I was feeling postively electric last week after my first meeting with Valley City’s Public School Food Service Director, Sue Milender. I have decided to volunteer with the Chefs Move to Schools program, an initiative put forth by Michelle Obama as part of her Let’s Move campaign to get our nation’s kids healthy.
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I have to say I was expecting the worst—corn dogs and mystery meat with a healthy dose of ketchup as the vegetable, but I am happy to say I was wrong. For a small town in the middle of nowhere, we’ve got some very exciting things going on. Valley City’s kids are participating in weekly veggie taste tests, picking edamame from the community garden and are preparing for Apple Day, where local farmers bring in several varieties of apples (not to mention those grown on school property) so the students in all grades, can taste them, cook with them, and learn about how apple trees grow.
The daily lunch offerings still face a myriad of problems, but the awarness about sustainability, variety of foods and local eating were very impressive. I have been tasked with helping set up a smoothie bar and a sub shop with homemade soups and salads at the high school. I look forward to working with the food service workers who make this all happen and will update our progress on the blog. If anyone else is participating in this program I would love to hear what other people are doing in thier communities.
Now for dinner, a pureed carrot soup with a touch of exoticism.
Thai Carrot Soup Recipe
Yield:
4 servings
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
A creamy carrot soup made with ginger, green curry paste, and coconut milk. Gluten and dairy free!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon green curry paste
- 1 quart vegetable stock or broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 2 quart sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring ocassionally until beginning to brown. Add carrots and season again with salt and pepper, continue cooking until carrots become slightly tender. Add ginger and curry paste and stir until ginger begins to brown. Add vegetable stock and stir, scraping any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cook, until carrots are very tender. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and ladle soup into blender about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or rag you don't mind getting dirty and while holding the towel down with one hand, turn blender on low. Slowly increase blender speed until mixture is smooth. Repeat until all soup is pureed. Return to pot and bring to a simmer. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary, serve with a sprinkling of cilantro.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 1729mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 6gSugar: 17gProtein: 6g
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I really love carrot soup. If cooked this way, it’s delicious. Best served with fresh basil and coconut cream. Thank you for the recipe!