508-291-1510 2527 Cranberry Highway, Building B, Wareham, MA 02571

INDUSTRY NEWS

Home / Blog Page / The Next Great Cranberry-Rice School Foodservice Recipe
The Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) and USA Rice collaborated at the 2017 School Nutrition Association Annual Nutrition Conference in Atlanta to seek out the next great cranberry-rice foodservice recipe. After receiving numerous unique and trendy recipe ideas, the CMC and USA Rice are excited to announce that Debra Morris, director of nutrition of Jackson County Schools in Jefferson, GA, has won the $500 recipe contest grand prize for her black bean, cranberry and rice shaker salad recipe.
Representing two American food staples, the CMC and USA Rice challenged foodservice professionals at the conference to think outside the box and share their most creative recipe concepts combining these two versatile ingredients.
“We were thrilled to see the diverse and imaginative entries we received this year,” said CMC Executive Director Michelle Hogan. “Cranberries are America’s Original Superfruit® and are a healthful addition to school menus year-round. With cranberries and rice being on the USDA’s Foods Available List, both are easily accessible by foodservice professionals to incorporate in their school menus.”

 

Morris has been working in foodservice for five years and loves the joy that comes from knowing that she played a pivotal role in promoting lifelong healthy eating habits for children and their families. “Rice and cranberries have always been a staple in our household and both add delicious taste and texture,” said Morris. “The tangy, yet sweet taste of cranberries is a perfect complement for rice.”

 

Morris will also serve as a consultant in developing her concept into a tested, creditable school foodservice recipe.

 

“We were excited to partner with the Cranberry Marketing Committee because cranberries and rice make a perfect combination that isn’t always top-of-mind,” said USA Rice Director of Domestic Promotion Katie Maher. “From savory pilafs to sweet rice puddings, the possibilities of combining rice and cranberries are endless and who better to hear from than those on the front lines of planning and preparing school lunches.”

 

Morris said shaker salads are a way to appeal to children and stay up with current food trends. “Shaker salads are very popular in the retail food circuit and on the home front with the popularity of mason jars,” she said. “In school nutrition, we are constantly looking for ways to offer trendy and familiar items on school menus.”

 

Hogan added, “We couldn’t be more excited to work with foodservice professionals directly and are excited to add this new delicious recipe to our dedicated foodservice website for schools across the nation to use on their menus.”

 

The full creditable recipe is available here.

 

About USA Rice
As the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry, USA Rice’s mission is to ensure the health and vitality of a unified U.S. rice industry by advocating on behalf of farmers, millers, merchants, and allied businesses. USA Rice conducts programs here and around the world to educate lawmakers, policymakers, consumers, and foodservice professionals about sustainably-grown U.S. rice. Each year, U.S. rice farmers produce approximately 18 billion pounds of short, medium, and long grain rice, as well as organic and specialty varieties including jasmine, basmati, and Arborio among others.

Related Posts

India Tariff Reduction

India Tariff Reduction

The U.S. cranberry industry celebrates last week's announcement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that India will reduce tariffs on U.S. fresh, frozen, dried, and processed cranberry products.  This is an important achievement and one that will support...

India Tariff Reduction

Committee Meeting

The Committee will be hosting an open meeting Wednesday, September 13 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.  This will be a virtual meeting to discuss a new budget based on the voting results of the referendum, and other administrative decisions related to termination.  If you are...

2023 Cranberry Festivals

2023 Cranberry Festivals

It's the most beautiful time of year: Cranberry Harvest!  Don’t miss a chance to attend at least one of these cranberry festivals taking place throughout the country.  We sure do wish we could attend them all!  #cranberrygoals #AllAmeriCRAN  WISCONSIN Warrens...

CMC Executive Director Appointed to Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

2023 Continuance Referendum Results

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that producers voting in a referendum on the federal marketing order for cranberries did not show enough support to continue the program. The marketing order requires that USDA conduct the referendum on the marketing...

India Tariff Reduction

Annual Summer Meeting

CMC’s annual summer meeting will take place in person at the Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden Beach, Oregon on Monday, August 14 from 8 am - 4 pm and Tuesday, August 15, 2022 from 8 am - noon. Gleneden Beach, Oregon is 94 miles southwest of Portland International...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact Us Member Portal