• 1 cup of orange juice
• 1 cup of simple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 pound of fresh strawberries cut into quarters
• 1 pound of raspberries

Start by making the simple syrup. Combine 6 ounces of water with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Place on medium heat and whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Add the orange juice to the simple syrup to cool slightly. Place the berries in a blender and add half of the syrup orange juice mixture. Pulse a few times to slightly blend the berries. Add the rest of the syrup mixture and blend until smooth. Strain to remove any remaining seeds. Put mixture in a glass baking dish and place in the freezer. After a  half hour remove the dish and scrape the mixture with a fork, creating a snow cone type texture. Repeat every half hour for about 4-5 hours. Once all of the mixture is shaved with a fork place plastic wrap or a lid over the granita and store for at least another 12 hours. Place in glasses and serve.

We have had a few exciting things going on in the last month, including “Zero Waste Week” at Stevenson School and the news that Bay View Academy Charter School had their charter renewed for five years and they will be expanding to a K-8 School! Congratulations BVA!

Zero Waste Week at Stevenson was organized by the Ocean Guardian team, and the focus was on reducing the amount of waste produced at lunch time. Students and staff members were encouraged to bring their lunch in a reusable lunchbox or bag, use reusable containers instead of plastic and Ziploc bags, and fill reusable water bottles. The students and staff did a great job, and I am excited to see them continue to reduce waste in other innovative ways. AQUA TERRA Culinary is proud to provide lunches with little waste – our trays, hot containers, and silverware all get washed and reused every day. We are also getting involved in a food scrap collection program and will hopefully be able to extend that service to the Carmel Campus to help them in their composting efforts!

In other news, as we continue to work on our menus, we are looking for ways to add more beans. Here are some great recipes for meals that include beans from the New York Times health blog, “Well.” http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/eat-your-greens-with-beans/?ref=health. What type of bean-based dishes do your kids like to eat? Share your ideas on our facebook page and maybe one of your recipes will make it onto our school lunch menu!

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please contact me directly at susan@aquaterraculinary.com with any feedback about our kids! lunch program.

If you are interested in learning more about food, check out this month’s recommendation: I am currently reading a book called The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II. The more I learn about the so-called “American diet,” the more I am pushed to educate people, especially our youth, about the connections between food and health!

Leafy greens are rich in vitamins A and C, and are a one of the best sources of vitamin K, which is important for healthy bones and aids in blood clotting. They also contain compounds called flavonoids, which act as anti-oxidants and may prevent certain types of cancer. Leafy greens are a great addition to any diet, and it’s no wonder that they are often referred to as a “super food.”

I recently had the opportunity and privilege to present at the annual Stevenson School Symposium. This year’s theme was “The Ocean: An Environment That Connects Us All.” I was able to share my knowledge and passion for local and sustainable food by preparing rock fish that was provided by Local Catch Monterey Bay for several groups of students.

As you may know, overfishing is a major environmental concern and the ocean is not as limitless as it may seem. That is why we work to ensure that Point Pinos Grill is a partner of the Seafood Watch program, and another reason that we are looking forward to this year’s Cooking for Solutions event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The upcoming months have some big announcements in store for us, so stay tuned and be well…

Chef Dory Ford

• 1 ea shallot
• 8 each asparagus spears
• 2 oz high quality olive oil
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the shallot. Cut the rough fibrous ends off of the 8 asparagus spears. Cut the remainder into small 1 inch pieces. Place the asparagus pieces in a medium sautee pan along with the shallot, olive oil and the water. Cook over medium heat about 4 minutes. The water will steam the asparagus rendering it tender. At the same time the water will evaporate and the asparagus will be stewing in the olive oil. Place into a blender and quickly puree on high to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl and season the puree with the mustard, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!

Stevenson Families: To view the menu, click here: kids menu May 2013. To place your order, visit www.aquaterrakids.com.

Bay View Families: To view the menu, click here: BVA kids menu May 2013. To place your order, visit http://bva.schoollunchchoice.com.

Stevenson Families: Click here to see the lunch menu- kids menu April 2013. Please visit www.aquaterrakids.com to place your order.

Bay View Families: Click here to see the lunch menu- BVA kids menu April 2013. Please visit http://bva.schoollunchchoice.com to place your order.

Please contact Susan (susan@aquaterraculinary.com or 831-402-4094) with any questions.

