Southeast students served raw onions as snack

The Examiner DC ^ | May 27, 2011 | Lisa Gartner

[La Lydia]

No matter how you slice it, the days of milk and cookies are long gone as schools aim to provide students with healthy fruits and vegetables as snacks. But raw onions? That's what several classes of students at Southeast DC's Turner Elementary were fed Tuesday, instead of the zucchini slices the school's food provider, Chartwells, said it would serve as part of a federal initiative to provide healthy food to young learners. When Trevor Rill picked up the snack bags from the cafeteria for his third-grade class, he found bundles of raw scallions... "I asked the cafeteria workers, 'Are you serious?' and they said, 'This is what they sent us,'" said Rill, one of nine City Year corps members assigned to Turner....

Turner Elementary is one of the District's 53 public elementary schools participating in the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Under the 2008 farm bill, the District received $1.2 million this school year to serve students a vegetable or piece of fruit outside of breakfast and lunch hours. The program is likely to expand to more schools next year as funding increases to $1.7 million.

...Chartwells' executive director and dietician did not return calls from seeking comment.

... Chartwells officials confirmed that the scallions were intended as a lunch ingredient, but because of a mix-up, were packaged as the day's snack....

D.C. Public Schools also acknowledged the incident, saying "school administration took quick action" and that "ultimately students were served apples." As for Chartwells, DCPS "is confident that this was an isolated event," spokeswoman Safiya Simmons said.,,,

[okie01]

The Texas 1015 Sweet Onions are OK, but not nearly as ood as Walla Wala Sweets.

There is a magnificent onion that is locally available in Texas, during a one-month window (which just started).

Noonday onions -- grown in the vicinity of the Noonday community (near Tyler).

Sweet, full of flavor, just enough heat to highlight the flavor. Fabulous when broiled on the grill (in foil, with butter and worcestershire).

[La Lydia]

What gives is that the agriculture sector and the welfare pimps have been very effective at lobbying Congress. It goes on because parents take the path of least resistance.

[rockrr]

I remember raw onion slices served in the cafeteria in elementary school in Huntsville. I always thought it was a regional thing. (loved them BTW)

[freedomlover]

“Try a quarter inch slice of a fresh Texas Sweet Onion, on good wheat bread and slathered with Miracle Whip, then add a generous amount of black pepper.

Better than a burger.”

---

I will completely agree with you (although I prefer my more local Vidalias ;) ).

Then if you add a slice of fat garden tomato, and a big glass of milk, yum-O!!

Give me a nap after that, and life is grand.

[momtothree]

When I was pregnant with my second child and before I KNEW I was pregnant, I had serious cravings for onion sandwiches. I ate them every day for at least two weeks. Onions, mayo, white bread and loads of salt. Never did figure it out but at the time, they were heaven.

[Milton Miteybad]

Try a quarter inch slice of a fresh Texas Sweet Onion, on good wheat bread and slathered with Miracle Whip, then add a generous amount of black pepper.

Better than a burger.

Sorry. By definition, anything that has been even anywhere near a container of Miracle Whip is inedible, as well as possibly toxic to human life.

I once worked on a project where we bought the easements for a pipeline running from a refinery to a facility where Kraft manufactured Miracle Whip. The product to be transported to Kraft was asphaltene residue, i.e., that stuff from the bottom of the barrel after you've cracked the usable asphaltenes off.

I asked, "Why does Kraft want this god-awful petroleum waste product?"

"It's a feedstock for Miracle Whip. Hey...they want it, we'll ship it to 'em."

[chris_bdba]

Serve them and tell the kids to thanks Mrs Obama for them!

[itsahoot]

I agree on the Wala Wala, on on the west coast we get a lot of so called sweet onion, they rarely are. Have to drive back through Texas and Oklahoma to get the genuine article. The last few times I tried Vidalia sweets, I could have saved money by bying the old standard yellow onion, they were really hot and not in the least sweet.

[silverleaf]

By next year, those DC school kids may be grasping turnips in their grubby hands and swearing:

“as meshell obama is my witness, I will never go hungry again....!!”

maybe that raw scallion snack was from the Sidwell Friends school menu of snack recipes....

Then again....naw

[La Lydia]

Mrs. Michelle Obama. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.

[TXnMA]

The kitchen help who bagged the snacks probably had no idea what a "zucchini" was -- and was loath to ask...

"¿Habla usted el Ebonics?"

[VideoDoctor]

Could it be that the “ONION LOBBY” has made progress?

[stayathomemom]

I'm one of those odd people who has to avoid onions.:-( They shut down my digestive track and are a guarantee of a sick headache to come.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Next week, raw potato.

...but it will cost the same, if not more.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I don’t think you’re supposed to put raw onions down there.

[Pelham]

Good call, VP Quayle.