Wilton High School Meals Add Dash Of Student-Grown Ingredients

WILTON, Conn. -- Wilton High School students used local ingredients from its own student-grown garden and statewide farms during the lunch hour to celebrate the school’s farm-to-chef week.

Wilton High School students grow fresh ingredients in their own garden.
Photo Credit: *Hilltop Hanover Farm*

by Rebecca Sesny

09/23/2013 4:30 a.m.

Chartwells School Dining Services’ Chef Luis cooked up garden fresh pizzas with mozzarella, basil and mushrooms.

“I think it’s a real treat for students to see how their school meals are prepared, from planting the seeds of the produce to seeing it prepared for their meal. It helps them to understand not only where their meal comes from, but learn how it’s nutritionally healthier for them,” Brian Reynolds, Chartwells food service director at Wilton School District, said in a statement.

Chef Luis is part of the Chefs-2-Schools program, which pairs Chartwells’ chefs to local schools to deliver nutrition education to students. Under this program, guest chefs 'adopt' a local school district and during visits focus on healthy meals, sound eating habits, and food preparation.

Many ingredients used came from Wilton High School’s Wilton Organic Garden. The garden was planted by Science teacher Jim Hunter and his students.

Other homegrown recipes that were served during Farm-to-Chef Week include breakfast for lunch omelets with local farm fresh eggs and fresh veggies, pasta puttanesca with a garden mixed green salad and a peach crisp dessert.

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