One-on-One with a SAGE Executive Chef: Kim Durm
SAGE Community, One-on-One
Kim Durm has served as the Executive Chef at Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) since November of 2015, and she’s been with SAGE since 1995. Kim’s sage (lowercase, that is) advice on life and teamwork is informed by her keen sense of humor, refreshing perspective, and generous goodwill. How did you get into the foodservice business, and with SAGE? Actually, I wanted to be a cop. But I was a very hyperactive child. I had to be doing something...
A Spoonful of Added Sugar
Nutrition, Spotlight Program
If you’re paying attention to headlines about nutrition, you’ve probably heard the buzz about added sugar. For the first time, the 2015 USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting added sugars (not to be confused with natural sugars) to less than 10% of the calories in your diet. For the average adult consuming roughly 2,000 calories a day, that’s no more than 200 calories—about 12 teaspoons, or 50 grams, of added sugar. That’s three percent less than the average American consumes...
The Common Market: Sustainable Sourcing to Support Local Communities
Locally Sourced
SAGE is proud to work with hundreds of small, local suppliers across North America. We’re a strong proponent of local sourcing, and The Common Market is an excellent example of how partnering with local suppliers helps support the communities in which we work. The Common Market is a non-profit food hub that connects small local farmers and food artisans with people and organizations that seek their wares. The idea first came about when co-founders Haile Johnston and Tatiana...
GROWING SAGE: Vast Gardens and Opportunities at St. Andrew’s, DE
Growing SAGE
At SAGE, we make a point of featuring locally-grown food in our dining halls, so we’re thrilled that 60% of our schools have on-campus gardens producing crops that can be incorporated into school meals—the ultimate in local sourcing. The gardens at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware are an impressive sight. Our SAGE staff are always looking for new recipes that incorporate their fresh produce! The St. Andrew’s garden started as a 5,000 ft2 field plot in 2006. Ten...
From Our Kitchen: Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries
From Our Kitchen
This filling quinoa salad will catch your eye with the rich, autumnal allure of its golden-brown squash and bright burgundy berries. For a satisfying vegan option, forgo the feta and swap agave for honey. Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries Yield: 8 -1/2 cup servings Ingredients: 2 cups butternut squash, cubed 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 2 cups quinoa 1/2 cup feta, crumbled 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 2 tablespoons fresh...
Helping Students Discover a Variety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
SAGE Standards
SAGE Standards #2 and #3: We use fresh fruits and vegetables and we offer fresh salads and house-made dressings. What We Do We offer two kinds of fresh-cut fruit every day, serve fresh fruit salad every Friday, and offer fresh fruit as an alternative to sugary dessert items. We serve fresh vegetables daily, including one plain steamed veggie, as an accompaniment to our main entree. We also offer grilled and raw veggies for sandwiches and wraps, and to accompany our...
Locally Sourced: “Brewing a Better Day, One Cup at a Time” at Thomas Miller Coffee & Co.
Purchasing, Locally Sourced
(Photo: Art Gentile/The Intelligencer via AP) “In 1978 is when we started…” begins Tom Miller. “Many moons ago and twenty pounds lighter!” interjects his wife, Cathie. So begins an afternoon of tag-team tales from the lively couple behind Thomas Miller Coffee, a small, family-owned business that provides complete coffee service to several SAGE venues across three mid-Atlantic states. Tom and Cathie have been working together for 36 years, fueling their company’s steady growth with a focused service mentality that...
The Makings of a SAGE Menu
Nutrition, Menu Builder, Spotlight Program
SAGE Dining Services® has been promoting healthy eating habits since its beginning in 1990. We know that nutrition has a big impact on our students’ academic performance, attendance, athletic performance, and long-term health. That’s why we put such care into making sure every menu is delicious, nutritious, and diverse—no small feat. Every menu is composed of a variety of from-scratch recipes. Each recipe begins as an idea in a SAGE Chef’s head. It’s then submitted and tested in our kitchens...