One of our favorite events every summer is The Sylvia Center’s Farm-to-Table dinner, hosted by Great Performances in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, N.Y. The mission of The Sylvia Center is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through hands-on learning experiences on the farm and in the kitchen. The Center does this by teaching skills that inspire students to establish independent healthy eating habits that lead to healthy and productive lives. Sounds like a good plan for all of us, which is why we’ve asked The Sylvia Center to share some of the recipes they use when working with the youth programs.
As the hours of daylight begin to increase, anyone with a backyard flock of laying hens knows that egg production begins to increase, too. At The Sylvia Center at Katchkie Farm, our chickens are an important part of how we teach youth about where their food comes from, how it grows, and how to prepare it. Every student that visits the farm gets to hold a chicken, explore the chicken coop, and collect fresh, organic eggs. After harvesting scallions from our Learning Garden, students walk to the Field House Kitchen where they work with Chef Jillian to prepare one of our favorite (and super easy) egg-based recipes. Easy Egg Drop SoupServes 4-6 6 cups of chicken stock 4 scallions, thinly sliced 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 eggs, lightly beaten Fresh grated ginger to taste (optional) 1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add scallions and mushrooms. Cook for two minutes. 2. Gradually add the eggs in a steady stream. Stir until the eggs are set, about 1 minute.
