BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

9
As you develop your lunch and breakfast menus for the coming school year, you’re probably thinking about ways to cut down on sugar, fat and salt without sacrificing the flavor and appeal of the food you serve. Maybe you’re looking to offer more scratch- prepared dishes in place of certain processed items, in an effort to meet stricter nutrition standards or make more use of locally sourced offerings. One thing’s for sure: These new menu items had better taste good! But if you take out the fat, sugar and salt, what’s left to make kids’ taste buds pop? The answer already may be growing outside in your family, community or school garden. Many of the plants that produce culinary herbs and spices may look inconsequential, but their leaves, seeds, bark, root and fruit can pack an enormous flavor punch! Why Seasonin gs Are Worth Their “Salt” BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER SchoolNutrıtıon AUGUST 2011 56

Transcript of BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

Page 1: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

As you develop your lunch and breakfast menus for the coming school year, you’re

probably thinking about ways to cut down on sugar, fat and salt without sacrifi cing the

fl avor and appeal of the food you serve. Maybe you’re looking to offer more scratch-

prepared dishes in place of certain processed items, in an effort to meet stricter nutrition

standards or make more use of locally sourced offerings.

One thing’s for sure: These new menu items had better taste good! But if you take

out the fat, sugar and salt, what’s left to make kids’ taste buds pop? The answer already

may be growing outside in your family, community or school garden. Many of the

plants that produce culinary herbs and spices may look inconsequential, but their leaves,

seeds, bark, root and fruit can pack an enormous fl avor punch!

Why Seasonings Are Worth Their “Salt”

BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER

SchoolNutrıtıon • A U G U S T 2 0 1 156

Page 2: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

 FocusFOOD

CHICKEN AND PEARS BOMBAY

YIELD: 24 servings*

PER SERVING: 429 cal., 29 g pro., 50 g carb., 2 g fi ber,

12 g fat, 3 g sat. fat, 81 mg chol., 723 mg sod.

INGREDIENTS

Onions, chopped—2 lbs. or 1 qt.

Butter—2 ozs. or 1 cup

Vegetable oil—1⁄4 cup

Curry powder—1 1⁄2 Tbsps.

Flour—3 ozs. or 3⁄4 cup

Chicken stock—2 qts.

Lemon juice—2 Tbsps.

Salt—1 Tbsp.

Chicken, pre-cooked—4 lbs., 8 ozs. or 3 1⁄2 qts.

Pear slices, canned, drained—3 lbs., 8 ozs. or 2 qts.

Parsley, chopped*—3⁄4 cup

Rice, cooked, long-grain—4 1⁄2 qts.

Almonds, toasted, slivered—optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut or pull the chicken into 3⁄8 x 3⁄8 x 1-in. strips.

2. Sauté the onions in the butter and oil until soft, for about

10 minutes.

3. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook, stirring

for 1 minute.

4. Stir in the fl our and continue to cook, stirring for 5

minutes.

5. Remove the onion mixture from the heat and whisk in

the chicken stock. Return to the heat and cook until

thickened, about 5 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, salt,

chicken strips and pears.

7. Stir in the parsley and set the mixture aside.

8. For each serving, portion 1 cup chicken-and-pear

mixture and serve over 3⁄4 cup hot rice. Garnish with

almonds.

Photo, recipe and recipe analysis: Pacifi c Northwest Canned Pear Service, www.eatcannedpears.com

*Note: If this recipe passes the test with a small group of

students, adjust the quantities for batch preparation. The parsley

can be substituted with cilantro for a slightly different fl avor

profi le.

Judicious use of herbs, spices and other seasonings can add fl avor, while helping you to cut down on sodium and fat in various recipes.

W W W. S C H O O L N U T R I T I O N . O R G • SchoolNutrıtıon 57

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FocusFOOD

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WUSHU CHICKEN TACOS

YIELD: 2 tacos*

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

Ginger, fresh—1⁄8-in. thick slice Sugar—2 1⁄2 tsps.

Garlic, peeled—2 cloves Worcestershire sauce—2 1⁄2 tsps.

Peanut butter, creamy—2 Tbsps. Sesame oil—2 1⁄4 tsps.

Soy sauce—1 Tbsp. Water—3 1⁄2 tsps.

