Cooking up Ratatouille for School Lunches, Farm to School Style!
re:TH!NK Farm to School and the food service staff from Omro, Winneconne, and Oshkosh schools teamed up last week to prepare and freeze over 1,000 lbs of Ratatouille sauce to liven up the school lunch menus. Locally-grown tomatoes, squash, eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs from farms within a 50 mile radius were used to make the sauce. The mounds of beautiful, fresh produce were truly a sight to see! The kitchen staff were eager to prepare this dish from scratch, using new processing equipment purchased through a USDA Farm to School grant, awarded to re:TH!NK last year.
Over 12,000 students will have the opportunity to eat the ratatouille in their school lunch in various dishes like quesadillas, wraps, pizza or as a side dish. Fun school events will help promote the sauce, like showing clips of the movie Ratatouille, sending home colorful fliers with nutrition information, recipes and games, and having volunteers hand out samples of the dish while inspiring the children to try it.
The idea (and the recipe) for the ratatouille was borrowed from Chef Monique Hooker, who created this dish for schools in Virocqua, Wisconsin. Thank you, Virocqua! Since all of the vegetables are plentiful and ready for harvest right now, this was the perfect time to make the sauce and freeze it for use later in the year.
re:TH!NK has been working with schools in Winnebago County for the past two years on farm to school programs to bring more fresh, locally-grown and nutritious food to schools to support and encourage healthy eating habits for the students. Farm to school connects the classroom, school meal programs, farmers, and the home to foster a positive attitude towards healthy food. The more local food that can be brought into the schools, the more chances kids have to taste and eat these products. Students involved in Winnebago County Farm to School programs have been more willing to try new foods; an important first step towards lifelong healthy eating habits! At the same time, farm to school supports local farmers and the local economy.
Associating the ratatouille dish with characters from the popular children’s movie is a way to peak the students’ interest, branding these healthy foods in a way that appeals to them and competing with the mountains of messaging they receive daily for processed, less nutritious foods,. By allowing students to try new foods in a fun and educational environment, the program encourages them to discover new healthy foods that taste good!
See the ratatouille-making in action!
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