gardens growing while offering children opportunities to learn about nature, gardening, cooking and building community spirit. The Charleston chapter also offers a series of interactive workshops during upcoming planting seasons extending through spring, summer and fall. Focusing on nutrition and healthy eating, Dames share creative tips for preparing foods and plants grown in the community gardens, while introducing volunteers to other kid-friendly projects promoting the benefits of sustainable food.

The Boston chapter is working on several initiatives, with some Dames working individually on Green Tables projects, and the chapter working as a whole on projects that included an event at the Herb Lyceum, and a 2009 Feast in the Field. Feast in the Field was first held in 2007 and attracted 174 participants, who enjoyed learning about foods new to them.

The chapter helped start Atlanta's first organic garden in an Atlanta Public School at E. Rivers Elementary, and chartered a Summer Series of Learning with the Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta at Oakhurst Community Garden. The chapter partners with Georgia Organics and works closely with that organization on many projects.