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It's officially fall. Even if you are deep in a cubicle or factory, you can tell by the way pumpkin flavor has worked its way into everything from coffee to candles. But we at FRESH we have a more intimate view of this seasonal shift as the sunflowers faded, the tomatoes and peppers flare and the hearty greens give it their all.
FRESH has been sharing the fruits of our labors this month, harvesting produce for and with the youth, community gardeners, volunteers, and friends. Harvesting the vegetables we have watched grow all summer has reminded us of the hopes we planted with the seeds early in the spring.
Those hopes have been an anchor we could hold on to when we read the bad news that dominates the headlines these days. We hold on tight and we harvest and we know that our work for food justice connects us to all so many struggles. We are harvesting hope!
It has been busy month for us and we are relieved to be getting this edition of our monthly newsletter to you before the end of the month. Enclosed you will find updates on all the incredible work that has kept us from communicating with you in a timely way!
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In this issue, we harvest with:- Dominion Power: Report from an Energizing Work Day
And we share - Welcome to Megan
- One New London High student shares her lunch with FRESH
- Focus on Chloe Murphy: MLK Scholar!
- Recipe of the Month: Beet Burgers
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| Thanks to Volunteers from Dominion Power, FRESH Gets a "Sustainability Upgrade!" |
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It was alot of work! We had to write a proposal, come up with a budget and a list of supplies and then had to refine and re-refine it over time. But that was just on our end! On the Dominion end, Elizabeth Peterson and Lenny Mausteller made multiple trips to the FRESH Farm for site visits and to plan everything just right. Lenny even came a week early and worked with other volunteers to install cement pillions behind the shed to support the rain barrel project.
Thursday, September 22, dawned bright and sunny and we started work EARLY. When FRESH staff arrived, the 30 Dominion volunteers were already chomping at the bit and raring to get started on an ambitious plan of work.
The Plan? - Repair brickwork under the Pavilion
- Install five new rain barrels behind the tool shed (build a platform that can support that weight)
- Hook sink up to the City water supply for hand and vegetable washing
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- Repair main spigot and improve water flow throughout Farm
- Extend water access with a new spigot on parking lot side of Farm
- Build new growing beds
Are you impressed yet?
We thought that was MORE than enough work, but our dedicated and highly skilled volunteers chugged through all of that work in short order.
They also cut down and removed tons of brush from our wild (much too wild at this point) Children's space, trimmed all our perennials, weed whacked the whole space and found two beautiful pumpkins buried under mountains of vines gone nutso.
We are so grateful to Elizabeth and Lenny and Dominion Power for giving back to the community in such a robust and thoughtful way!! |
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Welcome Megan, VISTA Volunteer |
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Megan Griffin joined the FRESH community this September. She brings alot of great experience to this work! Previously, she spent 15 months at SEIU in Los Angeles as a Field Researcher for the "Fight for 15" fast food worker campaign. She has also researched "big box" stores and organized Taxi drivers as part of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor.
She is a graduate of Georgetown University's Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, where her studies compared post-colonial modernisms and aesthetics. There, she finished a Senior thesis on Ecofeminist Literature from Puerto Rico and Haiti, as well as research projects on gender, climate change & nutrition security and Cold War literature. During a year at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, she continued her studies in art, activism and development, believing deeply in the motto: Vitas menti pro vita mundi! (Life of the mind for the life of the world, for you non-Latin speakers out there).
Megan grew up in New London county and is thrilled to unite her environmental, social and economic interests under the mantle of food justice in her home community. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, painting, dancing, cycling, coffee, feminist monologues and playing with her chihuahua-mutt, Oats Dandelion.
We are so excited to welcome Megan aboard. She'll be taking on FRESH's Farm to School work and will be helping to connect communities by participating in the Food Policy Council and other food justice networks. You can contact her by emailing vista@freshnewlondon.org.
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| | | WHALER PRIDE FOR NEW LONDON SCHOOL LUNCH |
| | New London school lunch is getting alot of attention these days. The Whaler cafeteria has been featured in The Washington Post, the New London Day and all over the world wide web. Why? Does the world really want to commiserate with another kid's (very) Sloppy Joe sandwich? Nope! These are good news stories about how change has come to New London High and other area schools!
The New London Public School system hired a world class chef to revamp school lunch. But when Chef Dan Giusti brought his sharp knives and his big ideas to our community, he found he wasn't starting from scratch. FRESH has been building a strong foundation for his team to leap off from. We introduced local foods the cafeteria, built the Farm to School network and have been working with food service for the last few years to transform how institutions think about school lunch. We are so excited to welcome Dan Giusti and Brigaid to New London! Watch a short movie about Brigaid and their vision for school food, online by clicking here!
