Waldorf Chicken Salad…

I was convinced to become the Arlington School District’s food service director back in 2005.

I say convinced because others thought I’d be good at it. I never had such a position before, I never even applied for the job. Boom, it happened in a flash.

I said yes because I saw the position as an opportunity to make a difference in our schools and town. I became excited and very nervous.

I wanted to change the school lunch program in a few different ways. I wanted to offer three choices of food to anyone getting lunch; whether they were categorized as free, reduced and full price.

I took away all ala carte items that only kids with money could purchase leaving the free and reduced kids to only have one choice and everyone knew they were poor. Not on my watch.

I also took away desserts every day and saved them for special occasions like it was back in the old days.

I watched too many kids before I took over get the lunch just for the dessert and dumped the rest of the tray.

I wanted to offer a hot lunch, a sandwich, wrap, or panini, and a salad. I made sure that there was something for all kinds of eaters; even the picky ones.

I also wanted to introduce the kids to new and unfamiliar foods to them. I gave them small try-me cups to taste what I was serving, even to the brown baggers who seemed to like that.

Long before farm-to-school lunch in the Northeast, I worked with a local farmer and purchased rejected fruits and vegetables which couldn’t be sold due to their looks.

We turned those ugly ducklings into delicious food and baked goods. Yes, it was more work, but most of my employees were high school students and loved working with me.

I taught the kids what seasonal eating was. When they begged for watermelon in January I told them it was citrus season and offered them many varieties which I could afford through a fresh fruit and veggie grant.

Lastly, I wanted the teachers and staff to order lunch from us. I held events that invited parents and grandparents to the elementary school to eat with their children.

Parents would tell me on Parents Night at a school how they loved hearing about what their child tried for lunch.

Many parents told me they had no idea themselves what a “Three cheese focaccia melt with pesto and tomatoes”’ was but their kid loved it! This made me very happy!

One of the most popular salads was the Waldorf Chicken Salad on greens and a breadstick. Not something you would expect from elementary, middle, and high school students. Teachers adored it too.

When the little ones would ask me what a Waldorf salad was I would explain it like this.

“A long time ago there was a very fancy hotel in New York City called the Waldorf Astoria.”

“Back in 1893, a man named Oscar came up with a new salad for their fancy schmancy restaurant.”

Their eyes got big when I told them theatrically, “The salad you are having tomorrow is the same one that was served to the fancy people eating in the fancy restaurant who were staying at the fancy hotel.”

One boy asked if it was the same salad and if it would be ok to eat, meaning it was from 1893. I told him the one I make is exactly the same but freshly made. He looked relieved.

Next, I told the kids what was in the salad. The salad had chunks of apples and grapes, which I already know they loved.

I couldn’t add walnuts to the salad due to the no nuts policy. I omitted telling them about the celery, it only takes one little thing to make a child turn their nose up to something.

The salad also had chicken for the needed protein and a special dressing. They nodded their heads and said they would sign up for it the next day. Yay!

Whenever I make Waldorf salad with or without chicken, I think of how lucky I was to feed those kids new and exciting food.

Now those kids are adults and parents. Whenever I see them they tell me how they missed my cooking. ☺️

What an awesome thing to be able to open their eyes to trying new things they never wouldn’t have as an opportunity to.

I wonder if they are doing that with their own kids?