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This fall, over 180 pounds of Ozette potatoes* and 250 pounds of winter squash were harvested from the campus gardens and enjoyed in meals prepared by the FRidge (Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart). The potatoes were from a second generation of seeds planted by 7th graders and the winter squash were from seeds planted in the late spring by 6th graders. Along with planting and harvesting the crops, students were taught the historical context of each vegetable and given cooked samples of the harvest.

In addition to vegetables, over 20 gallons of blackberries were picked from campus vines. The berries were sent to Whidbey Island Ice Cream Co. and blended into 14 gallons of Northwest Blackberry Ice Cream. Students and staff enjoyed a first sampling of the Blackberry Ice Cream at the Meet Your Farmer Luncheon in December. Other FRidge offerings from the Forest Ridge campus fall harvest included Cream of Squash Soup, Blackberry Crisp, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable Lasagna with Squash, Slow- Roasted Potatoes and Blackberry Muffins. {{ image(3221, {“class”: “flor round”, “width”: “300”, “height”: “300”}) }}

*The Makah Ozette Potato is part of Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction. A partnership between the Slow Food Seattle chapter, the Makah Nation, the Seattle chapter for Chefs Collaborative, several farmers, and a laboratory that produces potato seed for the USDA formed in 2006 to increase the production and promotion of this delicious potato. This partnership is now a Slow Food Presidium, or small project to assist groups of artisan producers. The Presidia program is coordinated by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, which organizes and funds projects that defend our world’s heritage of agricultural biodiversity and gastronomic traditions.