Chili paste with garlic—3⁄8 tsp.

TACO INGREDIENTS

Rotisserie-style chicken, diced—1⁄2 cup Flour tortilla, 6-in.—2

Asparagus, cut in 1-in. long pieces—1⁄4 cup Lime wedges—2 (optional)

Squash, yellow, cut—1⁄4 cup

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the sauce: After peeling and

cutting in half the ginger, place the ginger

and peeled garlic in a small food processor

and chop as fi nely as possible.

2. Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, chili

paste, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, sesame

oil and water and process until the sauce is

completely smooth. If the sauce is too thick,

add more water. If the sauce is too thin, add more peanut butter.

3. Using about half of the sauce mixture, add to the chicken pieces, tossing to coat. Put

aside in a covered bowl.

4. To prepare the tacos: Boil approximately 1 in. of water in a large skillet and add the

asparagus. Cover the skillet and turn off the heat. In 1-3 minutes, lift off the skillet cover and

remove the asparagus. Set aside.

5. Cut off the ends of the squash and then cut the remaining squash into half-moon pieces

fi lling 1⁄4 cup. Place the squash in a microwave-safe bowl and add a little water. Cover with

plastic wrap and microwave 2-3 minutes. Let cool slightly and carefully drain off the water.

Set aside.

6. Place the tortillas in the microwave and cook about 15 seconds, or until they are warm

and bend easily. Place the chicken in the tortillas, top with the asparagus and squash and

drizzle with the remaining peanut butter sauce.

7. Serve with optional lime wedges.

Photo: Jif, www.jif.comRecipe: Margalit Mermelstein, age 8, Raleigh, N.C., winner of Jif ’s 2011 Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest

*Note: If this recipe passes the test with a small group of students, adjust the quantities for batch

preparation and conduct a nutrient analysis.

Put Down the Shaker and

Back Away…

Few would argue that Americans’ favorite

fl avoring is salt. We shake it on vegetables

and meat, stir it into stews, and even bake

it into cookies. Some salt is a critical

element in the science of cooking and

should not be eliminated altogether. But

even if you reduce the amount of salt you

use in cooking and at the table, it’s likely

that you are consuming a great deal of salt

through processed and packaged foods

(bread, prepared dinners, cold cuts, cheese,

soup), not to mention restaurant offerings.

In fact, 77% of our sodium intake comes

from these sources. And some foods

naturally contain sodium; these include

vegetables, dairy products and shellfi sh.

So, just how extensive is that total

sodium intake? Researchers estimate that

the average American consumes 3,400 mg

of sodium every day. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend an

upper limit of 2,300 mg a day—even lower

if you are over age 51, black or have certain

medical conditions. Indeed, the American

Heart Association recommends consum-

ing no more than 1,500 mg a day.

Too much salt can contribute to serious

health problems by raising blood pressure

and harming the heart and circulatory

system. And such problems are being seen

at younger and younger ages. The Ameri-

can Academy of Pediatrics says that 5% of

kids have blood pressure that’s higher than

normal, due in large part to the high

sodium levels found in fastfood and

processed items. More children are getting

kidney stones, once a rare condition in

childhood; these can stem from excessive

salt intake. What’s more, kids who

consume a lot of salt get thirstier and

consequently drink more soda and juice,

adding extra calories. And fi nally, a diet

marked by too much salt can create lifelong

taste preferences that carry into adulthood.

Fortunately, there are ways to address

this problem. While adults and children

alike get accustomed to a certain level of

sodium in food, they also can learn to

break this habit over time, learning to fi nd

appeal in foods with less sodium. School

nutrition operations can be a part of the

solution by relying less on processed foods,

partnering with vendors to develop

acceptable lower-sodium alternatives,

making adjustments to recipes and so on.

Worried that your students will never

accept low-sodium foods and recipes?

That’s where spices and herbs come in!

There are many different seasonings that

can help enliven the taste of individual

foods and recipes that kids might be wary

of, add variety to tradional favorites and

offer fl avorful alternatives to heavy doses

of salt.

Are You Going to

Scarborough Fair?

