Garden State on Your Plate tastings in the school cafeteria are a quarterly highlight of lunchtime at the elementary and middle campuses of Princeton Public Schools. The format is simple. Before getting their lunch trays, students are invited to try the produce item of the month in various recipes, and with various flavorings. They taste the item raw, roasted, steamed, boiled, or in a very simple recipe, plain and/or with citrus, salt, or both. They are asked to act as scientists, comparing and contrasting textures and flavor changes. The tastings are conducted by parent volunteers; sign up to participate through your school PTO.
The February 2024 tasting is sweet potatoes – first, because it is a strong crop in New Jersey and can be stored over the winter months, and second, because its history long has intertwined with that of Black history – which is celebrated every February. Leading the sweet potato tastings in February is Tomia MacQueen, PPS Food Systems Literacy coordinator – and sweet potato farmer!
The Garden State on Your Plate tastings, since 2010 administered by Fran McManus, co-founder of the Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, now are in the process of being transferred to Princeton Public Schools and Metz Culinary Management, the district’s contracted meals provider, with assistance from Fran.
Community Park Elementary: Feb xx
Littlebrook Elementary: Feb xx
Johnson Park Elementary: Feb xx
Riverside Elementary: Feb xx
Princeton Middle School: Feb xx