Forget an apple a day, a healthful smoothie using fresh, sustainable ingredients is the way to go. The AQUA TERRA Culinary team will soon be offering to the members of Carmel Valley Athletic Club a new smoothie line that will portray the best vegetables and fruits of the season.

We hosted a smoothie tasting demo in the café not too long ago, the members picked the banana and avocado based smoothie as their favorite. We really enjoyed working to create the different flavor aspects of this smoothie, and after all of the tasting and experimenting we did, this one was my favorite as well.

Avocados are very low in Cholesterol  despite a higher fat content and are also an excellent  source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Folate. Additionally they assist with the absorption of antioxidants from other fruits and vegetables, and are considered the best fruit source of vitamin E; an essential vitamin that supports the immune system and helps maintain overall health. The addition of the banana provides even more fiber plus potassium, and the other magical super ingredients, makes this smoothie a must try.

To help round out our new smoothie menu there will be a green smoothie packed with organic kale and spinach; and also every kid’s favorite a berry based smoothie, whose magical key ingredient is prickly pear juice. Using the cactus pear regularly in your diet will result in the drop of glucose levels, and by reducing the glucose levels in your blood your hunger level will also reduce. This wonder fruit has high fiber content and consuming whole foods with high fibrous content will make you feel “fuller” for longer durations.

Being healthy during this cold winter is made easy by adding a nutrient dense low calorie flavor pack diet to your daily routine. Eat all the whole foods you can, and maintain a high intake of vitamins and essential nutrients daily to ward off unwanted illnesses and keep you healthy and active.

If you happen to feel a little under the weather, stop by the Refuge here at CVAC and replenish yourself. You deserve it.

First of all, the majority of our meals contain over 100% of the daily-recommended value of important vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and protein. There is no better or clearer argument for fresh fruits and vegetables!

Another eye-opener for me was the difference that a carton of milk makes in the calorie count of a meal, and this caused me to look into the benefits of drinking milk a bit. I found this a recent study that suggests that two cups of milk per day is sufficient for children to get the proper amount of vitamin D and allow the body to absorb the right amount of iron. (Too much milk can actually interfere with the absorption of iron.) You can check out a summary of the study here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/how-much-milk-should-children-drink/.

We have found that most of our meals fall right around the 600 calorie mark and for the most part, our fat contents are under the limit of 30%. As we work on perfecting our meals, you may notice small changes such as more whole grains, less cheese, and a greater variety of fresh vegetables.

We are committed to the health of your children!

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Please contact me directly at susan@aquaterraculinary.com with any feedback about our kids! lunch program.

If you are interested in learning more about food, check out this month’s recommendation: The Edible Schoolyard Project- http://edibleschoolyard.org/ – a growing network of programs throughout the world that are working towards creating a healthier, food-literate population.

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ea store bought flatbread (or try naan or pita)
• 2  ea Minneola tangelos*, peeled and segmented
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
• salt & pepper
• 1/3 cup baby arugula

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400° F.
• In a small bowl, mix garlic and olive oil and brush on flatbread.
• Sprinkle flatbread with orange segments, feta cheese, and olives. Season flatbread with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with arugula.
• Cut into pieces and serve immediately.

There have been some fantastic changes to the dinner menu this winter. We have put back on the both the Shrimp and Grits and the Cioppino which were favorites in the past.   Of course there are a few new menu items also. We have added on by request a 10 oz. New York to the menu , also a lovely Seasonal Vegetarian Risotto entree.

If you haven’t tried our Chicken Saltimbocca you have to! It is quickly becoming a new favorite among the dinner crowd. Please check our website for more changes and updated menu www.pointpinosgrill.com

There has been great success with the beer and wine pairing dinners in the past. Some of our most recent were Uncommon Brewers, Ty Ku Sake and 21^st Amendment Brewery. There are still menus posted on the website and pictures on Facebook  if you weren’t able to make it – take a peek.

The Ty Ku Sake and Soju dinner was an interesting one for us and it has provided us with a cocktail list! Their coconut sake makes amazing drinks.

The next dinner that is planned will be a winemaker dinner with Morgan Winery on March 28^th. We are really excited to be able to work with such a great local winery and cannot wait to introduce you to some of their lesser known wines! As soon as a menu is available it will be posted on the website and on Facebook, please keep your eyes open!