In the Simon and Garfunkel song, based on

a traditional English ballad, a young man

asks his love to perform a series of impos-

sible tasks to prove her devotion. The

chorus repeats the names of four common

herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Many folksongs evoke herbs, probably

because of their reputations as cures and

Page 4: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

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FocusFOOD

APPLE SAUSAGE CORN BAKED “PANCAKES”

YIELD: 72 servings

PER SERVING: 180 cal., 3 g pro., 26 g carb., 0 g fi ber, 7 g fat, 2 g sat. fat, 40 mg chol.,

340 mg sod.

INGREDIENTS

Breakfast sausage, pre-cooked—1 lb., 2 ozs. or 4 cups Water, cool (72°F)—2 lbs., 8 ozs. or 5 cups

Apples, canned in water—2 lbs., 10 ozs. or 6 cups Corn muffi n mix—5 lbs.

Red onion—9 ozs. or 2 cups Sage, ground—2 Tbsps.

Eggs, large, whole—7 ozs. or 4 large

DIRECTIONS

1. Dice the pre-cooked breakfast sausage and put aside. Drain the apples, slice and put aside. Dice the onions and put aside.

2. Combine the eggs and water into a mixing bowl and beat with a wire whip.

3. Add the muffi n mix to the eggs. Mix using a wire whip until the batter is blended and smooth.

4. Lightly combine the sausage, apples, onion and sage together and then fold the mixture into the batter using a rubber spatula. Do not

overmix.

5. Deposit 1 lb., 4 ozs. (approximately 2 1⁄2 cups) of batter into 9 greased 8-in. round cake pans.

6. Bake in a convection oven for 14-18 minutes at 350ºF or in a standard oven for 16-20 minutes at 400ºF. Rotate pans baked in a convection

oven one-half turn after 5 minutes of baking.

7. Divide each pan into 8 individual servings.

Photo, recipe and recipe analysis: General Mills Foodservice, www.generalmillsfoodservice.com

JERK CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE MANGO SALSA

YIELD: 24 servings*

PER SERVING: 193 cal., 28 g pro., 15 g carb., 2 g fi ber, 2 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 68 mg chol.,

201 mg sod.

SALSA INGREDIENTS

Pineapple, crushed, drained—6 cups Serrano chiles, seeded, fi nely

Mango, cubed—6 cups Lime peel, grated—2 Tbsps.

Cilantro, fresh, fi nely chopped—1⁄2 cup chopped—1 Tbsp.

CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

Pineapple, crushed, drained—3 cups Garlic salt—1 Tbsp. Blackpepper, ground —2 tsps

Onion, yellow, fi nely chopped—1 cup Allspice, ground—2 tsps. Cayenne pepper—1 tsp.

Thyme, dried—1 Tbsp. Cinnamon, ground—2 tsps. Chicken, boneless, skinless—24 5-oz. breasts

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the salsa: Combine the 6 cups of pineapple, mango, cilantro, lime peel and chiles. The yield should be 12 cups. Set aside.

2. Combine the 3 cups of pineapple, onion, thyme, garlic salt, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne. Pour this mixture into a

sealable plastic bag and add chicken breasts. Turn to coat, then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade.

3. Grill each chicken breast for 15 minutes or until it is no longer pink in the center, turning halfway through cooking.

4. Serve one breast with 1/2 cup of the pineapple mango salsa.

Photo, recipe and recipe analysis: Dole Food Company, Inc., www.dole.com

*Note: If this recipe passes the test with a small group of students, adjust the serving sizes and the quantities for batch preparation.

love charms. But we can learn a lesson

from long-ago balladeers: those four

herbs have modern curative properties,

too, as ingredients that can allow us to

reduce our dependence on salt without

sacrifi cing taste and appeal. If your expe-

rience with various seasonings is limited

to adding pepper when directed or using

basil in Italian dishes, it’s time you

expand your culinary experimentation!

Try some of the ideas that follow to…

er… “spice” up your menus.

Page 5: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

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Popular Parsley

Parsley is a common garnish on restaurant

plates; you’re likely to fi nd a sprig sitting

jauntily next to omelets and steaks alike.

It’s also considered a “companion plant” in

many gardens, not just as an ingredient in

its own right, but also because it attracts

predatory fl ies and wasps, which then

protect nearby plants from troublesome

pests. It’s also used by some as a natural

breath freshener.

