By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Tweens and teens were in for a delicious treat as the Sherborn Library hosted the Food Explorers. Leading the class was Katie Shepherd, owner and founder of Food Explorers.
Shepherd, a registered dietitian and graduate of UConn’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics, created Food Explorers to help children explore and eat foods without guilt. Her goal is to help children develop a positive relationship with food and avoid the pressures of diet culture.
For this class, Shepherd guided attendees in making their own fruit tarts using vanilla pudding, an assortment of fruits, and a graham cracker crust. Each participant played a role in the recipe, either working individually or in groups. Before starting, Shepherd had everyone wash their hands and put on gloves.
The first step was making the vanilla pudding using pudding mix, milk, and lemon zest. Attendees took turns zesting the lemon and adding the milk to the bowl. Once everything was mixed together, they began working on their graham cracker crusts.
Everyone received a bowl of crushed graham crackers and was instructed by Shepherd to add a spoonful of sugar. She then added melted butter before sending attendees back to their seats to stir the ingredients. Shepherd explained they should achieve a sticky consistency for the crust to hold together.
As participants mixed their crusts, Shepherd offered assistance when needed. Once the crusts were ready, it was time to press them into pie dishes. Shepherd explained that the crust should also go up the sides of the dish to hold the pudding filling.
Next, attendees chose the fruit they wanted to top their tarts. Shepherd provided an array of options, including pineapples, strawberries, blackberries, bananas, and apples. After selecting their fruits, attendees used child-safe plastic knives to slice them. Shepherd encouraged them to create fun designs on top of their tarts.
Finally, it was time to assemble the tarts with the lemon-vanilla pudding filling and sliced fruit. Attendees eagerly dug into their creations, delighted with the results.
Many participants are excited for the return of Shepherd and the Food Explorers to the Sherborn Library. For more information on events like these, visit the library’s website at www.sherbornlibrary.org.
