Fake Fruit at the Farmers Market?! Caesar Salad
Last week, I found myself at the Farmer’s Market with 26 (count ‘em) fifth graders from Brooklyn. I volunteer for Days of Taste, a program that takes chefs and food professionals out of their kitchens and plunks them into public school classrooms across the country. We work with the students for four weeks, explaining flavor, doing a little field trip to the Greenmarket, making a salad in the classroom, and a trip to a local restaurant for lunch.
On Greenmarket day, the children are given a tour of the market, lots of samples, and most importantly, a buck with which they can make their very own purchases. As instructors, we set up a simple rule: the buck needs to be used to purchase something that grows on a tree, in the ground, on a plant or on a vine. So while apples fit into these categories, apple cider (a derivative) does not. It’s gotta be something you can dig for or pick.
We encouraged the students to stump us (chocolate capsicum, anyone?), but they seemed more interested in buying rolls and the ubiquitous $1 cider. Of course, some of the boys found their way to pints of habaneros and jalapenos, so that they could rip them in half and taunt each other with the seeds…but for the most part, the students played by the rules.
To make things more interesting (and upsell the delicious, local and ne'er before seen), I took my group on a little tour of the unexpected. I bought a $4 pint of concord grapes, which never fail to stun me with their vivid flavor. I asked the students to open their little bird mouths, into which I plopped a purple orb (telling them to mind the pit, of course).
Relishing the silence, I asked them each to think of one word to describe the flavor, or texture, or experience of this particular grape, and note how it might be different from grapes they’d had in the past.
I got “yummy”, “delicious”, and “scrumptious”, then the child who would not be limited to one word. “More of a grape”, “mushier”, “more slimy”.
And then, there was the child who uttered the word I hadn’t anticipated, which is the true joy of working with elementary school students.
“Artificial!”
“Come again?”
“Artificial!! Everyone should take this grape out of their mouths IMMEDIATELY, because the flavor is so vivid, so real, and so strong, it’s AHHHHBviously fake food.”
We’re in the farmers market with an obvious agenda: to celebrate the flavor of goods that come from local farms. This is a mantra we’d repeated at least a dozen times this morning alone. But these obtuse concepts were not making their way past prior parental prostelitizing, so I tried:
“See that thing you’re holding in your hand? It’s a stem. And that little thing you’re playing with on your tongue? It’s a seed. If you see stems and seeds, you can bet that the food you’re eating is natural and not artificial.”
“But, it tastes artificial.”
Moving right along. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some huge, impressive lulav-like boughs of eucalyptus. Talk about a vivid, unusual scent. I asked my group to stick their little noses onto this branch, and inhale deeply.
Same student: “It smells like Vicks.”
I could only complement the student for her interest, and passion, and creative palate. Some where between there and here, our confused national food agendas will become clear. Until then, I can only encourage her, in that unlike so many her age, she's gone beyond the chicken nugget and is willing to try food and think about it. She might not have the right answers, but she's on her way.
In the meantime, here’s a killer recipe for homemade Caesar Salad dressing and the most delicious croutons you’ll ever have. Toss this on a head of farmers market romaine and enjoy.
Caesar Salad
Serves 4 to 6
For the croutons:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 baguette (or any other loaf of fresh bread), cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and peel removed
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large anchovies
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Coarse salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad:
1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch ribbons
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved or grated
To make the croutons: In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter or heat oil over medium heat. Add chunks of bread, and sprinkle with garlic powder. Stir to coat bread cubes with butter. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden and toasted. Sprinkle with parsley flakes, and toss to coat. Remove from skillet and set aside until ready to use.
To make the dressing: In a food processor or blender, add the garlic and pulse to chop. Add the egg yolk, mustard and anchovies. Pulse to create a paste. Add the lemon juice, and with the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is incorporated and the dressing is emulsified. Add parmesan; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a serving bowl, combine the lettuce with the salad dressing and toss to combine. Top with the croutons and cheese, as desired. Serve cold.
On Greenmarket day, the children are given a tour of the market, lots of samples, and most importantly, a buck with which they can make their very own purchases. As instructors, we set up a simple rule: the buck needs to be used to purchase something that grows on a tree, in the ground, on a plant or on a vine. So while apples fit into these categories, apple cider (a derivative) does not. It’s gotta be something you can dig for or pick.
We encouraged the students to stump us (chocolate capsicum, anyone?), but they seemed more interested in buying rolls and the ubiquitous $1 cider. Of course, some of the boys found their way to pints of habaneros and jalapenos, so that they could rip them in half and taunt each other with the seeds…but for the most part, the students played by the rules.
To make things more interesting (and upsell the delicious, local and ne'er before seen), I took my group on a little tour of the unexpected. I bought a $4 pint of concord grapes, which never fail to stun me with their vivid flavor. I asked the students to open their little bird mouths, into which I plopped a purple orb (telling them to mind the pit, of course).
Relishing the silence, I asked them each to think of one word to describe the flavor, or texture, or experience of this particular grape, and note how it might be different from grapes they’d had in the past.
I got “yummy”, “delicious”, and “scrumptious”, then the child who would not be limited to one word. “More of a grape”, “mushier”, “more slimy”.
And then, there was the child who uttered the word I hadn’t anticipated, which is the true joy of working with elementary school students.
“Artificial!”
“Come again?”
“Artificial!! Everyone should take this grape out of their mouths IMMEDIATELY, because the flavor is so vivid, so real, and so strong, it’s AHHHHBviously fake food.”
We’re in the farmers market with an obvious agenda: to celebrate the flavor of goods that come from local farms. This is a mantra we’d repeated at least a dozen times this morning alone. But these obtuse concepts were not making their way past prior parental prostelitizing, so I tried:
“See that thing you’re holding in your hand? It’s a stem. And that little thing you’re playing with on your tongue? It’s a seed. If you see stems and seeds, you can bet that the food you’re eating is natural and not artificial.”
“But, it tastes artificial.”
Moving right along. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some huge, impressive lulav-like boughs of eucalyptus. Talk about a vivid, unusual scent. I asked my group to stick their little noses onto this branch, and inhale deeply.
Same student: “It smells like Vicks.”
I could only complement the student for her interest, and passion, and creative palate. Some where between there and here, our confused national food agendas will become clear. Until then, I can only encourage her, in that unlike so many her age, she's gone beyond the chicken nugget and is willing to try food and think about it. She might not have the right answers, but she's on her way.
In the meantime, here’s a killer recipe for homemade Caesar Salad dressing and the most delicious croutons you’ll ever have. Toss this on a head of farmers market romaine and enjoy.
Caesar Salad
Serves 4 to 6
For the croutons:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 baguette (or any other loaf of fresh bread), cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, smashed and peel removed
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large anchovies
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Coarse salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad:
1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch ribbons
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved or grated
To make the croutons: In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter or heat oil over medium heat. Add chunks of bread, and sprinkle with garlic powder. Stir to coat bread cubes with butter. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden and toasted. Sprinkle with parsley flakes, and toss to coat. Remove from skillet and set aside until ready to use.
To make the dressing: In a food processor or blender, add the garlic and pulse to chop. Add the egg yolk, mustard and anchovies. Pulse to create a paste. Add the lemon juice, and with the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is incorporated and the dressing is emulsified. Add parmesan; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a serving bowl, combine the lettuce with the salad dressing and toss to combine. Top with the croutons and cheese, as desired. Serve cold.
posted by Allison Fishman Task at 5:01 PM
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