Rhymes with bumpkins

By Dee Reid

My spring garden started sprouting early this year. Even before my sugar-snaps germinated in late February, something unexpected sprung up in the pea patch. Looked like squash seedlings, but that couldn’t be, since my zucchinis and summer squash got wiped out by the bugs and worms last year, and the year before, come to think of it.

A few days after I disposed of the new squash look-alikes, the same sturdy little boogers started peeping up in the arugula bed. Then amidst the chard and red-leaf lettuce. Dang. Who invited these unexpected visitors anyway?

No problem, I kept snatching the volunteer seedlings up and tossing them away like weeds. But they kept on poking their perky little heads through the soil.

Soon the strangers were showing up in the bed I had prepared for tomatoes, but hadn’t even planted yet. What the heck?

Then I remembered. Last fall, I threw several rotting Halloween pumpkins into my compost bin. They bio-degraded very nicely, thank you very much, and I smugly dumped the most excellent results on all of my garden beds.

Now I’ve got pumpkin bumpkins sprouting all over the place. File this in the department of unintended consequences, next to the humility lessons.

Hmm, maybe next year I should save some zukes, instead of eating every last scrap, to throw in my compost pile . It may be the only way I’ll ever get a decent squash crop.

Just another reminder that no matter how efficient and earnest we are in the garden, we’re not always really in charge after all.

Shitake mushroom workshop

Here’s a great way to celebrate spring, contribute to a unique community garden, and learn how to grow shitake mushrooms.

The Carolina Campus Community Garden will have a shitake workshop on Sunday March 20 from 1 to 3 p.m.  You can learn how to grow shitakes by helping UNC staff and students prepare 12 logs with mushroom plugs for the garden. Leading the workshop will be Aaron Moody, a geography professor who grows mushrooms on the side.

You will also get to sample some delicious dishes made with shitakes. How about some mushrooms with fontina cheese over polenta?

The garden was developed last year by Claire Lorch and colleagues to give UNC employees and students access to fresh local food that they can raise themselves and share with others. It’s located on University property on Wilson Street, off of Cameron Avenue just a couple of blocks west of the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.

The workshop is free, but you are welcome to give a donation to the garden. For more information, contact Claire at clorch@email.unc.edu.

Chatham County Chef Challenge

By Tami Schwerin

Chef Colin and Chef Jimmy with the Moncure School lunch team

What could be a better opportunity to promote local food, health and nutrition than the school lunch?  We are hearing more and more about the worldwide epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes.  School lunches are the perfect place to make a big impact.

Welcome to The Chatham County Chef Challenge in which we introduce three celebrity chefs to the ingredients, facilities, and nutritional guidelines of the iconic school lunch. Their assignment is to develop healthier menus using the same ingredients and guidelines and staying within budget.

Three Chefs have volunteered their time and expertise:  Colin Bedford of the Fearrington House Restaurant (North Carolina’s only official Five Star), Jimmy Reale of the Crossroads Restaurant at Carolina Inn (four star and four diamond restaurant),  and Steve Caldwell of the Natural Chefs Culinary Program at Central Carolina Community College, (first community college in the nation that offers a wholistic, sustainable culinary arts program).  They all have quality and local food in common.  Two have children….it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Chef Jimmy with the Northwood High School lunch team

The chefs must develop recipes and techniques to increase the amount of vegetables on the menu, and to raise awareness about the lunch program.  The menu needs to be quick and easy so that the lunch ladies can replicate the menu.

Debbie McKenzie, Child Nutrition Director, is leading the charge and organizing the different school lunch teams.  It’s her job to juggle getting the most nutrition in the lunches and keeping the budget of $1.00 per child.  I don’t envy her challenge.

We took the chefs to visit Northwood High School, Moncure School, and the brand new Pollard Middle School to give them a taste of what they would be working with.  There was a lot of enthusiasm from the school lunch teams.

After the chefs develop their new menus, the school lunch teams will serve them up over three days in April. Students will also have opportunities this month to interview the chefs at their restaurants.

We think The Chef Challenge is going to be a lot of fun.  It will give us a chance to learn about some of the myths and realities from behind the counter of our county’s largest food service organization.  And it will give Chatham County Schools some exposure to our mission of local food and sustainability. And of course we love working with the kids.

More to come!  Next steps are the menu creations, teaching the teams to create these for the 17 county schools and then implementation.  Can’t wait to see what unfolds!

–Tami Schwerin is executive director of the Abundance Foundation in Pittsboro.