In what might be the most literal interpretation of “farm-to-table” dining ever attempted, students at a Maine school fundraiser got an unexpectedly earthy course when organizers accidentally served them actual baked dirt instead of their intended meal.
The culinary catastrophe unfolded at Medomak Valley High School’s Empty Bowl supper, a fundraising event that typically serves up delicious food to support a good cause. This time, however, the bowls lived up to their name in the most unfortunate way possible – though technically they weren’t empty, just filled with what one might generously call “organic soil medley.”
Apparently, somewhere between the kitchen prep and the serving line, containers got mixed up in a way that would make even the most absent-minded chef question their career choices. Instead of whatever delectable dish was supposed to grace the students’ plates, they found themselves face-to-face with genuine, honest-to-goodness dirt that had been lovingly baked to perfection.
One has to admire the commitment to the “baked” part – at least the dirt was properly cooked. Food safety standards were technically met, assuming dirt has food safety standards.
The students, demonstrating the kind of discerning palates that would make Gordon Ramsay proud, quickly identified that something was amiss with their meal. Turns out teenagers have surprisingly high standards when it comes to not eating actual soil, who knew?
School officials quickly realized their mistake and presumably rushed to serve something slightly more edible – anything, really, would have been an improvement. The incident serves as a reminder that even the best intentions can go hilariously wrong, and that maybe, just maybe, someone should double-check what’s in those serving containers before dinner is served.
No students were harmed in the making of this culinary confusion, though several may have developed a new appreciation for regular cafeteria food.
Original story via Reddit Not The Onion
