Campus Greens, a club focused on sustainibility, hosted their third annual Harvest Dinner on Sunday night. It was made with all local ingredients that were bought the day before, ensuring local products that are healthy, ethically sourced, and good for the environment. I was lucky enough to attend this dinner and take part in a few behind-the-scenes moments as a member of the Sustainibility House on campus, which has close ties to Campus Greens.
The dinner consisted of lots of local fresh vegetables, fruits, and more. Not only that, but almost all of the items on the menu were vegan. The menu contained fresh bread, which was delicious and always a crowd pleaser in my mind, followed by a hearty salad containing mustard greens, kale, and more. The salad dressing was homemade and absolutely delicious (made by a former Campus Cutie herself: Lucy Denton!). I am not positive about all of the ingredients, but I know it contained mustard and vinegar which led to a very delicious acidic bite to the greens. Plus, it was topped off with onions which overall made a delicious way to eat your vegetables.
The dinner also contained scalloped potatoes (the only non-vegan item) which were a crowd pleaser. They were made with lots of butter, cheese, and local potatoes. These were absolutely delicious, and perfectly made with a slight cheese crisp on top, which is my favorite part of any cheesy dish! Following the potatoes was delicious local squash from Ithaca’s Farmers Market. This butternut squash was cooked to perfection with the skin on, which is bonus added nutrients. You couldn’t even taste the skin among the deliciously roasted vegetables. I may be bias because squash is one of my favorites, but it was one of the best vegetables I have had on campus so far.
The Harvest Dinner also had soup, which I would describe as more of a stew consistency. This was chock-full of tons of legumes and healthy eats as a whole. Just to name a few ingredients, it contained kale, squash, tomatoes, chickpeas, and more which were also locally sourced. I am a big soup fan so I absolutely loved this aspect of the meal, and saved some of my bread from earlier to dip into the broth as well. The meal was very filling and there was plenty to go around, so everyone was willing to have as much as they wanted. By this time, I had felt as full as Thanksgiving dinner, but I couldn’t skip out on dessert. Dessert was an apple crisp, once again made with New York State apples. It contained oats, coconut, and cinnamon and was such a sweet end to a delicious meal. The apple was soft, tart, and flavorable, combined with the sugary oat “crisp” on top to balance out the flavors. Even though I didn’t have much room left, I still needed to ensure I tried this.
If you are an HWS student who will be back next fall, I definitely recommend looking out for the Harvest Dinner email and signing up! You have to RSVP to the email they send out, but the meal is free and the atmosphere and menu is well worth it. Where else are you going to get a hearty, healthy, locally-sourced meal for free on campus? Plus, the dinner was served outside at Fribolin Farm, which has a beautiful landscape and they had a live band playing to create a chill atmosphere. A few large tables were set out so people could enjoy dinner with their friends and with the beautiful view. The club had a shuttle back and forth to the farm to ensure for maximum carpooling and minimum emissions without people having to walk all that way. You supply your own silverware and plates to the meal, which made it really fun to see what kind of mug everyone brought and what kind of plates people keep in their dorm. I definitely will be in attendance next year and I encourage you to sign up as well!