Sea to School Takeaways

On April 2nd, a group of approximately 20 Food Service Directors and school cafeteria staff gathered at the Maynard High School for a workshop of using local seafood in school meals. This workshop – the third in a series of local foods culinary workshops offered by Mass. Farm to School over the past year – introduced participants to the cutting edge of the local food movement in schools – locally sourced proteins! Many food service directors have been incorporating locally grown fruits and vegetables into their school meals for years.  However, few schools are turning to local options for center of the plate items.  In Massachusetts, with one of the most storied fishing industries in the country, incorporating seafood into a local foods program makes perfect sense.

Top 5 takeaways:

1. Expanding local foods procurement to include “center of the plate” items is a sensible choice for Massachusetts schools:  Our ample shoreline and storied fishing industry provide unique access to locally caught fish.
2. Local fish is delicious!:  Stay tuned for recipes for soy and ginger glazed pollock, coconut crusted ocean perch, and sweet and spicy pollock tasted at the workshop!
3. Fish is an affordable option for Massachusetts school meals.:  Species and cuts are available for under 75 cents per plate.
4. Fish is versatile and simple to prepare.:  Ask for cuts of pollock, ocean perch or redfish, and hake.
5. The Massachusetts fishing industry is sustainable for fish and fishermen.:  Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game work regulate fisheries to ensure fish stocks remain healthy and fishermen receive fair prices for their product.

Bob Kinch, Maynard Schools Food Service Director, Fessenden School Food Service Director, Ken Miller,  and Andrew Wilkerson, Seafood Specialist of North Coast Seafoods, led the workshop and helped participants identify appropriate species of fish to serve in schools – species that are abundantly available and sustainably fished in the waters around Massachusetts, priced affordably for schools that have a per plate protein budget of under 75 cents, and, most importantly, able to be prepared in a simple and delicious way that students will enjoy.  In addition to selecting these underutilized species, the presenters discussed opportunities to source “trim” from seafood processors which includes oddly sized pieces of fish resulting from mechanized processing. These cuts can be used to make fish burgers, fish tacos, or other recipes that don’t require whole fillets. The species discussed include several versatile white fish such as pollock, ocean perch (also known as redfish), and hake. Recipes that the participants sampled included, a soy and ginger glazed pollock, coconut crusted ocean perch, and sweet and spicy pollock.

The workshop also included presentations by Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, and Jared Auerbach of Red’s Best Seafood.  Griffin spoke of the work the Department undertakes to regulate fisheries to ensure fish stocks remain healthy, as well as new marketing initiatives to promote local seafood consumption.  Auerbach spoke of the importance of sourcing underutilized local fish species to ensure that local fishermen receive fair prices for their product and the Massachusetts fishing industry stays viable and the fish population sustainable. The workshop concluded with ample time to taste the delicious recipes and for food service staff to talk shop with each other and think creatively about how to introduce these new items successfully in their schools.