The UVM Climate Kitchen recently collaborated with UVM Dining to bring a special menu to Waterman Manor in honor of Earth Week. This menu aimed to highlight the Climate Kitchen's Five Tenets for Building Sustainable Practices: plant forward, low waste, whole food utilization, local/regional sourcing, and integrating tastes and habits.

Developed in collaboration with Food Systems graduate student Brian Griffith and UVM Dining’s Chef Daniel Miele, the menu featured innovative dishes that utilized locally sourced ingredients, even during the challenging late-April season in Vermont. Examples included parsnip and sage gnocchi and a tofu and kimchi bowl, showcasing creative solutions to seasonal constraints.

This collaboration not only brought delicious, sustainable meals to Waterman Manor but also served as a platform for educating and engaging the UVM community in discussions about building a sustainable future. Through this initiative, both UVM Dining and the Climate Kitchen hoped to inspire innovative thinking and practical solutions for a more sustainable food system.

The Climate Kitchen is a maker's space for collaboration and experimentation, reimagining the connection between food and climate change. It is an initiative of the Food Systems Research Center, which funds collaborative research that puts people and the planet first, unites disciplines and communities, and answers complex questions about food systems.