This story originally appeared in the Scene magazine as part of a story about Campus Auxiliary Services' evolution in the last 60 years and the innovations it has made in food service, locally sourced ingredients and environmental stewardship.
As more families seek meals with ingredients grown and produced close to home, Geneseo is doing its part to serve fresher foods and boost the regional economy.
It’s also a trailblazer.
In Geneseo kitchens, Chef Jonna Anne, director of culinary operations, is stirring pots of freshly puréed tomatoes, fragrant basil leaves and adding chopped garlic by the pinch to create the tastiest mix.
Her homemade sauce will be a taste of “grandma’s kitchen” for students across New York as soon as this fall. Her recipe will become a pizza sauce base available for use on all 64 SUNY campuses.
Anne, a certified executive chef, earned degrees in hotel management and food and nutrition, and learned classical French cooking in France. While at Geneseo, she was chosen for an elite cooking and innovation program at the Culinary Institute of America. She oversees menus, recipes and training at Geneseo’s eight dining facilities, and as director of culinary operations she oversees management of campus restaurants and catering.
Geneseo and several other campuses are leading the sauce project as part of SUNY’s ongoing sustainability efforts. The idea, says Anne, is to process seasonal harvests for use all year.
All ingredients will be grown, processed, manufactured and sold within New York state.
“This is not only a great way to show our culinary ability but we are showcasing the vast agriculture and manufacturing in New York,” says Anne. “I feel very honored they chose me for this project.”
— By Kris Dreessen
— Photo by Keith Walters'11