Summer at Dartmouth: Week Three

   Another week at DDS has flew by. This week, I worked with social media, sustainability, and local foods at Dartmouth college. Each morning I tweet out baked goods on Collis Cafe's twitter feed. I also tweet out any fresh produce from local farms that will be featured on the salad bar. This week, cucumbers, Swiss chard, and green leaf lettuce from Edgewater Farms was featured. DDS has also been working to become more environmentally friendly by using compostable take out containers. I learned that the use of plastic take out containers has been reduced by half since compostable containers became available. DDS hopes to reduce the usage of plastic further by introducing a larger compostable container. It's amazing the impact a change as small as offering an environmentally-friendly take out container can have!
   On Friday, the corporate chef from Performance Foodservice Group (PFG) visited to present a Slider/Fun Food Station that will take place in 53' Commons in August. The menu is the ultimate fun, novelty food menu. We will be featuring a variety of sliders  such as beef, lamb, veggie, and shrimp along with buffalo-style beer battered mac & cheese bites, sweet corn nuggets, eggplant fries, and tri-color potato salad. Maybe all of this hot weather has me prematurely longing for fall, but I can't help but thinking this menu would be perfect tailgating fare for football games!
    On Friday I also had lunch with former Dartmouth dietitian, Marcia Herrin. She now works with eating disorders and weight loss in her own private practice. As an aspiring dietitian, I found this meeting extremely insightful. Marcia offered a unique perspective on nutrition and weight loss. I am so glad I got the chance to meet her and learn more her philosophies.
    On Sunday I got the chance to experience the works of a great American sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. His name may not be a familiar one, but his works can be found all over the country. Saint-Gaudens has sculpted monuments such as the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common and the Standing Lincoln in Lincoln Park, Chicago. His summer house and studio was located in nearby Cornish, New Hampshire. It is now a National Historic Site commemorating his life and his art. I can definitely see why Augustus Saint-Gaudens chose the area as the location of his studio. Vines dripped from pillars on the patio, flowers lined brick paths, and around every hedge loomed staggeringly detailed sculptures. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Saint-Gaudens house and studio

Saint-Gaudens house

Copy of Standing Lincoln in Lincoln Park, Chicago

Copy of Robert-Gould Shaw Memorial in Boston Common

   That wraps up another week at Dartmouth Dining Services. Next week I will be spending a day at King Arthur Flour! I can already taste the baked goods.