By Lisa Golden Schroeder

Well, we’ve reached another annual milestone. Whether you have kids or not the weeks after Labor Day still feel like back-to-school. Depending on where you live, the weather has probably shifted in some way as well. For me, the sultry final days of August suddenly (and somewhat magically) reverted to cooler, sharper days. The kind of weather that perks up the appetite and makes me think about different kinds of cooking.

I do still have kids who need that daily school lunch—a drudgery that can be relieved if your school serves food that A: your kids will eat, and B: that meets your standards of nutritious fare. Some days I don’t really care—if it’s a chaotic week I’m just glad that the boys are eating SOMETHING at noontime. But I do try to stay on top of how many days in a row I fall back into the school hot lunch safety net. One of my troubles is that I’ve got a boy who has never been enamored of sandwiches that are packed ahead—too soggy. And another one plain doesn’t like sandwiches (even if they come out of my Panini grill!) So other options are a big decision come the first week of school.

A few years ago we “discovered” lunch box-size thermoses—I know, nothing new or novel about them. But these old-fashioned insulated containers are truly amazing. They do keep cold foods cold and steaming hot foods pretty darn hot. And my guys have always loved soup—perfect for the coming cooler, then down right cold days. Chicken noodle or wild rice soup are perennial favorites, but I like to switch it up with stewy kinds of chicken soups that are thick with vegetables, pasta and beans. Full of good stuff that the kids will happily eat, warm from their thermoses. Pack a few crackers, some grapes, and a cookie—and they’re good to go.

Make this thick, hearty and nutritious chicken soup to fill up your kids’ thermoses for school lunch. I warm up the insides of the thermoses with boiling water from the tea kettle, then heat up servings of the soup in the microwave. When the soup is ready, I pour out the water and replace it with the hot soup. The kids will be amazed that they have hot lunch, straight out of their lunch bags! My kids call soups like this one, that’s so thick it’s almost a stew, “stoup.” In the fall you can use all sorts of autumn vegetables—try butternut squash, parsnips or rutabaga for the carrots and celery—or your own canned tomatoes from a garden harvest.

LUNCHBOX CHICKEN & MINI PASTA “STOUP”

Makes 6 (1-1/2 cups) main dish servings or 8 (1-1/4 cups) lunch box servings

INGREDIENTS

1 package (14 ounces) Just BARE® Hand-Trimmed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth (4 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) carrot or parsnip (1 medium)

1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) celery (1 stalk)

1 can (14-1/2 ounce) crushed tomatoes

1 can (14-1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

½ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

½ cup uncooked mini pasta (stars, alphabets, acini de pepe, or rings)

1 can (15 ounce) cooked garbanzo or Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained

1-1/2 cups chopped Swiss chard, mustard greens, or spinach

Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

•    Place chicken in 12-inch skillet. Add 2 cups broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center (165˚F).
•    Meanwhile, in Dutch oven or large soup kettle, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
•    Remove chicken from poaching broth; set aside. Skim foam from broth; add to sautéed vegetables. Stir in remaining 2 cups broth, the crushed and diced tomatoes with juice, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Heat to boiling; stir in uncooked pasta. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes.
•    Shred chicken into bite-size pieces; add to soup. Stir in garbanzo beans and greens. Remove bay leaf. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.
Cook’s Note: If the soup thickens more than you like as it cools, stir in an additional cup of water or broth.

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

My garden kids learned a hard lesson over the July 4th holiday break. They had proudly planted 10 large container gardens just outside their summer classroom a week prior to the long weekend. We had volunteers slated to drop over to give the plants a drink if it stayed hot and dry, but since it was a bit stormy, everyone decided not to worry about the garden since we got enough rain. So upon the return to school, a very rude surprise was waiting. A vandal (or two, we don’t know) decided that the containers were ripe for destruction. They tore the plants that were heavy with green cherry tomatoes and chiles apart and broke the stakes holding them up—a project that the children had just completed.

The sad faces that surrounded the smashed pots slowly became irate. Who would do this to OUR garden? Their teachers and those of us working with the gardens talked with them about respecting other’s work and property—and a palpable sense of ownership was established in spades. The kids even came up with a solution that seems to be working—they carefully replanted the vandalized containers (several parents came to the rescue, donating plants and additional pots) and moved them to an inner courtyard at the school. So now they have their own secret garden that they can tend and harvest as the summer wanes.

On Friday I spent time with the younger children, who are at the location that shares our community garden. They took a tour of the gorgeous squash blossoms blooming outside, with baby zucchini at their ends. Then tasted a zucchini chocolate spice bread I baked—the stuff of summer dreams! Then I scooted over to the older children, who helped me cut herbs from their secret garden. We escaped into the cooler school kitchen, where we whirled up a big batch of herb pesto (augmented by some spicy Thai basil from the farmers market). We mixed the herbal sauce with some freshly squeezed lemon juice, then tossed it into a huge bowl of pearl couscous, local cherry tomatoes, and chopped sugar snap peas. Not everyone was a fan, but another batch of zucchini bread sealed the garden meal deal!

