Today we had a wrap-up including a few very thoughtful case studies and a fabulous session on ways to avoid wasting food. My favorite- keep the ends and peels as well as the wilted,but not not spoiled vegetables in a "stock bag" in the freezer. Then when there's enough and you have time, throw it all in a pot or slow cooker and make great vegetable broth which can also be frozen for later use. The head chef also showed us a fabulous recipe for using the tops of carrots to make pesto with mint and pistachio nuts. Tasting was part of the demo. Definitely going to try it out.
There was also a great session on taking "food as medicine thinking" into the community. One thing I respect about the faculty is that many of them employ what my mother used to call the Robin Hood strategy - they work part of their time among fairly affluent people and then can give some part of their week to service in struggling neighborhoods. Some are working in clinics that serve the uninsured a few have been spending time teaching mind-body trauma recovery techniques to Syrian refugees, and another group is working with a large urban hospital to revamp their food service so patients actually get food that's good for them.
After one last session where we learned about laughter therapy by doing some, we had one last fabulous lunch together and the said our goodbyes. Menu for today's lunch: gaspacho with avocado crema, spinach and herb frittata, roasted edamame with herbs, quinoa with grapes, and gluten free chocolate date cherry truffles.
