What's happening at Central Kitchen - May 2023
Cultivating Community's FoodCorps Service Member made a blueberry crisp at Central Kitchen to bring to East End Community School's May Community dinner.
Incoming kindergarteners and their families got to sample some crisp, learn about taste test programming and take home some maple syrup!
What's happening at Central Kitchen - March 2023
The flavor of a pepino melon is mild and similar to cucumber and melon. Several elementary schools get an additional snack like this a few times a week with an info sheet to make it an educational experience.
Pepino Melons for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
From Ecuador
What's happening at Central Kitchen - February 2023
Strawberries and Green Beans
Sweet Potatoes Baking
Pasta
This is just a small portion of the pasta that Central Kitchen cooks for spaghetti and meatballs.
Robot Coupe
Large food processors like this robot coupe make prepping cucumbers for PPS salad bars a snap!
Two Farmers Farm Carrots are in school lunches on 2/13!
*Reiche and East End Schools will have sweet potato taste tests this month!
Sweet Potatoes from Green Meadow Farms will in school lunches on 2/16!
What's happening at Central Kitchen - January 2023
Watch how Central Kitchen washes hundreds of kiwis for the salad bar!
These green kiwifruits were grown in Italy.
Central Italy is an ideal place for growing kiwi because of it's mild winters and not too hot summers. The rich volcanic soil also makes for great growing conditions.
Slicing the kiwi
YUM!
Forelle Pears for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Forelle Pears are an heirloom variety first cultivated in Germany. The word "forelle" means "trout" in German. They got this name from the pattern on the pear's skin looking similar to that of a rainbow trout!
What's happening at Central Kitchen - December 2022
Making Chicken and Kale Stew for Taste Tests. This school meal is the result of the Culturally Important Menu Development Project.
Packing up Super Snack which included yogurt, Maine wild blueberries, granola & cucumbers!
Local food purchasing is not limited to the Harvest of the Month. Central Kitchen purchased wild blueberries from the Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Co. in Columbia Falls, ME.
Photo - Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Co. Instagram
Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Co. is 100% owned, managed and operated by Passamaquoddy Tribe members.
They have been in operation since 1981 and manage and harvest 2,000 acres of wild blueberry barrens in Columbia Falls, ME.
Satsuma Oranges
Heading out to schools who are part of the FFVP (Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program)
School Garden and Local Potatoes in School Lunch!
On October 20th, 2022 Central Kitchen made mashed potatoes using school garden Potatoes from Reiche, Rowe, and East End elementary schools as well as local potatoes from Green Thumb Farms. Watch the video to see the process from school garden to PPS school lunch!
Central Kitchen Supplemented the School Harvest with Local Maine potatoes
In fall 2021, Central Kitchen made a delicious potato salad with potatoes harvested from EECS, Longfellow, Reiche, Rowe, and Talbot school gardens!
Arren was busy cooking up a fresh batch of marinara sauce made with local carrots from the school gardens at East End Community School, Longfellow, Reiche, Rowe, and Talbot!
Rosetta crafting up some smiles!
Chef salad with cheese curds from Pineland Farms!
Hawaiian Chicken wraps!
Find breakfast and lunch menus for Portland Public Food Service here
Please fill out your free & reduced application here
Follow Portland Public School Food Service on Facebook to receive up to date information regarding school meals, from potential closures due to weather to highlights of local produce being used in the meals.
