Dinner ladies
Today was my day to help with school lunches at my son’s school in the Zürich old town. I go in a few times a year and as the little helper I’m responsible for buying and prepping the salads, making the salad dressing, then serving and helping with clearing up. You’d think I would hate it, but I love going, seeing the kids (who are always incredibly polite), saying hi to the teachers and having a laugh with the chief dinner lady, Brigitte (that’s her in the background!).
Today we were feeding about 70 – various salads, followed by white wine risotto with ratatouille and then fruit salad. Absolutely everything is prepared fresh in a tiny kitchen – and it’s really, really good. I only managed to take pictures of my salad buffet – after that there was no time. It says it all that every single child voluntarily takes at least one salad, most take more and they come back for seconds of the main course until the pans are scraped clean.
And I didn’t see one overweight child…
It’s a very long way from the spam fritters I ate at school as a child!
Helen
PS I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed and sending positive vibes for all those suffering because of Hurricane Sandy. Proof again that there is not a lot we can do against the might of nature. Stay safe my friends – we’re thinking of you.
October 30th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Ha ha! We used to have Spam Fritters too – and Spam Salad in the summer!
October 30th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
wow, you don’t see school dinners like that over here!
October 30th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Wow, if that’s not a five star menu, I don’t know what is! I don’t remember having any dinners at school as we always went home over lunch. But times have changed, even in Switzerland.
October 30th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Your salads look so lovely – fresh and crisp – I’d definitely come back for seconds.
October 30th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Never have a seen such an elegant school lunch. So much for my bologna on white bread with mayo that I grew up eating.
October 30th, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Beautiful photos, food for body and spirit! I can see and almost hear the fresh crunch of those salads and can nearly smell the wonderful aroma of the bread… yum!
October 30th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
While I was waiting for the hammer to fall and Sandy make landfall, I cooked and baked. I was anticipating losing power for a minimum of a day, so I tried to catch up with cooking and cleaning and anything else requiring electricity. It must have worked because all I had was a couple of a couple of power hits. I’m about 33 miles west of Atlantic City NJ.
October 30th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
You’re right, school dinners are a bit different from my day! These look delish. Mind. You, would British kids eat that? No chips!
October 31st, 2012 at 12:04 am
Loving the thought of you in a hairnet!
November 4th, 2012 at 11:30 am
Those salads look great – I was doing some cover work at the American school here last week and I love the atmosphere of being in a school – so much energy and every day is different.
November 4th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Why couldn’t my school dinners have been like that?!