Teacher Appreciation Luncheon ~ Farmers Market Theme
Well, they did it again. The amazing parents of the students at Rolling Hills Country Day School hosted yet another over-the-top Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon. This year’s theme was extra charming ~ a Farmers Market! Their dedication, creativity, and attention to detail blew all of us away.
A few weeks before the event, we received a handmade invitation in our mailboxes, inviting us to “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” at the RHCDS Farmers Market. And to “Come Meet Your Local Farmers.” The invitation cleverly proclaimed “Crafting Kids Since (our inception) 1961.”
Welcome to the Farm House
On Teacher Appreciation Day, we arrived to find the school auditorium completely transformed into a colorful organic-dining farmstead. Draped over the back of each chair was the gift of a reusable cloth shopping bag, printed with an artsy RHCDS Farmers Market label. In the bag, a fresh baked baguette with plenty of extra room to shop the market after lunch and fill it with a bounty of local fresh fruits and vegetables.
Menus were printed on paper bags so that after dining, we could take the bag to visit the various market stands and fill it up with sweet treats and goodies. Lastly, we would stop at the fresh flower stand “Oops-a-Daisy” to hand-pick our favorite blooms and have the talented moms arrange them into beautiful bouquets to take home.
The enchanting table decor included rustic wooden centerpieces overflowing with vibrant vegetables, soft white linen tablecloths and blue striped tea-towel napkins, silverware tied with twine, milk-bottle beverage containers with jaunty red striped straws. Wooden pallets with woven and wire baskets of fruits and vegetables adorned the walls. We felt pampered…and comfortable.
The parents sported snappy t-shirts with Country Day logos branded for each particular farm stand: Farmhouse Crepes, Coffee Stand, Original Kettlecorn, Bakery, Pick UR Own, and Flower Stand. These thoughtful parents consciously considered the dietary restrictions of some of the teachers – offering many vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free menu choices.
Following the fabulously fresh veggie-centric luncheon, we stopped at the coffee stand for a custom-brewed cup of java and some chocolate covered espresso beans for a boost, then “shopped” the Farmers Market – giddy with delight to take home potatoes, onions, carrots, home-grown citrus fruits, apples, pears. Even the centerpieces were included in the “shopping” experience – eggplants, artichokes, bell peppers and more. Our little paper bag menus were full of cookies and pies and peanuts and popcorn.
Let’s ride our bikes over to RHCDS and I’ll show you their re-creation of a Farmers Market…inside a school auditorium!
menu
beverages
cucumber lime water
strawberry watermelon spritz
blackberry iced tea
starters & snacks
fresh fruit, vegetable, and cheese display
baguette, crackers
original kettlecorn
roasted peanuts and sunflower seeds
wraps and sandwiches
pesto roasted chicken wrap
caprese mozzarella, arugula, basil, tomato with balsamic aioli
roasted asparagus, avocado, roasted red peppers, grilled portobello mushroom, arugula
greens
kale mix, brussels sprouts, figs, dried apricots, honey crisp apples, toasted sliced almonds
beet, goat cheese, arugula, candied walnuts
roasted corn, tomato, avocado, lime vinaigrette
asian chicken salad
crepe station
ham and cheese
curry chicken, red pepper, mozzarella and cream cheese
spinach, feta, sweet bell pepper, tomato and mushrooms
bacon, mozzarella, mushrooms, sautéed onion
dessert
blueberry, apple and cherry pies
chocolate chip, coconut pecan, and assorted cookies
chocolate brownies
plus an assortment of gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free baked goods
coffee station
custom-brewed assorted coffees
chocolate covered espresso beans
food by Entertaining Friends Catering
Impressed? We certainly were!
You continue to inspire and amaze us – Alex, Tracey C., Ann Marie, and Parents Association President Tracy W.
I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you and your entire team – all the creative, kind, clever, talented parents of the students at Rolling Hills Country Day School. We admire, value, and more than appreciate your enthusiasm, and commitment, and generosity. You always manage to dazzle and delight us. It continues to be my absolute pleasure to work at Country Day after 16 years…because of our finest faculty & staff and because of you. Thank you.
“The pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite – — toujours bon appetit!”
Julia Child
Be sure to visit our previous years’ Teacher Appreciation Luncheons:
The Eco-Friendly Teacher Appreciation Luncheon – Recycle Theme
Baseball Theme Teacher Appreciation Luncheon! Home Run!
Asian-Theme Teacher Appreciation and Pi Day
UPDATE: Here’s another great one!
TEACHER APPRECIATION and Celebrating Our National Parks
Food Network
featuring
Green Salads
Sensational Sides is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite side dishes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board with over 290,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair!
And if this trip to the Farmers Market got you in the mood for greens, you might enjoy taking a peek at other recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…
Creative Culinary: Mixed Greens with Smoked Mozzarella and a Warm Roasted Garlic Dressing
The Cultural Dish: Three Quick and Easy Salad Recipes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Salad Greens with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Red or Green: Salad Greens with Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
The Heritage Cook: Chopped Steakhouse-Style Salad (Gluten-Free)
Taste with the Eyes: Teacher Appreciation Farmers Market Salad
Swing Eats: Kale Salad with Lemon, Pecorino Romano, and Toasted Walnuts
Virtually Homemade: Spinach and Bacon Salad
Domesticate Me: 8 Gorgeous Green Salads for Spring
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Arugula and Grapefruit Salad
Dishin & Dishes: Tangle Thai Rainbow Salad
Homemade Delish: Grilled Pineapple Spinach Salad
FN Dish: Why Side Salads Are the Best Salads
Would you ever share the file you used for the bags?? I would love to try and recreate this for our little school in Austin, Texas!! Thank you!!
Hi Allison – thanks for your interest. Unfortunately I was an attendee and photographer, I don’t have any information about the bags. Good luck with your event.
LL