Decorah Middle School students get a chance to sample worldwide foods

(Left to right): Earlier this month, "Pueblo Street Corn" got a thumbs up from Kaeley Downing, Ramsey Zilka, Kendall Holland, Eva Carbonell, Alissah Boydston, Bailey Donaldson and Renae Dayton

Decorah Middle School students will get a chance Tuesday to eat a Waldorf Salad.  Later this week they'll get a chance to try Sicilian Eggplant Parmesan, a Watermelon Gazpacho and a Paris, France Pear Sorbet.  It's part of a program happening on each of the 22 school days in October to prepare a regional recipe using local produce.

The program is the idea of Decorah Community Schools Culinary Specialist Chad Elliot, who applied for and received a Mission Nutrition Grant from the Chef Ann Foundation to expose children to more fruits and vegetables.

Elliot's program is called "The Empty Spoons Project--What Does your Globe Eat?"  He places the food samples that he prepared at each table in the cafeteria.  Then he interacts with the students, gathering feedback, offering history, detailing the origin of recipes and showing maps of which region traditionally prepares the recipes.  Elliot will prepare over 500 samples of the following each school day.