Chef Nina Cultivates Community with Gardening and Listening
Article originally published on FoodServiceDirector.com by Tara Fitzpatrick, Editor-in-Chief.
Many of the residents who live at The Commons in Lincoln are retired professors from MIT or Harvard. A high degree in education is something the Campus Culinary Services Director Chef Nina Quirk has in common with the residents.
Nina earned a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University, and that, along with growing up in a restaurant family with an Italian grandma, has shaped her philosophy that centers on intentionality, seasonality and whole ingredients.
When she interacts with residents, her focus is still on learning.
“I look at my residents and say, ‘That’s what I’m providing,’” she says. “I’m very face-forward, and I never make an empty promise. I listen to what they like and don’t like, and I have to deliver. Once you build that trust, the sky’s the limit.”
Listening to people’s “food voices” is a skill Nina has honed into something great, including more seasonal dishes for residents and even representing The Commons at the Newport Food & Wine Festival last summer with a wow-worthy wine-pairing educational event.
She notes the items that make individuals smile. She knows who prefers a Diet Coke or some chocolate chip cookies. “When I find people’s interests, I love to put it back through the food.”
Nina is also tuned into sustainability. One of her main interests is gardening. There are gardens at The Commons she works on with residents; a couple of ladies in particular, she considers her garden friends.
“When you walk outside, there is a garden landscape with pollinator gardens and wildflower gardens, and it’s all about sustainability,” she says, mentioning the lemon verbena that goes into tea and other recipes.
One successful event, a garden party, brought together the landscape and gardening committees for a botanical theme with tea sandwiches, pastries and desserts.
“It’s super fun to play into the theme as a gardener and lover of all things nature and to put together a menu that reflects that,” Nina says.
Her signature dish (stay tuned for more on this) is salad. “I’m known to be a salad queen,” she says. “Growing up, my parents didn’t buy processed foods, so I’d come home from school and make salads and make my own dressing.”
At The Commons, a signature salad is offered every night, featuring herbs from the garden when possible. “I’m constantly praised for that salad,” Nina says, adding that she’s looking forward to a season of more fresh ideas for the residents she serves.