White House Recognizes Cowles’ Mary McFetridge
Mary McFetridge will dine with the First Lady and visit the White House kitchen garden in July.
Cowles Montessori’s Mary McFetridge, 11, will board a plane to Washington, D.C. in early July to dine with First Lady Michelle Obama and tour the White House kitchen garden. She is one of 55 students nationwide who won the opportunity in the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Mary’s is a recipe healthy foodies will love.
“Mary’s Garden Farfalle Feast” (Farfalle is Italian for ‘butterfly’) calls from many of the ingredients, which include fruits, vegetables, tofu and vegetable pasta, to be arranged in butterfly designs.
“Caterpillars go through their metamorphosis,” McFetridge said. “I’m eating the Farfalle Feast and following FoodPlate so my bones, brain and muscles will grow strong.”
McFetridge comes from a family of fit people.
“I’m inspired by my sister who can run as fast as the wind and my brothers who taught me basketball,” she said. “But not least, I was inspired by my parents. My mom, because she has taught me to be healthy and my dad, because I run with him when we do 5Ks, and he encourages me all through the race.”
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge website says the 55 winning recipes were selected based on their healthfulness, taste, originality, affordability, and following USDA’s MyPlate recommendations.
Mary was happy to share her winning recipe with us.
Mary’s (Award Winning) Garden Farfalle Feast
Fruit salad:
2 fresh oranges, peeled
1 banana sliced
1 cup green or red seedless grapes washed and stems removed
1 cup mixed berries washed
Feast:
½ cup each fresh green beans, Brussels sprouts and asparagus, washed and steamed
1 cob per person of fresh Iowa corn with husks removed, steamed
2 cups plain Farfalle and veggie Penne pasta mixed al dente
1 cup cubed extra firm tofu, sautéed with light olive oil
1 cup fresh mixed greens washed
1) Bring 2 cups of water in a saucepan to a boil. Stir in 2 cups pasta for about 10 minutes. Drain water.
2) Sautee cubed extra firm tofu with light olive oil on medium heat for about 8 minutes.
3) Remove husks from fresh Iowa sweet corn on the cob and boil for 7 minutes.
4) Wash and steam fresh green beans, Brussels sprouts and asparagus for about 3 minutes.
5) Toss together.
Spinach/Kale Smoothies:
1 cup of washed fresh spinach and kale
2 cups calcium-enriched orange juice
½ cup non-fat plain yogurt (omit if sensitive to dairy)
1 cup frozen berries – aronia berries
1 ripe peeled banana
Place fresh spinach, kale, berries, orange juice, yogurt and ripe banana in a blender. Pour in a glass.
Presentation notes from Chef Mary: Arrange all the food around large platter in a large butterfly design. Arrange the fruit salad in shapes of little butterflies, like a red grape between two slices of orange. Make flower shapes with mixed fruit. Serve your family this garden of yummy food! Serves 4-6.
