School Lunch Part Two . . . .

After reading the last installment of the Walla Walla Table, a friend commented that she loved the article but now felt guilty about what she had been doing for her kid’s school lunches. This is always my fear, that someone will feel that I am calling them out on things. Well, I kind of am, but in a positive way (I hope). I promise to not raise problems that I do not have a solution to, if you promise to not take things too seriously. It’s just food, people.
So I promised some better suggestions for your kid’s lunch so here we are delivering on that promise. I am hoping that we can get several recipes printed this week that will allow you to create some better choices and save yourself some time and frustration in the coming weeks. My first question is, does it HAVE to be a sandwich? Sandwiches are very popular lunch items as you can usually eat them on the go, with one hand and no utensils are required. Why are we afraid of giving our kids utensils? Are you really afraid they are going to shank some other kid or the yard duty on the playground? Have they done it at home? Giving your kids a bit more responsibility is a good thing, make it fun and make them responsible for bringing them home. Go to the 2nd hand store and let them pick out a knife, fork and spoon, and make THEM pay for it. Their money, they will tend to be more responsible. And if they lose it, they get to buy another one with THEIR money again. Trust me a few purchases will solve any forgetful child’s issues. There is a Preschool in France where every meal if served with knife, fork and spoon and on real plates(not paper or plastic) and with real glasses, and those kids are 2 to 5. And they eat vegetables, lots of them. Why can’t we do this with our 6+ year olds? ‘Nuff said.
We all get in that rut of not knowing what to make for our kids lunch, but usually the answer is so easy that it is too obvious. Leftovers. You don’t always have to do what you did last night, but leftovers are a great way to get your kids to eat a better variety of foods (assuming that you are cooking a better variety of foods) than just the sandwich. And just to be clear a “wrap” is just a sandwich by another name, seriously. Soups, stews, pastas, and salads and even proteins are great the next day, assuming proper storage and handling at the home kitchen. More on this another time.
Last go round I gave you the simple vinaigrette recipe. Great on veggies, even meats and salads and even on couscous. Couscous is a simple wheat pasta that is usually steamed or boiled and common in North Africa. It is a pasta, so note that there are a good amount of carbs in it. BUT, you can mix a bit with the vinaigrette and serve it cold like a salad, and is great with some garden cherry tomatoes.
If your kids will eat the vinaigrette then you are golden. There are many different riffs you can use that on and embellish and improve upon as you wish. Want an Asian flavor; add some sesame oil and Chinese black vinegar in place of the EVOO and wine vinegar. This is great on a simple salad of grated carrots, fresh thin sliced mushrooms and cucumber. Add some toasted sesame seeds and you have something very fun that almost any kid will eat.
Take a boiled piece of chicken, let it cool, slice thin and toss it in the vinaigrette. Serve with some fresh sliced tomatoes from the garden while we still have them. Better yet, toss the tomatoes first, and the tomato water that collects in the bowl will add to the flavor, then toss the boiled chicken with that. This is another item that can be packed in a school lunch.
When you have to make sandwiches, don’t be afraid to reach into the “way back” machine for some great old classics. I made my daughter egg salad one day, when she asked what she was getting for lunch and I told her, I heard the “eww gross” and “I don’t want that” (yes it happens to me too people). When she got home from school, she asked if she could have egg salad again tomorrow. . . there you go. If you have a “fancy Nancy” fan, why not make high tea sandwiches? Little cream cheese some cucumber slices and fancy it up a bit, frilly toothpicks and all. In this case, playing with your food is acceptable. But again, moderation and variation is the key, diversity is a good thing.
Fruit is a great one to experiment with. Fresh pineapple, mangoes, kiwi. We had a babysitter that had never eaten kiwi until I offered it to her. Said it was one of the best things she ever ate. Papaya, guava when you can find them. There are so many different kinds of apples and pears coming on right now too. Don’t be afraid to try something new, if you aren’t then your kids won’t either. Cheers.
Couscous
Chicken or vegetable stock, preferably your own, but canned (good) will do in a pinch (see we keep going back to that pantry). About 2 quarts or so.
EVOO
1 Onion (med) diced
Couscous. I prefer the hand rolled to the machine cut that you find at the Super Market.
In a stock pot heat 2 to 3 TBSP of EVOO over med/high heat, add onion (you should hear the sizzle). Sauté onion until translucent. Add stock and bring to a boil, covered. Once a good boil is achieved, reduce to a simmer and add in your couscous, in a stream through your fist, until you have added about 2 cups worth, whisking the whole time. Reduce heat to low, and cover, stirring occasionally until couscous has soaked up the stock. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 min. Season with salt and pepper. Great with dinner hot, or let cool, add vinaigrette and serve as a cold pasta salad. Garnish with whimsy.
Classic Egg Salad
6 hard boiled eggs (put them in the pot with cold water, bring to a simmer, covered and cook for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove to an ice water bath and let cool) chopped and mashed with a fork
Mayonnaise, homemade is better, 1 to 2 TBSP (less is more)
Good Dijon mustard 1 to 2 tsp
Pickle relish (sour or “dill” not sweet), preferably from really good pickles, 1 TBSP
Salt and pepper and EVOO
In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix together thoroughly, taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. To this you can add celery or whatever else you fancy, just no sugar please.
Tea Sandwiches
Good Bread (this is a must. Do NOT settle for the “wonder” type stuff), sliced, crusts removed if you must.
Cream cheese or even better fresh chevre (goat cheese).
Cucumber, English or common, peeled and sliced thinly. It might be easier to split lengthwise and cut rather than trying to keep it from rolling while slicing.
Salt and pepper, EVOO
I prefer to toast my bread gently in the oven or toaster on the lowest setting to dry the bread a bit. Bring the cheese to near room temp and blend together with about 2 TBSP of EVOO to soften. If the bread is soft and the cheese is cold you ain’t gonna have no fancy sandwiches, just a big mess. Spread toasted bread with cheese and layer cucumber slices on. Season with salt and pepper. Feel free to cut into cute shapes and such. It’s your party do what you want. This recipe can be adapted to many things, including blanched asparagus and prosciutto, or quick blanched green beans and prosciutto, whatever your little ones will eat, just be creative and get them to taste it too.
Sources:
Eggs, there are many places to buy local eggs, including: Andy’s Market, Salumiere Cesario, Local CSA programs are providing some eggs right now as well.
Asian ingredients; most of the local Super Markets carry some Asian ingredients, but the Asia Oriental Store on Issacs has a good selection of hard to find items, as does Salumiere Cesario (black vinegar).
Local tomatoes; if you are not fortunate enough to have your own garden look into one of the many CSA’s around, as well as some of our local farms: wallawallafarmmap.com
Good bread, made by human hands is readily available at John’s Wheatland Bakery and the Walla Walla Bread Co. Support our locals whenever possible and ask your local market to carry the local breads if you have trouble getting downtown.
Pickles and relish made from locally raised cucumbers and naturally fermented can be obtained at Salumiere Cesario, I hear they have good peanut butter too. . . .