You know it’s a Brainfood summer when…

1. there's a dance party in the kitchen that involves wigs and sequined sunglasses.

Brainfood grads often have creative streak, and our Box Project class was no exception. After a summer of impromptu singing and some spontaneous kitchen dance routines, we challenged them to channel their talents into a last day music video. Armed with props supplied by Garden Manager Aimee, they created a music video mashup that's still got us laughing.

The United States produces roughly 35 million tons of food waste every year, 95% of which, according to the EPA, goes straight to our landfills and incinerators. That means food waste ends up in our municipal solid waste systems more than any other kind of solid waste. At Brainfood, we care a lot about our food: where it comes from, how it was raised or grown, how it’s preserved and stored, the way it’s seasoned, handled, and cooked, and the energy and nutrients it provides us. This month at Summer Institute, our students paused to think about simple, realistic strategies to make the most out of our food resources and reduce food waste.

School’s almost out, which means the Brainfood kitchens have been unusually quiet for the past couple of weeks. Our program participants are out finishing up another year of high school, and our ovens and stoves, pots and pans (not to mention instructors) are taking a break from daily cooking to focus on upcoming summer programs.

But outside in the Brainfood Youth Garden, things are in full swing! We’re harvesting a bounty of fresh produce that our programs will use in recipes this summer.  In this blog post, we’re bringing you an exclusive sneak preview of a few of our favorite home-grown Brainfood edibles along with some fun facts about each. 

The last two weeks have been strictly catch-us-if-you-can at Brainfood.  Classes were finalized on September 16th, the after school program kicked off on September 21st, and we're rolling into a second week of baking already!  We'll have more delicious dispatches from our newly busy Columbia Heights and Chinatown kitchens, but for now, here's along overdue last look at our awesome summer institute courtesy of our summer staff...