The Office of Campus Sustainability, Campus Auxiliary Services, and Sodexo are proud to present… Eat More Kale Day! Today at the Student Union and Hasbrouck Dining Hall, we’re featuring ten kale dishes made with local kale from Sorbello Farms. Scroll down for a list of specific dishes.
Farm-to-SUNY student worker Christina Georgalas and Zero Waste student coordinator Molly Poniatowski enjoy perogies with kale at Hasbrouck Dining Hall.
Why kale? It’s seasonal, local, nutritious and delicious. Kale is traditionally eaten in the fall and winter because it sweetens after a light frost, so it’s an ideal vegetable to feature in campus dining each fall.
Why Kale Day? Today is National Kale Day. We’re celebrating kale today with three other SUNY schools (Albany, Oswego, and Oneonta). Together, we’re working on the Farm-to-SUNY initiative with funding from the USDA. Scroll down to learn more about the Farm-to-SUNY initiative.
Like what you’re eating? Want more kale served on campus? Vote with your dollars – cash, credit or dining dollars – and support local kale! Share your kale pics with these hashtags: #npsocial #npgreen #kale. Email realfood@newpaltz.edu with any thoughts about the day.
Want more programs like this? Introduce yourself to a Sodexo staff member and let them know!
Kale Dishes in the Student Union (serving all day)
- Nester’s Grill –Kale and red onion grilled cheese sandwich
- Salad Toss– Grilled chicken, pinto bean, and kale salad
- Hale and Hearty – Portuguese kale soup and tomato kale soup**
- Pomodoro’s– Kale pinwheels and kale vegetable pizza
- Pasta Station – Kale as a vegetable add on
Kale Dishes at Hasbrouck Dining Hall
Breakfast
- Potato & kale hash
- Kale omelets made to order
Lunch
- Penne alfredo with kale
- Pierogies with kale
- Kale and sausage
- White bean and kale soup
- Also during lunchtime at Hasbrouck: The Printmaking Club is selling kale-themed t-shirts
Dinner
- Kale and pearl onions
- Various kale salads at Wild Mushroom
What’s next in store for the Farm-to-SUNY project?
- The food-of-the-month for October (the focus for September was corn and August was watermelon)
- Food Day on October 24
About the Farm-to-SUNY Project. SUNY New Paltz has partnered with Farm-to-Institution New York State, the American Farmland Trust, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Oneonta, and UAlbany to work together to increase the amount of New York State fruits and vegetables that are served in campus dining halls and retail spaces. New Paltz, Oneonta and UAlbany are all Sodexo schools. Each Sodexo school is excelling in local food procurement in different ways, so we’re learning a lot from each other. Sodexo, Campus Auxiliary Services, and the Office of Campus Sustainability are working as a team on this project at the campus level with technical support from NYS Farm to Institution and the American Farmland Trust staff. Here are some of the ways we’re working to increase NYS fruit and vegetable procurement and to better educate the campus community about our efforts:
Maximizing purchases of classic NYS crops (like apples, corn, and onions)
- Exploring season extension opportunities with frozen vegetables
- Substituting non-local fruits and vegetables with local fruits and vegetables (such as chopped romaine and sliced tomatoes).
- Developing a better understanding of the cost of local food vs. non local food (through both this project and a complementary project led by Michael Sheridan of the School of Business)
- Developing seasonal menus and seasonal products
- Identifying specific farms that NYS products are coming from
There’s a lot of momentum for this work across the state and in the Hudson Valley. Last December, Governor Cuomo signed the NYS Food Metrics bill into law requiring all NYS public institutions to report their NYS food purchases.
What to get involved in our day-to-day efforts to increase local food on campus? Email realfood@newpaltz.edu with “Real Food at SUNY New Paltz” in the subject line and let us know! There’s been a lot of discussion about forming a food systems working group. Let’s make it happen.
Many thanks to the Kale Day team that organized this event especially Local Fruit and Vegetable Awareness Educator Christina Georgalas, Diane Jackson, Jennifer Lischer, James McKenna, Matthew Hill & the entire Sodexo team at the Union & Hasbrouck, and Emily Ferenick and Kevin Page of Campus Auxiliary Services!
Some of the Members of the Kale Team in their new Eat More Kale t-shirts made by the Printmaking Club. Featured in the photo is Campus Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Mitten, Sodexo General Manager Diane Jackson, Farm-to-SUNY student worker Christina Georgalas, Zero Waste student educator Molly Poniatowski, and Campus Nutritionist Emily Ferencik.
** The Hale and Hearty soups are made offsite, so this kale may not be local.
