Sustainability Through Food

Hi Everyone!

I am posting for the Sustainability: Self, Community, and Environment group. Our project is centered around the idea of becoming more self-sufficient as you progress through college, not only by learning to live on a college campus on your own but learning to take care of yourself and the community in the best way possible once you get into the real world. The way that we want to do this is by first learning to cook, then, learning to cook in a way that is environmentally responsible. Lastly, we plan to share our findings with the greater Vanderbilt and Nashville communities.

Our first project is based off of the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. In the book, Pollan makes three meals. The first is comprised entirely of food from a fast food restaurant. The second meal is comprised entirely of organic food purchased from farmer’s markets and Whole Foods. The third meal is made of food he found, hunted or grew himself. Taking the second and third meals for inspiration, we began to think of ideas we could do here in our dorm rooms. I have planted basil seeds in a pot that I keep on a windowsill in my room.  We plan on using this basil, once it is big enough, in dishes that we make throughout the year. The one that we are most looking forward to is a Caprese salad, made using the basil from my room, tomatoes that we purchase at the Vanderbilt Farmer’s Market and mozzarella cheese that we will learn to make from our friend that makes cheese at home. Sounds pretty yummy, right?