Winter Challenges

Back when I was first researching FoodCorps sites in Oregon, I skimmed the paragraph on North Powder, laughed and said, “Hell, no!”

Once I read through the sites in more detail, however, the main reason which made me laugh was the thing that brought me here in the end. I knew from my Montana experience that I was uniquely qualified to live- and thrive in- a small, isolated community.

My placement here has been a fantastic success and I’m having a blast, which means that encountering new challenges has been a disorienting surprise.

This weekend I was supposed to attend a FoodCorps Oregon training in Tillamook, but I couldn’t make it across the Blue Mountains thanks to a heavy snowfall. I joined my peers through conference calls and Skype, which was helpful but also a harsh reminder of how isolated I am out here, and just how long winter is going to be.

 I’ve coped by baking an inappropriate amount of cookies and cupcakes for a healthy food educator, and I’m also lucky to have a high-maintenance dog that constantly needs to be walked or taken to the vet (she’s currently healthy).

Although it is hard living in such an isolated place, I am grateful when I remember all of the advantages I have that Montana lacked: a wonderful supervisor, supportive and friendly colleagues, a fantastic housemate, a puppy and a working heater. These are all things that will make this winter much more enjoyable!

Why Aren't there more Brussels Sprouts?

Brussels sprouts, the scourge of dinner tables everywhere. There perhaps isn’t a vegetable that has been more characterized as inedible by children everywhere. When I saw they were on our lunch menu last week, even I wasn’t sure how to make them a success. My first effort was to advertise lunch as “Beef stroganoff with brassica oleracea.”

Middle school eats first, and every student tried to bypass me and my spoonful of Brussels sprouts. I chased them down, and even threw a couple of the veggies around, but knew this wasn’t sustainable persuasion. My final solution was to take the silverware tray and not let students take a fork until they let me put a sprout on their tray. They were grumpy, but the idea of eating beef stroganoff with their fingers was powerful motivation.

Elementary students were almost as reluctant. “What is that?” “It’s brassica oleracea,’ I told them. ‘It’s related to kale, and we cooked it the same way as kale chips which is why it smells so good in here.” Some nodded, interested, while others shouted out accusatorily, “Brussels sprouts!”

While the elementary students ate, I wandered the cafeteria asking kids to taste the veggie. When they saw the high-fives and crazy dance that was dispensed upon the consumption of each sprout, the cafeteria started to ring with shouts. “Ms. Estrem, Ms. Estrem, look at this!” as they popped sprout after sprout into their mouths. “Look, I ate three!” “Can I have some more?” The kitchen staff giggled as we served seconds and thirds, and students begged for more as they walk out the door to recess. It amazed even me at how easy it was to get them to eat this most despised of vegetables. It was a reminder that in today’s culture eating food often isn’t actually about food- commercials tell us that eating a specific food will make us happy, win us prizes, make other people like us. It turns out watching me boogie absurdly around the cafeteria is enough incentive for our students to chow down on Brussels sprouts.

When the after-school kids were serving up the leftovers from lunch, I heard one second-grader ask plaintively, “Why aren’t there more Brussels sprouts?” I told her they had been finished at lunch, and asked if she could make it until the next time we served them in the cafeteria. She nodded, grudgingly. Imagine, looking forward to Brussels sprouts day!

Roasted Brussels sprouts

Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil and salt, and bake at 350 until outer edges are crisp.