Culinary Team Establishes Unique Partnerships with MSU Veg Club and Slow Food MSU

Culinary Services (CS) recently formed several unique partnerships with student groups, helping educate the campus community on food movements and lifestyles.

Slow Food MSU is a student organization that aims to protect the heritage, tradition and culture of food. Founded on the philosophy that there are strong connections between plate and planet, the group connected with the CS team to offer the second live demonstration for the 2017-18 academic year.

On Thursday, March 15 at Brody Square, Corporate Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski showcased a pan-seared trout dish with sautéed kale and Michigan beans. Instead of discarding the kale stems, they were cooked down to create chow-chow, a pickled condiment made from various vegetables. “This Southern-inspired dish highlighted ingredients grown and served right here on campus,” he explained. “By using the kale stalks, we also presented a concept the audience is likely not familiar with and a unique method to avoid creating food waste.”

“Chef Kurt simplified what would normally be intimidating techniques and shared recipes that we more than eager to try ourselves,” said Hannah Weatherford, president of Slow Food MSU. “We are so fortunate to have the chefs and staff at MSU Culinary Services as a resource for knowledge and expertise.”

Additionally, CS chefs recently began meeting with the MSU Veg Club, a student organization that aims to provide community to vegetarian, vegan and veg-curious MSU students and faculty/staff. On Tuesday, March 27, CS partnered with their group to offer special service at the Grains and Greens venue in Heritage Commons at Landon. A plant-based Beyond Meat Burger was made available, along with an Onion Kaiser bun and optional toppings such as oven-roasted tomatoes, sautéed onions and peppers, a wild mushroom blend and dairy-free cheese. Side dish choices included Pickle Chips and Garlic Potato Chips.

CS is committed to nourishing current partnerships and establishing new connections with university groups, educating diners on new concepts and contributing to the sense of community across campus.