School Lunch Manager Barrett Miller of Plattsburgh, New York wants your kids to eat well while learning about the advantages of better food choices.
Community Contributor Anna Hewitt-Channell discusses school lunches benefiting from the NOURISH program with Barrett Miller.
According to Miller, NOURISH is a program through Champlain Valley Educational Services. NOURISH stands for “Nurturing Our Unique Regional Ingredients for Student Health.” It is a farm to table, from-scratch cooking program that strives to fuel children with the most nutrient dense foods. NOURISH strives to break the mold of a typical school food service program and go above and beyond the Child Nutrition standards. The program aims to give children all of the nutrients that they need in breakfast and lunch, while educating the students about local foods, nutrition facts, and forming a healthier relationship with food.
Schools that participate in the NOURISH program:
- Plattsburgh CSD
- Peru CSD
- Moriah CSD
- Schroon
- Keene
- Boquet Valley
- CVES Mineville & Plattsburgh Campuses
- Willsboro
Miller shares many recipes with her facebook group, “Balance by Barrett.” Enjoy this savory soup from the kitchen of Barrett Miller!
Butternut Squash Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 whole garlic head
- 3-4 carrots
- 2 bell pepper, deseeded and halved
- 1 butternut squash, peeled + quartered
- 5 large tomatoes, quartered
- 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (you can also use bone broth!)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap head of garlic in aluminum foil.
- On a large sheet tray, add your wrapped garlic, butternut squash, tomatoes, onion, carrots and bell pepper. Add a tablespoon of oil and some salt + pepper to the vegetables. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes or until butternut squash is easily pierced with a fork. *
- Once the vegetables are fully cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Put your cooked vegetables and squeeze out the cooked garlic into a blender. Add your remaining oil and 3 cups broth to the blender. Blend until smooth. If needed, add the additional cup of broth depending on your desired texture. **
- Pour the soup into a large pot on the stove. Add the seasonings and simmer at medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
- If desired, add in the heavy cream after simmering. Enjoy!
Notes
- * Use the vegetables that you have on hand! Don’t have carrots? No problem. Add in another bell pepper! This recipe makes it easy to use up any veggies you have at home.
- ** You can use an immersion blender at this step. For this option, put your roasted vegetables, broth, and oil into a large pot on the stove. Use immersion blender until smooth. Follow the remaining steps.
Community Contributor Anna Hewitt-Channel
Anna Hewitt-Channell of Plattsburgh, New York serves as the Business Development & Marketing Manager at Dannemora Federal Credit Union. Her interests include business relationships, community involvement, and working with charities and non-profits. As a Community Contributor, Anna will interview people who are making a difference in our region.