Food for Thought: Nourishing the Shore Community
The from-scratch operation in Shore’s kitchen is thoughtful and heavily involved, but Chef Wood and her team of professionals wouldn't have it any other way.
“The integrity of the food is really important to everybody,” says Wood.
On top of planning and preparing meals that are focused on quality, health and nutrition, and sustainability, the kitchen staff caters to a wide range of eaters. The varying tastes of students in Pre-K through Grade 9, faculty, and staff are taken into consideration, along with allergies, intolerances, and preferences.
Wood says that the most adventurous and most plain eaters alike are sure to find numerous options in the Servery. Each day they are presented with a hot entree, sandwich options, a salad bar, a variety of breads, cereals, milk, snacks, and more.
Just some of the entrees have included homemade mac and cheese, orange chicken or tofu with fried rice, a baked potato bar, and chicken carnitas. Each day there are two soups available—one of which is always gluten-free and vegetarian. The sandwich bar has a variety of deli meats, cheeses, and condiments in addition to premade options such as Wow Butter and ham and cheese. In addition to romaine, mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and all of the classic salad bar offerings, there are composed salads such as corn and bean, tomato and feta, chicken, and pasta salads.
While public schools have strict government regulations on what is served with little to no room for deviation from a set menu, Wood and her team use their freedom, creativity, and passion for cooking with the whole student in mind. She is acutely aware that what children eat impacts their performance, growth, and development and makes choices regarding the menu accordingly.
For example, all of the salad dressings at Shore are made from scratch without preservatives. Focaccia bread is made weekly with fresh herbs and fresh produce is sourced from local farms such as Brooksby Farm in Peabody.
Chef Wood has spoken about her mission to feed the whole child and considers the Servery a place for learning. “We are teaching kids life skills, how to make good choices, and exposing them to new foods,” she says.
“In order to focus in class and be a good learner, you need a good nutritious meal,” Wood adds. “We work hard to ensure each child gets that nourishment in fresh and exciting ways while catering to all of the different tastes. Being able to provide a variety of unique and thoughtful food options is just one of the things I love about being at Shore.”
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Each day over 450 people are presented with choices including a hot entree, hot and cold sandwich options, a salad bar, a variety of breads, cereals, milk, snacks and more.
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Salad dressings, croutons and kale chips are just a few of the from-scratch offerings found in the salad bar.
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Fresh fruit is served daily.
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Chef Matthew chops fresh herbs for the focaccia bread. A weekly staple on the menu, each batch uses 22 lbs of flour in addition to herbs, olive oil and other fresh ingredients.
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Chef Wood toasts the oats and hand mixes a school-wide favorite – granola!
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Students in Pre-K - Grade 9 along with employees are served a fresh meal and snack daily.
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Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.