But parsley is a culinary herb that’s

widely used in Middle Eastern, European

and American dishes, both for its fresh

fl avor and to add a vivid dash of green

color. As an added bonus, it’s rich in

vitamin C—more so than many citrus

fruits! You may use it already, dried or

fresh, in meatloaf and stews. Its delicate

taste doesn’t overpower other fl avors, so it

can be used in quantity to complement a

wide variety of recipes. In fact, many

experts place it at the top of the list of the

most popular culinary herbs.

Parsley plays a signifi cant role in

traditional dishes from disparate cuisines.

For example, it’s a key ingredient in

tabbouleh, the national dish of Lebanon,

which also features bulgur, tomato, green

onion and mint. In France, it’s the main

ingredient in the traditional topping for

meat and fi sh called persillade, as well as in

the Italian gremolata (made with parsley,

lemon zest, olive oil and garlic), which is

considered a traditional accompaniment to

veal osso buco and other dishes.

Whether you choose the familiar curly

parsley or its more fl avorful fl at-leaf Italian

cousin, you can go a little nuts in seeing how

parsley can give a fresh taste to everything

from beef dishes to fi sh to salads and

vegetable dishes. Try a few of the following

suggestions and see for yourself!

■ Sprinkle raw, chopped parsley on a

salad.

■ Add parsley to a mayonnaise for an

alternate spread.

■ Add it to rice dishes.

■ Add it to meatballs or burgers.

■ Stuff it inside chicken or fi sh before

roasting or grilling.

■ Substitute all or part of the basil with

parsley for a different pesto mix.

■ Add parsley to omelet or scrambled

egg mixtures before cooking.

■ Chop it up with boiled potatoes,

cooked carrots or steamed peas.

■ Add parsley to anything with an

Italian-style tomato sauce.

The Wisdom of Sage

With its furry leaves, greenish-silver color

and earthy, musty fragrance, sage has been

a popular herb for centuries. This member

of the mint family been used as a medici-

nal herb for longer than it’s been used in

cooking; from the age of the Greeks to 19th

century America, sage has appeared in

remedies and poultices. It even boasts a

reputation as a memory enhancer!

You may be more familiar with sage than

you might realize. It’s a predominant fl avor

in Thanksgiving stuffi ng, as well as in

certain breakfast items, like pork sausage.

Indeed, sage is a complement to all sorts of

breakfast foods, from omelets to frittatas.

Because sage has a bitter quality to it

when it’s dried, you might want to start by

using it in its fresh, milder-tasting form.

Fresh sage mellows further in dishes that

have long cooking times, so it can be a deli-

cious ingredient in stews or with braised

meats. Either way, even when cooking with

fresh sage, don’t use a lot; dried sage

should be limited to about one teaspoon

per six servings.

Sage provides an added savory richness

to dishes that incorporate mild cheeses.

And introduce your students to the delight

of biscuits made with cheese and sage! Sage

also can be found on the cutting-edge

menus of trendy restaurants, where fried

sage leaves are sometimes used as a

crunchy, fl avorful garnish, and even in

desserts, combined with cornmeal to make

a tart crust. But your initial experiments

with using sage are more likely to be along

the following lines:

FocusFOOD

ROASTED ROSEMARY VEGETABLES

YIELD: 100 servings

PER SERVING: 42 cal., 1 g pro., 7 g carb., 3 g fi ber, 1 g fat, 0 g sat. fat, 0 mg chol.,

108 mg sod., 15 mg ca.

INGREDIENTS

Bell peppers, green and red—3 lbs., Rosemary, fresh, coarsely chopped*

1 2 ozs. or 10 peppers —2 Tsps., 1 tsp.

Carrots, thickly sliced—7 lbs. Potatoes, new, red—12 lbs.

Olive oil or olive oil mix—1⁄2 cup Salt—1 Tbsp., 1⁄2 tsp

Garlic, fresh, minced —2 Tbsps., Black pepper—1 tsp.

1 tsp. or ~7 cloves

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise, discarding the stem and seeds. Cut each half into

four pieces.

2. Cut the unpeeled potatoes into approximately 1 1/2-in. wedges.

3. Toss the potatoes in a large bowl or steamtable pans with the carrots, peppers, oil, garlic,

rosemary, salt and pepper.

