Maine Produce on Menu for Dining Services’ Maine Harvest Week
UMaine Dining Services’ menus for UMaine students Oct. 25-27 will feature such fare as baked and candied apples, roast salmon with blueberry salsa, winter squash soup, pumpkin cheesecake and wild rice-stuffed acorn squash, as students are introduced to some delectable and creative ways to prepare and serve Maine-grown produce.
The three-day event is in recognition of national Food Day on Monday, Oct. 24 and to educate students about the variety of Maine crops — about 16 tons annually — procured by the university whenever possible, according to Glenn Taylor, director of culinary services.
Local farmers have been invited to visit the campus and exhibit their products.
“It’s really to promote what we try to do day-to-day,” adds Kathy Kittridge, director of dining operations.
“We’ll decorate our three all-you-care-to-eat facilities with all kinds of food items and where they came from,” Taylor says.
Kerry Chasteen, Dining Services quality assurance manager, says Dining Services in the past has sponsored an apple festival and a Farmers Connection, separate events, to raise student awareness of healthy food and locally grown produce. This year, she says, “we thought it would be really great to incorporate all of these into one event over several days.”
UMaine typically buys 1.5 tons of blueberries, eight tons of potatoes, three tons of squash and 3.5 tons of apples from more than a dozen Maine farmers from Cape Elizabeth to Madawaska, in addition to prepared foods like salas and sauces, coffee, ice cream, broccoli, granola, apple cider and desserts from 12 Maine companies.
On Tuesday, dining facilities will offer apple-themed meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — in addition to customary menu option. On Wednesday it’s Maine potato and squash-based meals, and Thursday, blueberries are the featured fruit. Maine-grown carrots, broccoli, corn, pumpkins will be among the vegetables complementing the meals during the week.
Contact: Glenn Taylor or Kathy Kittridge, 581-3463