Chefs everywhere are sourcing the freshest ingredients possible from local farmers and Jorge Descarte is no different. He just happens to be York Hospital’s Food Services director and responsible for serving upwards of 600 meals a day.
It all started last summer when fresh vegetables from Zach’s Farm in York and Chase Farms in Wells made their debut on the menu here, giving Descarte the chance to realize his vision of creating a farm-to-table initiative. This past summer, Descarte expanded his outreach and increased the availability on the menu of fresh picked vegetables, herbs, salad greens, poultry, pork and beef from area farms including: Zach’s Farm; Chick Farm; Spiller Farm; Chase Farms; lef Farms; and Maine Family Farms.
“We’ve always been a little different serving restaurant-quality food in our health care setting and when I took over as director I wanted to try to expand upon that reputation. I have received great support from the staff and community to utilize my creativity,” said Descarte, who was the hospital’s production manager for eight years before becoming the food services director two years ago.
York Hospital has long been known for serving good food. The lobster rolls, seafood chowder, chocolate chip cookies, steak tips and chicken enchiladas are popular favorites. Locals appreciate the high quality and affordable prices, some visiting more than once a day. The turkey dinner draws a crowd every time.
“Thanksgiving dinner is the biggest day of the year, in fact every time we serve a turkey dinner, it’s a hit. In July, the line was out the door and down the hall,” said Descarte.
Today’s specials: Parmesan encrusted chicken with risotto and grilled shrimp pesto flatbread pizza with locally grown tomatoes, are sure to please the palates of patients, staff and community diners who visit regularly. Descarte has upped the ante this summer by serving locally grown food at least two or three times a week, increasing the nutritional value, the flavor and the variety of offerings.
Before creating his ever-changing weekly menu, Descarte starts by visiting with his farmers and reviewing the harvest schedule for the coming week. He takes into consideration the trends in food, the growing popularity of gluten-free and vegan options, and of course, the need to have on hand the comfort food favorites that appeal to those visiting, as well as the patients themselves.
“We have a lot of passion and love for the quality of products we serve, making sure patients have what is best for them. And it doesn’t end there, we care for the families and loved ones too,” Descarte said.
While some patients have special dietary restrictions, many order daily from the room service menu, which offers hearty breakfasts, soups, salads, hot sandwiches off the grill, fresh salmon, haddock and daily specials. The hospital’s seafood chowder is award-winning and its signature lobster roll has been a favorite for more than two decades.
“It’s important when people are ill that they eat to get well and it’s been our long-time priority to feed them high quality, fresh food,” said Leisa Smith, lead clinical dietician, York Hospital employee for the past 35 years, and Descarte’s “right hand woman.”
York Hospital’s Dining Services offers home-delivered meals to about 15 homebound residents of Kittery and York, each weekday lunch. It offers eat-in and take-out, as well as catering for hospital events and provides lunch on weekdays to residents at York Housing Authority. Open 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., many locals take advantage of the fresh offerings daily, Descarte said, some even come in twice a day. The hospital staff, in three shifts, eat about 350-400 meals a day, patients enjoy about 100 meals a day and there are about 100-plus locals who call York Hospital dining room their regular source of nutrition.
“It’s great to see so many regulars coming in,” Descarte said. “The made-to-order omelets are popular, as well as the breakfast grill menu. You name it, we have it, and if it’s not on the menu and if we have the ingredients, we will do it.”
The “As You Like It” $5 voucher program offers residents over 60 a $2 savings on any meal with a dessert through the Southern Maine Council on Aging. And with about 300 babies born here each year, Descarte and his staff deliver a gourmet, four-course dinner for the new parents to celebrate their newest family member. The Celebration Dinner menu includes: chilled lobster or shrimp cocktail, hand tossed Caesar or baby spinach and strawberry salad with Gorgonzola, pan seared rack of lamb or surf and turf with a choice of desserts, the ultimate chocolate cake or tiramisu, among many other options.
“It is so much fun to hear from the parents,” said Marketing Director Jody Merrill. “Every parent raves and raves about the choices, the flavors and the attention to detail by our chefs.”
Now that Descarte and Smith and their team have received such positive feedback about boosting the quality of food with the farm-to-table options, they plan to go one step further: the installation this fall of five beds of herbs and flowers to be used as garnishes.
“Jorge has a lot of creative ideas,” Smith said.