This fragrant herbal pesto can easily be varied, depending on the herbs you have in your garden or on hand. I love to use it mixed into mayonnaise for grilled chicken sandwiches, tossed with whole grain penne pasta and chunks of sautéed chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs—and whatever fresh veggies are the star of the week at the farmers market. Double or triple the recipe if you’re overrun with herbs—and freeze pesto “ice cubes” to use in the dead of winter in a warming chicken noodle soup.

WILDWOOD HERB PESTO

Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups (lightly packed) torn fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup fresh tarragon or sage leaves

1/4 cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic, peeled, halved

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine basil, nuts, cheese, parsley, tarragon and garlic in food processor or blender container. Process until herbs are finely chopped.

• Add oil; process until mixture is a coarse puree. Season with salt and pepper.

• Refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed onto surface (to prevent browning), or freeze in ice cube trays (once frozen, place in a small resealable plastic bag.)

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

My gardening family is an ever changing, squirming and giggling group of elementary school kids. We try to grow all sorts of things in a wonderful space on school property, and my garden kids stick with me as closely as my own children do. We’re entering into year three of a concentrated effort to provide garden-based education for an audience that’s ripe to learn about the wonderful ways that the earth provides for us. And planning starts now, before the snow melts in our neck of the woods.

As more schools offer spaces for digging in the dirt, it’s become abundantly clear that school gardens can improve self-esteem, the health and wellness of communities and the environmental health of our neighborhoods, cities and local farmland. School gardens impact communities through a ripple effect that starts with individual children and families and broadens to improve schools, to green communities and to drive a demand for locally and sustainably grown food, supporting regional economic growth.

It’s so very cool to see the support from the public for school gardens—and watching the Obamas’ White House garden in action only fuels the fire. Serving up a sampling from their first harvest at the first state dinner of their administration—vegetables that were planted by local school children—puts a real face on where food should come from. And it inspires me to continue lending my own little bit of time and energy to introducing my garden family to new, delicious tastes that spring from their containers and garden beds. This year we’re planning a composting project with the grown-up community gardeners and a more organized weeding schedule. No complaints about being garden slaves this season!

We celebrated the end of last year’s garden with a picnic filled with small tidbits of our own harvest. This year I’m hoping to have more regular picnics with both the pre-schoolers and the upper elementary kids. Just BARE™ Chicken will be a part of our menus, thanks to the commitment of the company to encourage this kind of healthy learning – a great investment in our most important asset, our future decision makers.

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

My mom used to say that when we kids went back to school, her vacation began. Of course, those were different days, with more “homemaker” moms. And our summers were seldom orchestrated by ever-present adults. (Am I dating myself?) My life as a mother has departed from my childhood memories, and my own kids are juggled between school, their burgeoning social lives and two working parents. As the school year commences, many days conclude with extended stints in the car, shuttling between events, with a regular dinner hour left in the dust.

The buzzword for food marketers focused on families is “portability.” How many ways can we make consuming full meals – veritable moveable feasts – without sitting at the table? I’ve committed myself to avoiding the drive-thru default, but still struggle on occasion as I look for better solutions for gobbling food on the run. A favorite for my kids has been homemade bean and cheese burritos: slather half of a flour tortilla with spicy refried beans (from a can is totally OK), sprinkle with shredded Jack cheese, dribble on a good taco sauce and then zap in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Roll up, wrap in waxed paper, and hit the road. With a bit more planning you can have all the parts of these Barbecue Chicken Wraps ready ahead of time, so even the kids can assemble their own.

BARBECUE CHICKEN WRAPS

Makes 5 servings

It’s easy to quickly sauté the chicken and veggie filling ahead of time for these hearty burritos—or use leftover shredded chicken tossed with the barbecue sauce. Then just spoon in crunchy cabbage and shredded carrot with the rest of the filling. Look for soft wheat lavash in the deli section for a change of pace—it’s a flat bread designed for wrapped or rolled-up sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

¼ tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 package (20 ounces) Just BARE™ Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, sliced into 1/2-inch strips

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

5 (8-inch) whole-wheat flour tortillas, warmed

1-1/4 cup refried black beans

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and carrot; sauté for 4 minutes or until nearly tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from skillet.
• Heat remaining olive oil in skillet; add chicken. Cook and stir for about 8 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Stir in barbecue sauce.
• To assemble the wraps, spread the bottom half of each tortilla with beans, then top with sautéed cabbage mixture and chicken, Fold and roll up like a burrito. Eat out of hand or wrap in waxed paper to eat on the go.