Earlier this week five members of the Harwood Unified Union School District food service staff spent a day taking a Mediterranean cooking class, preparing, and sampling some new meals for district students this fall.
They were introduced to a melon and mint salad featuring watermelon and cantaloupe with mint dressing. They made Baba Ganoush, a traditional eggplant dish, a hummus, which is already a staple in the HUUSD kitchens. They made tzatziki, a Greek yogurt and cucumber dish from scratch along with Chicken Schwarma and Kofka chicken meatballs.
“It was a really great class,” said Erika Dolan, HUUSD school food and nutrition co-director.
“When we read the recipe for the meatballs, we initially had some reservations because it is made with ground chicken which is not an item we usually purchase,” Dolan said, noting that the meal was delicious and the district would be able to source ground chicken.
This week’s class is part of the continuing education that school staff attend annually as part of their professional development. It is offered through the Vermont Agency of Education’s child nutrition program thanks to federal funds.
Dolan said that in addition to the Mediterranean cooking classes, AOE offered other classes in knife skills and a fish preparation class, which her staff did not take, but which were held at Harwood Union.
There are other types of continuing education offerings aimed at specific employees, including Dolan and her peers, having to do with paperwork and reporting among other things. This week Dolan took a class on wellness, for example. She was also a panelist this week, one of three featured who presented information on local initiative grants. The HUUSD was recently singled out as one of the Vermont school districts honored for (and receiving grants for) purchasing and using local food.
Dolan said the continuing ed work for her staff encourages networking and also lets people from other school districts share recipes, tips and tools that make school meals taste better and help kitchens operate more smoothly.
“It also let’s our staff know that they’re not operating in silos, lets them see the big picture and feel more connected,” Dolan said.
“We’re always learning. Our staff love it. It empowers them and gives them more tools to do their jobs which reflects on the kids automatically. Participation in continuing ed confirms their professionalism. It is a profession. They’re not just lunch ladies,” Dolan added.
