A Military Of Fresh Food
Since 1994, the Department of Defense has been using its extensive network of farm contracts and trucks to help get more fresh fruit and vegetable into schools. This in not your standard mess hall though, in North Carolina, kids dip into cups of sweet local strawberries. And students in New York City are biting into apples from the Champlain Valley. With an emphasis on buying from nearby farmers and small suppliers, the DOD Fresh Produce Program delievers food to school districts in 47 states. Schools just don’t get enough food from their own backyard so roughly 30 growers want to change that and are involved and farmers can’t wait to sign up. Much to the the delight of local food champions, the word is spreading. Today the organization buys $75 million a year in produce, up from $ 4 million a decade ago. And because DOD Fresh is supported by Replublicans and Democrats alike-not to mention parents and farmers-funding may even increase as the years pass and more framers and schools get involved with one another. For parents, public health officials, and school administrators stuggling to control youth obesity, military helping, food distribution looks to be a useful weapon against childhood eating issues.
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Earthly Eating Recipe:
Fresh and Dried Cranberry, Orange, and Walnut Tart
Serves 10
Crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white all-purpose flour (or a mixture of both)
1 tbs. light brown sugar or maple sugar
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated orange zest
7 tbsp. cold butter or butter substitute, cut into small chunks
2 tbsp. cold water mixed with 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Tart Filling:
1 cup dried cranberries
1 orange
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberry juice or 1 orange
1 cup light brown sugar, maple sugar, or Sucanat
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chpped walnuts
2 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. orange liquid or orange flower water
1. To make the crust, place the flour, sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, and orange zest in a food processor; pulse just to combine. Add the butter; pulse until the butter is broken up into pieces the size of baby peas. Drizzle in the water-vanilla mixture, and pulse until large moist-looking crumbs have formed.
2. Pour the crumbs onto a clean surface and gather them in your hand. If there is any dry flour left, work it into the dough with a few drops of water. Gently shape the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, roll out into a 10-inch round, then drape into a 9-inch tart pan. Use your fingers to build up the sides so they’re about 1/4 inch think. Transfer to the freezer. Preheat oven to 375°F
4. To make the filling, cover the dried cranberries with warm water; set aside. Using a citrus zester, remove several strands of zest from the orange, set the zest aside. Peel the orange, section it into eighths, then thinly slice the sections crosswise. When you’re ready to start cooking, drain the dried cranberries.
5. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the drained dried cranberries, fresh or frozen cranberries, orange slices, orange juice, and sugar or Sucanat. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatual, until the cranberries have popped and released their juices, about 12 minutees. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves and flour; cook for 1 more minute, then stir in the walnuts. Remove from heat.
6. Set the frozen tart shell, still in the tart pan, on a sheet pan. Spoon the tart filling into the shell, then smooth the top. Dot the butter over the filling, and decorate the top with strands of orange zest. Cover lightly with parchment or foil. Bake in the center of the oven until the crust is lightly browned, about 35 minutes. remove, then spoon orange liquor or orange flower water over the top. Serve at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or créme fraìche, if desired.
Happy Eating!
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