how cool is that!?

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a total nerd.  Im psyched to geek out about ANYTHING,   but I especially love to geek out on any & all things related to food- I love growing food,  I love cooking food, I love looking at pictures of food,  and I love talking and teaching people about food!  But, the thing I love the most- the thing I am absolutely CRAZY PASSIONATE about- is EATING REAL FOOD!  Don't get me wrong- I love fried chicken and pork rinds and potato chips too, but food that is fresh and whole has a flavor that cannot be compared to anything else, and honestly, my body just CRAVES IT!  Fresh WHOLE foods are simple and complex at the same time, and are an edible illustration of the earth and the place we live.  Growing food to serve at the restaurant fulfills me in so many ways- (because Hello- have you met me? I'm kind of obsessed...) -  and means that I am filled with the freshest, healthiest, and most flavorful food around- (hey, when I eat this food I feel AWESOME!)   AND that means, when you eat at kismet,  you eat real food too, grown just for you! How cool is that!?

Real food is medicine for our brains and for our bodies, and unfortunately there is not enough real food available to most people.  Food security is a serious and real world problem, and while there may be "food" available, there are very few places to eat real & whole foods.

This season, consider a neighbor, co-worker, friend or family member who may be less food secure than you & purchase them a gift certificate to Kismet-- we'll hook them up & enter their name into our CSA raffle!  This winter, we are the pick up location for the BEAR ROOTS FARM winter CSA & we will be donating 1 winter CSA to a family in need! 

If you are interested in helping others find food security,  make a donation TODAY to the Vermont Food Bank & remember that you are not just helping a family in need, you are helping build the healthy and whole community we all deserve to live in.

Good Food Starts Here

Finally summer has arrived!  And no one loves hot humid days more than me!  One of the best parts of summer is watching the garden grow! The humidity helps the plant leaves stay nice and plump, helps bacteria to generate rich lively soil, and makes for deliciously sweet and fragrantly ripe fruit (my favorite!). So next time the heat gets to your head a little bit, and you find yourself yearning for cooler temps, stop in and give us a visit & we'll give you a taste of our favorite summer flavors and help you find reason to celebrate our favorite season!

& Let's face it, summer is the Cocktail SEASON!  Here's a recipe for one of my favorites:  

Sweet Tea Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Earl Grey infused Vodka

1 oz Earl Grey Elder Syrup

2 oz Earl Grey Iced tea

wedge of lemon

spring of lemon verbena or mint

Use a tall Collins Glass // fill 3/4 with ice

Fill a bucket with ice cubes // add the Vodka, Earl Grey Elder Syrup // Shake till chilled

strain into collins glass // squeeze wedge of lemon // top with iced tea // 

garnish with lemon verbena

xoxo

TEEN TAKE-OVER!

THANK YOU so much for your support & encouragement for the High School Initiative Teen Take-Over & for the Community Lunch program! 

The students had an amazing week, traveling the region & meeting with farm to table professionals, as well as preparing for the Teen Take-Over event.  On the day of they event, every student arrived ready & eager! They bravely tended to each task, worked hard, had great enthusiasm & exceeded their own expectations!
The event went smoothly (& Quickly!),  we served 140 guests, nearly sold out of food & raised nearly $3000 in just 3 hours of being open!!

At the center of my program, I aim to inspire & empower teens to create and celebrate a whole and healthy community.  Thank you for helping to make this program successful!

If you are interested in contributing to the Community Lunch Program, or to the other programs at Central Vermont High School Initiative,  you can place a tax deductible donation here.

TEEN TAKE-OVER JUNE 3

TEEN TAKE-OVER 

As some of you may know, for the last 2 years, I have been working with Central Vermont High School Initiative, located at Goddard College,  to develop a high school farm-to-school curriculum.  This pilot program, referred to as Community Lunch, has been a source of serious inspiration for me and the students, and with the support of the school faculty, has become the cornerstone of the health and nutrition educational plan.  Despite serious funding obstacles (the program depends 100% on donations of equipment, labor, and ingredients),  the program has become very successful and students broke ground on their very first school vegetable garden (we are already harvesting and eating greens from the greenhouse)!

I meet with the students weekly to prepare meals completely from scratch (without recipes) using whole foods ingredients, to eat together with guests from the community.   While cooking, we talk about food science, culinary arts, food trends, math, budgeting, nutrient density, calorie conversion, and special diets.  We experiment with culinary alchemy and cooking techniques while exploring geographical and historical facts.  We investigate cultures, discuss politics of agriculture & health care, and discuss wide worlds of topics including sexual health, mental health, and relationships.  Then we set the table, taking care to consider our guests, and sit to eat together as we explore what it means to feed ourselves and to nurture each other.   

The students participate in this program willingly and with enthusiasm.  They are energetic and have lots of ideas of how the “Community Lunch” program can grow, and how we can share this program with others.  This year, I proposed a food trailer concept, which will provide a certified kitchen space for the students to refine their culinary skills through hands-on holistic nutritional education.   I am excited to announce that the school has approved my proposal, and has plans to purchase a licensed food trailer which will serve as the school kitchen classroom, as well as a vehicle for future student projects centered around food, including community service, job readiness, and fundraising for their non-profit school.  We believe that this pilot program empowers students to feed themselves and their communities toward the prevention of hunger, mental illness, crime and loneliness, through real-life, real-food experiences.

SO! 

On June 3, students of the Central Vermont High School Initiative 

will transform KISMET into their own TEEN TAKE-OVER!  

The food will be delicious, and all proceeds from food sales will go towards the Community Lunch program at CVHSI.  

Guests will have the opportunity to make additional pledges in terms of capital or ingredients to grow our pantry. 

Learn more about the Community Lunch here: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/food/2014/10/30/forget-twinkies-teens-make-butter/18188993/

 and here: http://digital.vpr.net/post/vpr-cafe-young-cooks-making.

Learn about the Initiative, or make a tax deductible donation today here:  http://vtwhs.org/wish-list/

xoxo

crystal