FRESH sat down with Chloe Murphy, a senior at the Science and Tech Magnet High School to hear how lunch was going:
FRESH: Hi Chloe, how is your lunch today?
CHLOE: Delicious! We are having roasted chicken, corn bread and a kale and cabbage salad! We also have cut up oranges and a choice from the fruit bowl.
FRESH: Is it better than last year?
CHLOE: Oh, yeah! Before this, everything we ate was super processed, not authentic at all. Like even pizza was bad! There was almost no sauce, the cheese was plastic-ey and not melty. It didn't stretch. It had no character! Blah. We had it every Friday, but the kids were never excited about it.
FRESH: What is your favorite meal so far this year?
CHLOE: I really like the cheese ravioli! It is filled with soft cheese and there is ample sauce, and it tastes like real sauce made from real tomatoes! I love the fresh fruits and vegetables. We have bright colors on our plates! And we have real plates!
FRESH: So what are some of the differences that stand out, now that Brigaid is making your lunch?
CHLOE: There is a whole new menu. The pizza is actually good this year. We have alot of options, you can have one of two soups every day and different sandwiches. There are pre-made salads, like garden salad or chicken Caesar salad! The food tastes real, fresh... like it didn't come from a box. The kids are excited for lunch instead of dreading it! And there is tasty water with lemon.
FRESH: Well, it just sounds so classy, respectful! Just what the young people of New London deserve. Buen Provecho, Chloe!
CHLOE: Take care! |
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| | | | | | | And... As Long as We're Talking About Chloe Murphy.... |
| | We should tell her and all of you how proud we are that her many gifts and talents were recognized by The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund for 2016 and that she will be awarded a $20,000 scholarship at their gala on October 20th. The Trust Fund looks for young people who are dedicated to learning, understand Dr. King's mission, are able to demonstrate their character and financial need.
Over the years, nearly 150 scholarships have been awarded, and the scholarship amount has grown to twenty thousand dollars, distributed in five thousand dollar installments over a four year period while the scholar remains in college. Chloe is a perfect choice for the Trust Fund, in addition to working with FRESH for many years, Chloe has a part time job and numerous other volunteer and service commitments. She is kind and generous, fierce and fabulous!
We are beyond proud of Chloe and beyond proud that when asked which of her many activities would make Dr. King most proud, she answered without hesitation: "FRESH New London." |
| | | A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: THANK YOU LA BELLE AURORE |
| | Farm to Table
Seven courses, and desert, and drinks!
Thank you to Chef Dawn Bruckner for creating an extraordinary evening of food and sharing to benefit FRESH New London. She treated our ingredients-- cucumber, mint, peppers, beets, eggplant, collard greens and so much more-- with respect and love and innovated an incredible menu. If you are in Niantic, please stop by and have a meal at La Belle Aurore! |
| | | | RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Beet Burgers! |
| | How do you pick a standout from Dawn Bruckner's menu of seven entrees? The FRESH staff agreed that the beet burgers were so different and satisfying.
Dawn was kind enough to share her recipe with us (and you). If you make them, don't forget to invite us over!
La Belle Aurore Beet Burgers
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 large red onion, finely diced (~3/4 cup)
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (shitake, baby bella or white button)
Salt & Pepper
1 15-ounce can black beans, well rinsed and drained
1 cup finely grated raw beet
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (or sub extra cumin)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
~1/2 cup raw walnuts, crushed or ground into a loose meal
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add some nonstick spray or a bit of olive oil. Once hot add the onion and sauté, seasoning with a pinch each salt and pepper.
When the onions are soft – about 5 minutes – turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly browned and fragrant – about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add black beans and mash. You’re looking for a rough mash, so you can leave a bit of texture if you want.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the quinoa, beets, spices and stir. Lastly, add the walnut meal a little at a time until the mixture is able enough to form into patties. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Form mixture into roughly 8-9 patties. The thicker you make them, the longer they’ll take to cook through, but the “juicier” and heartier they’ll be! Thinner patties will cook faster.
Arrange burgers on a baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake at 375 for a total of 30-45 minutes, gently flipping at the halfway mark. Cook longer to dry them out even more and make them crisp if you want. |
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WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Interested in supporting FRESH with a tax-deductible donation? Of course you are!! Donate Here or follow this link: http://www.freshnewlondon.org/donate/ |
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