Cura is the Cure for Hospital Food at NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital

Jul 23, 2013

Cortlandt Manor, NY

Tomatoes and corn

It’s not your grandmother’s hospital food. Taste what chefs at NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital are cooking up now that they’ve switched to a new food service that offers from scratch cooking, using seasonal ingredients.

Extending its healthy eating initiatives, NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital announced Cura Hospitality as its new food services partner in May. Cura now provides food services for the hospital’s patients as well as the hospital café, introducing a healthy, fresh and locally sourced dining experience.

"Cura’s passion for chef-inspired menus, scratch cooking and their sustainable practices through its FarmSource program, clearly define their homegrown and healthy approach to dining. They partner with some of the finest local farms and food producers and they support our Harvest for Health program, which promotes field to plate meals for patient therapeutic care," said Hudson Valley Hospital President John Federspiel.

Chef Noah Sheetz of Cura Hospitality showed off Cura’s food on Tuesday with a tasting and cooking demonstration at the Hospital’s Farmers’ Market. Chef Sheetz prepared tomato and corn salad as well as blueberry sorbet.

"These are all ingredients that are being sold at local farms at this time and can be found right here at NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital’s Farmers’ Market. The idea is to prepare foods when they are at their freshest," said Sheetz.

The new food service is part of the Hospital’s Harvest for Health program. The Hospital opened an organic garden last spring and this year is extended its on campus Farmers’ Markets to two days a month through November. All the initiatives are aimed at encouraging patients and people in the community to eat more fresh foods in place of processed foods high in salt, fat and preservatives.

Recipe for Tomato Corn Salad

1 large tomato or 1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 large ear of corn

1 large cucumber

1 celery stalk

Fresh basil

Fresh Cilantro

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Cube tomato, cumber and dice celery (half cherry tomatoes). Cut raw corn off cob. Finely chop garlic, cilantro and basil. Put ingredients in bowl. Mix lemon juice and olive oil and pour over salad. Add kosher salt to taste.