4. Spread the vegetables on parchment-covered sheet pans in a single layer.

5. Roast until the potatoes are cooked through and slightly browned. In a convection oven,

roast for about 30-40 minutes at 400ºF, or in a conventional oven, roast for about 35-45

minutes at 425ºF.

Recipe & recipe analysis: Fresh from the Farm: The Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook, www.farmtoschool.org/fi les/publications_134.pdf

*Note: Dried rosemary may be substituted for fresh rosemary. If using dried rosemary, use 2 1⁄4 tsps.

Page 6: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

SchoolNutrıtıon • A U G U S T 2 0 1 164

■ For secondary menus, a little sage

might perk up a grilled cheese sandwich

made with lowfat, low-sodium cheese. Or

try mixing it into macaroni and cheese.

■ Do you always make a white-bread-

based stuffi ng for Thanksgiving? Try

adding sage to cornbread and other

ingredients for a new twist on an old

favorite.

■ Use sage to fl avor vegetable soups.

■ Spinkle fresh-cut leaves onto a

gourmet pizza.

■ Rub sage and garlic into pork chops

before grilling.

Remember Rosemary

Rosemary’s spiky, miniature evergreen

leaves make it attractive as a decoration or

an indoor plant. In the Middle Ages, this

fragrant plant was thought to ward off evil

spirits, and people slept with it under their

pillows to chase away bad dreams. It’s also

one of the most popular herbs in many

cuisines, including Mediterranean foods

from Greece, Italy, France and Lebanon.

You can give a Mediterranean twist to

almost any type of meat or vegetable that

you grill or broil with a quick marinade of

olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic and

rosemary.

Rosemary is incredibly versatile in

cooking, and its impact comes as much

from its aroma—which has the quality of

FocusFOOD

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The Name Game

Spices and herbs are two different things, even though they sometimes can come

from the same plant! Typically, a spice comes from the seeds, fruit, roots or bark of a plant, while an herb comes from the leaves or stems. For example, a single plant produces the spice coriander (from its seeds) and the herb cilantro (from its leaves). Likewise, the seeds of the dill plant are consid-ered a spice, while its stems and leaves are the herb known as dillweed.

Page 7: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

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fresh pine needles—as from its fl avor. In

fact, some barbecue cooks toss rosemary

sprigs directly onto hot coals so that their

aroma will infuse the food and tempt

waiting diners! The truly adventurous turn

rosemary sprigs into actual skewers for

grilling shrimp or vegetables, or use them to

skewer small cubes of cheese, hunks of

Italian salami, marinated artichokes and

olives. Drizzle the items with olive oil and

balsamic vinegar for an impressive no-cook

appetizer.

Rosemary can help add new fl avors to

foods that people are more accustomed to

eating fried. Potatoes are a great example;

instead of French fries, try serving steamed

potatoes with a small amount of butter and

fresh rosemary. Rosemary also adds great

depth of fl avor to a simple roast chicken or to

savory breads like foccacia. It also can be

combined with pine nuts or walnuts in

savory/sweet cookies, or even added to choco-

late cake for an unusual fl avor combination.

Rosemary is a strong spice, and you

should limit dried rosemary to a teaspoon

per six servings. The fresh leaves can be

chewy, so chop them fi ne when introducing

youngsters to dishes that feature fresh

rosemary. Need additional rosemary

recommendations? Consider these:

■ Add rosemary to melted butter and

pour over boiled potatoes and vegetables.

■ Combine it with garlic and use as a

seasoning for lamb or chicken.

■ Add rosemary to lentils, beans or

stews.

■ Use rosemary to give a new fl avor to

homemade breads, rolls and biscuits.

■ Add one-quarter teaspoon each of

crushed rosemary and garlic salt to hot

cooked peas or green beans.

■ Dress up ready-to-bake rolls by

brushing the tops with olive oil and then

sprinkling a little dried rosemary and sea

salt before baking.

Time to Try Thyme

Thyme, with its tiny, delicate leaves, adds a

pungent, spicy fl avor to dishes. Thyme is

another versatile herb. It’s ideal to perk up

dishes made with lamb, pork and fi sh and can

provide a savory complement to the robust

FocusFOOD

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Page 8: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

SchoolNutrıtıon • A U G U S T 2 0 1 168

fl avors of meatloaf and shepherd’s pie. It’s

a common ingredient in French, Creole

and Cajun cooking. And, in McCormick

for Chefs’ Flavor Forecast 2011, indepen-

dent consultants laud thyme and stone

fruits (cherries, plums, nectarines, apricots

and peaches) as one of the top 10 fl avor

pairings of the year.

