Dreaming of the Fall

I just ordered Ezekiels backpack for first grade.  The truth is half the summer has disappeared already.  Evening bike rides, fireflies, boxes of greens from our CSA, Sunflowers, grape tomatoes from our little producers, yoga in the garden.  I must confess I love imagining the fall, look longingly at my beloved cobalt blue Enamel soup pot and can practically smell the woodsmoke from the fireplace, but with autumn comes school lunches.  Do you think any of the students from Sea Cliff School are fantasizing about Tyson Chicken nuggets and rushing lunch ladies?  

I taught in the NY City schools as a visiting poet in the classroom for years.  Which means I've been in just about 100 elementary schools from The Lower East Side, to Westchester to the East End of LI, and I've only seen one cafeteria with a lunch tray I'd cozy up to.  The school I'm thinking of had PTA meetings in the cafeteria.  Adults would voluntarily meet to talk about issues of the day over  bowl of soup, or grab an apple from the bushel on the shelf.   Parents would eat breakfast with their children in the cafeteria before heading off to work.

Sara has been doing such a great job highlighting the ingredients in the school food.  I for one appreciate this effort immensely.  But the blog is also a space for imagining and dreaming.  What would your lunch tray look like?

Mine would have brown rice and black beans, a bit of avocado salsa and a corn tortilla.   I don't think it would cost much to produce.  Add grilled chicken if you like, oh and filtered water in a reusable bottle with each kids name on it.  

I'll post on water later this week.

Best,

Luisa