Herndon High School Wins Culinary Challenge with Area 2 Farms’ Greens
We're excited to share that students from Herndon High School have won the Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge! Area 2 Farms was happy to provide fresh red romaine lettuce for their winning "Zesty Sunshine Salad.”
The Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge empowers students to create healthy, appetizing meals for their school lunchrooms. Students compete in breakfast, lunch, and snack categories, with the lunch category being particularly competitive due to its panel presentation format.
The winning team - seniors Syeda Fazeen Rizvi, Winnie O'Hanlon, Clarissa Dantes, and Sidney Ide - impressed judges with their "Creamy Dreamy' Gnocchi Stew, Garlic Bread Soup Dippers, and Zesty Sunshine Salad." One judge praised their creation for "transcending the line between restaurant and home cooking."
This victory demonstrates the power of connecting students with nutritious, local food. The winning recipes will be adapted for FCPS school lunchrooms across Fairfax County, creating lasting impact, and showcasing how engaging students with local food systems can drive positive change in school nutrition.
At Area 2 Farms, we're committed to helping young people develop healthy relationships with food through access to fresh, local ingredients. Congratulations Herndon High School on their outstanding achievement!
The winning Zesty Sunshine Salad, featuring our Area 2 Farms red romaine lettuce, combines fresh greens with clementines, cranberries, and feta cheese - perfectly balancing their hearty main course. Try it out at home!
Zesty Sunshine Salad
This recipe will make four-five side servings.
Ingredients:
1 romaine lettuce heart
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
3 - 4 clementines, peeled and segmented
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about ½ cup)
1 ½ ounces dried unsweetened cranberries (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds, optional)
Instructions:
Rinse the romaine heart, pat dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces or thin strips for texture. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
In a small jar, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then seal and shake until emulsified.
Drizzle the dressing over the lettuce and toss to coat evenly.
Gently mix in the clementine segments and crumbled feta.
Divide into four portions and top each with cranberries and pepitas, if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Area 2 Farms for Locals
Your food should be equally accessible and nutritious. Which is where we come in. We’re Area 2 Farms, we grow organic produce, deliver it to your door weekly, and operate all within 10 miles of you.
