Gordon Commons

Stop by Gordon Commons and the Retreat today and share your gratitude with our culinary team! This Chef Appreciation Week we want you to help us celebrate the amazing people creating the unique dining experiences on your campus.

1️⃣ thank them for their hard work 💪

2️⃣ share your favorite dish 🥘

3️⃣ recall a fond memory from the café or dining event! 😍 ...

Explore our kitchen hacks for regrowing your vegetables! (Yep, you read that right!) 🌱

One of our favorite ways to save money other than using nontraditional vegetable parts like beet greens is to use stems that are often tossed away to grow new vegetables!

It`s a simple equation:
Properly cut vegetable
+ Water
+ Sunlight
+ Love
= Regrown lettuce, celery, romaine, leeks, green onions, potatoes, and even bok choy!

Here are more in-depth examples to try at home:

1️⃣ Lettuce and bok choy | Leave 2-3 inches at the base, stand it in the sun in a mug, glass, or jar with water halfway up, and make sure you change the water daily.

2️⃣ Green onions | Keep 2 inches of the base with roots intact, fill a mug, glass, or jar with a 1/2 inch of water, and place the onions in root end down near a window for sunlight. Change the water daily.

3️⃣ Basil and mint | After purchasing from the store, trim the stems and place the cut ends down in a jar of water on the counter. Leave it there long enough, and the roots will start sprouting!

Although you can leave them in the water and harvest that way, you can also transfer them into soil after they have more fully developed in the glass. #KitchenHacks #SaveMoney #GrowYourFood #ZeroWasteKitchen #FightFoodWaste ...

This snack? 👈👀 Or that snack? 👀👉

No preference is wrong; tell us your favorite late night eats in the comments!

1️⃣ Popcorn or mixed nuts?
2️⃣ Cereal or peanut butter toast?
3️⃣ Chocolate or cheese?
4️⃣ Leftovers or a sandwich?
5️⃣ Vegetables with hummus or fruit with yogurt?

#ThisOrThat #LateNightSnacks #SnackChoices ...

Venture outside this spring with these foraging tips! 🌱

YOU NEED
1️⃣ a basket (or other container)
2️⃣ a hand trowel
3️⃣ a pocket knife or kitchen shears
4️⃣ a field guide to local plants

Swipe through the carousel or read on below for four common spring foraging finds 🔍

🌱 Ramps have bright green leaves with glowing white bulbs, and are often found in large clumps near creeks, gorges, and wooded lots. They can be used interchangeably with any recipe calling for garlic.

🍄 Morels have pitted, spongy heads, smooth stems, and hollow interiors. (Be careful! There is a "false" morel that is poisonous! Always consult an experienced mycologist when foraging for mushrooms on your own.) Morels are commonly found around decaying trees after adequate rainfall. Cook `em up how you would a mushroom from the store.

🌻 Dandelions have sunny flowers and spiky greens that really need no further explanation. (Dandelions do share many look-alikes, none of which are toxic.) Finding them is also not a problem, but they grow on lawns and in gardens, parks, meadows, and disturbed areas. Each part of the plant is usable! The greens are arugula-like and often used in salads and the flowers are sweet and often used in jellies and teas.

🍽️ Burdock is a root vegetable beneath a rhubarb look-alike plant with large, dark green leaves in a heart shape at the base tapering toward a point. You can easily find this plant alongside walking paths. Just peel and roast them like you would any root vegetable, add them to stir-fries, or pickle them.

Consulting a local foraging expert is always a good idea before striking out on your own. Always be a good steward when foraging. Take only 10% of what you find so other foragers can also enjoy your find.

#SpringForaging #ForagingTips #RampsForaging #MorelsForaging #DandelionsForaging #BurdockForaging #ForagingAdventure ...

Need to prepare a meal for family or friends with allergies? Try out this Chimichurri Chicken with Apple Cider Vinaigrette Spinach Salad, which is free of the major 9 allergens. 👏

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
For the chimichurri:
1-1/2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the salad:
1 pound fresh spinach
4 ounces red cabbage, shredded
2 medium carrots, shredded
1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat a grill or oven to 350 degrees F.

Place parsley in a food processor and lightly pulse to rough chop. Add olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, pepper, and salt. Pulse until mixture is just combined and resembles a thick sauce. Pour half of the sauce into a separate bowl and set aside.

Spoon remaining sauce over chicken and bake or grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, turning over halfway and basting with sauce. Remove from the oven or grill and top with remaining chimichurri sauce.

To make the salad, combine spinach, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper until completely combined. Toss with spinach just before serving and top salad with sliced chicken.

#AllergyFriendlyFood #FoodAllergies #FreeFromAllergens #AllergyFriendlyRecipes ...