Dried thyme has a medium intensity,

and no more than one or two teaspoons

will be suffi cient for six servings of a dish.

Thyme blends well when used with other

herbs, such as rosemary. If you want to

experiment with different herb combina-

tions, consider doing so with roasted

vegetables. Carrots, potatoes, parsnips

and onions are the best to try; coat them

with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and

rosemary (or another herb) and roast in

the oven. Another side dish that stands

the test of thyme? Sautéed mushrooms!

Thyme also is delicious in egg dishes

like quiche or omelets, and can even be

baked into fresh bread for a savory twist.

It also pairs well with lemon in baked

desserts. You can use thyme in other

dishes, as well.

■ Add thyme to dishes that use beans,

such as stews and casseroles.

■ Try mixing thyme into any sauce

that goes on pasta.

■ Add thyme to soups and stocks.

■ Use it in marinades.

■ Add thyme to breadcrumb mixtures

used to coat fi llets of chicken or turkey.

■ Mix thyme with tomato, olive oil

and vinegar for a simple salad.

■ Try it in dough mixtures for breads

and scones.

Flavor Full!

These four common herbs represent only

a handful of literally hundreds of fl avor

combinations that can spice up your

dishes. Worried that students will turn

noses up at a dish with bits of herb

visible? You might try the traditional

French method for imparting herbal

fl avor to stews, broths, stocks and such as

they simmer: Create a bouquet garni.

FocusFOOD To Your Health!

Herbs and spices are more than fl avorful alternatives to salt. Some of them offer

important health benefi ts. For example, a teaspoon of thyme contains the same amount of antioxidant as a carrot or a half-cup of chopped tomatoes! A single teaspoon of dried oregano leaves has as many antioxidants as 3 ozs. of almonds and a half-cup of chopped asparagus. (And even salt has some health benefi ts—after all, our bodies rely on salt for most basic functions!)

Page 9: BY SUSAN DAVIS GRYDER Why Seasonings

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SchoolNutrıtıon • A U G U S T 2 0 1 170

Tie together sprigs of herbs—tradition-

ally parsley, thyme, bay and sometimes

rosemary—and, if you like, wrap them in

cheesecloth for easy removal after cooking.

Toss the bundle into a pot with your other

ingredients. It will lend the cooking liquid

the fl avors of the herbs. Remove it before

serving, and you get all of the fl avors

without the actual herbs remaining in the

food. In addition, the result is a milder and

more mellow fl avor than you’ll achieve

when adding chopped herbs to the dish.

Now is the time to be bold and spice up

your school menus. Make time to experi-

ment with herbs, spices and other fl avor

enhancers in your own home so you learn

what’s likely to have the best chance of

earning the approval of your customers.

Savory. Rich. Pungent. Intriguing. You

and your students can take the fi rst steps

to putting a halt on the salt. SN

Susan Davis Gryder is a freelance writer in Silver

Spring, Md. A number of the usage suggestions

courtesy of helpwithcooking.com. Herb images by

McCormick for Chefs. Photography on page 56-57

by Stockbyte.

Recipes obtained from outside sources and published in School Nutrition have not been tested by the magazine or SNA in a school foodservice setting. When available, nutrient analyses are provided by the recipe source. Required ingredients, preparation steps and nutrient content make some recipes more appropriate for catering applications or adult meals. Readers are encouraged to test recipes and calculate their own nutrition analyses and meal patterns before adding a recipe to school menus. In addition, SN recognizes that individual schools use varying documentation methods and preparation steps to comply with HACCP principles; we encourage you to add your own HACCP steps to these recipes.

BONUS WEB CONTENT

When cooking with herbs and spices, can you use fresh and dried varieties in

equal measure? Are there reasons to use one format over the other? Learn more about the differences at SchoolNutrition.org. Visit www.schoolnutrition.org/snmagazine, then click on “Current Issue” to access this web-exclusive feature.

TO YOUR CREDIT: For CEUs toward SNA certifi cation, complete the “To Your Credit” test on page 54.