Now Online: Nearly 50 Kid Tested and Approved Chef in the Classroom Recipes from Haldane, GUFS and Beacon City School Districts

Come take a look at our new recipe page! I posted every recipe we've made since the beginning of Hudson Valley Farm to School's initiative in 2010. They are easy and fun to browse through, alphabetized by fruit or vegetable.

Try one of our delicious chef's recipes today! Go to Recipes page

Haldane Farm to School: Great Start to a New Year!

We had a great farm to school week at Haldane Elementary School! 

On Monday Chef Nick taught the 3rd graders how to make a classic tomato sauce with fresh basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, and tomatoes. All from Haldane's own garden! It was a unanimous thumbs up!















The same day, Mrs. Scrocca's 2nd graders made kale chips from kale they picked from the school garden.

And the next day, Mrs. Cretara's kindergarteners made apple chips from apples they picked at Fishkill Farms.

We closed the week with local, organic corn on the cob and a local salad bar with greens and carrots from Glynwood Farm.

What a week!

We're in Hudson Valley Magazine!

Check out this month's issue of Hudson Valley Magazine:

Any adult who says that kids don’t like vegetables has no idea!” declares Sandy McKelvey. Over the past four and a half years, the Cold Spring-based founder ofHudson Valley Farm to School has been bringing farmers, chefs — and vegetables by the bucketload — into classrooms in the Haldane, Garrison, and Beacon school districts. Read more:

Forrestal students make salads with lettuce from Common Ground Farm!

Butter lettuce from Common Ground Farm and fresh strawberries were the main ingredients for this month's Chef in the Classroom visit. Mrs. Gall's 3rd graders got busy chopping strawberries and tearing up lettuce in bite-size pieces. 

Then one by one, students came up and helped Chef Katie make the strawberry vinaigrette dressing. 

Sweet and sour and yummy!

Enjoy this recipe with local strawberries and Common Ground lettuce from the Beacon Farmers Market!

Strawberry Vinaigrette

5 oz baby lettuce leaves

1 cup strawberries, chopped fine

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots minced

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mash the strawberries with a whisk.  Mix in the mustard, honey, vinegar, and oil.   Season to taste with the sea salt and pepper.  If dressing settles, whisk quickly before tossing with the baby lettuce greens. 

Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Haldane High School Students learn to make traditional Mexican Quesadillas with Local Spinach

Chef Evelyn Garcia, graduate of the Culinary Institute of America visited Mrs. Pidala's high school Home and Careers class at Haldane last week and taught the students how to make quesadillas using freshly made tortillas.

She demonstrated how to make the dough from corn "masa" and water, and using an iron tortilla press, she made the tortillas within seconds!
















Meanwhile, students made a spicy salsa verde with tomatillos and jalapeño peppers in a traditional Mexican Molcajete. Others sautéed fresh spinach from Madura Farms in Goshen, NY. And the rest worked on the guacamole. 

After grilling the tortillas for a few minutes, the students assembled the quesadillas with sautéed spinach and Mexican queso blanco. The quesadillas were topped with guacamole and salsa verde. 

Chef Evelyn brought in a traditional hibiscus iced tea to add to the delicious traditional Mexican snack.