Day: March 31, 2011

Chef Gary, Jersey corn and an Italian specialty star at April’s Garden State on Your Plate

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Chef Gary Giberson, of Sustainable Fare and Lawrenceville School, is cooking up New Jersey's famous corn from Oak Grove Plantation in Pittstown for April's Garden State on Your Plate events. 

Parents are invited to join their children for polenta tastings during lunchtime on Wednesday, April 6, at Community Park Elementary School, and on Wednesday, April 13, at Littlebrook Elementary School.

He will be serving two versions, a sweet and savory. He suggests topping the sweet version with fruit puree or jam, and the savory version with stew, tomato sauce or pesto. Here are the recipes:

Chef Gary’s Sweet Creamy Polenta (Gary Giberson, Sustainable Fare)

Makes 12 four-ounce portions

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup cornmeal (yellow or white)
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Bring water to a boil in a heavy bottom 4-quart saucepan.
  2. Add sugar and cream.
  3. Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow steady stream until all is incorporated.
  4. Add butter, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir with a wooden kitchen spoon until well incorporated.
  5. Lower heat and continue cooking, stirring with spoon until consistency is dense but still pourable (around 10 minutes). 
  6. Serve by placing in a large bowl and garnish by drizzling with raspberry sauce or other fruit sauce.

Chef Gary’s Creamy Polenta

Makes 12 four-ounce portions

  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup cornmeal (yellow or white)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Bring water to boil in a heavy bottom 4-quart saucepan.
  2. Add salt and cream.
  3. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal in a slow steady stream until all is incorporated.
  4. Add butter, and stir with a wooden kitchen spoon until well incorporated.
  5. Lower heat and continue cooking, stirring with spoon until consistency is dense but still pourable (around 10 minutes). 
  6. Remove heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
  7. Serve by placing in a large bowl and garnish by drizzling with basil pesto or other savory sauces.

— Gary Giberson, Sustainable Fare & the Lawrenceville School

Meet our coordinator

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Lee Yonish, a Princeton Regional Schools parent and data management specialist, has joined the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative as coordinator. She writes:

I believe that several roads have led to this juncture: my enchantment with folks like Michael Pollan and love for “real food,” my desire to work in the non-profit sector (evidenced by my completion of two noncredit courses last year in Mercer County
Community College’s Nonprofit Management Program), my hope to work among and contribute to our
community, and most of all my dismay with children’s food choices and inadequate food options at
school.

Please join us in celebrating this move forward. And if you need to reach her, write leeyonish@psgcoop.org.

 

 

 

March 31, 2011. The Princeton School Gardens Cooperative seeks an energetic, nimble, reliable and meticulous coordinator/administrator.

Duties of this position include: 

  • Financial: Work with the board and volunteers to effectively use resources. Ensure that comprehensive documentation is maintained.
  • Management: Assume administrative and logistics responsibility for day-to-day projects and special events. Maintain task lists and follow up with board members on progress. Establish and maintain records and databases. Ensure that financial and legal obligations of the cooperative are met.
  • Board Relations: Attend all regularly scheduled board meetings, and provide support and materials for them. Record minutes.
  • Community Relations: Coordinate all work and expansion efforts for all PSGC-related projects of students, teachers and community members; help with volunteer recruitment, development and recognition. Provide regular reports to board.

The programs coordinator reports to the board chair. The part-time/flex-time position pays $12,000 (about $30 per hour at about 10 hours a week) and roughly matches the 10-month school year – though there will be two summertime meetings and coordination of a few gardening/cleanup chores required. 

Skills Desired: Self-starter, ability to multi-task, meet challenges with energy and enthusiasm, motivate and supervise a team of active volunteers. Strong communication skills.

Please send resumés and cover letters to karlacook@psgcoop.org

*The Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, a 501c3, fosters garden- and food-based education in the classroom, cafeteria and community.