Mes Amis Spring 2011 - Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

claSS noteS
22 Mes Amis Spring 201
The memory of the
curtsey that became
automatic for each
Forest Ridge girl
whenever Sr. Virginia
McMonagle passed in
the school hallways
remains fresh in the
mind of Marlen Bell
Boivin ’72.
NEW B O OK HElPS
mArlEN BEll B OIVIN ’72
“connect the dots”
Curtseying, a Sacred Heart tradition, served as a reminder of the importance of
respectfully acknowledging others. For marlen Boivin ’72, it also deepened the
understanding that one must “be appreciative for what we’ve been blessed with and
share our gifts with others…values that were constantly reinforced through my
education at Forest ridge.”
“It’s the sum of our experiences that contribute to the whole of who we are” marlen
says. “Often we don’t connect those dots until looking back with perspective.”
marlen has been blessed with a gift for the culinary arts. “Working with some of
Seattle’s notable restaurants during the early years of the Northwest food scene
provided me with taste experiences few others had the opportunity to enjoy at the
time,” she explains. Part of her job was to find new products and develop new
menus and recipes. “Before the days of readily accessible neighborhood farmers
markets and specialty food stores, discovering and creating unique, flavorful food
experiences became a form of pure play for me,” marlen adds.
“Ultimately I learned that food is a doorway to contribute to the well-being of
ourselves, our families and our community. In fact, it is how I reconnected with
Forest ridge,” marlen explains. more than a year ago, she found herself sitting next
to ron Askew, the Forest ridge Executive Chef at a farmer-chef conference. “ron
introduced himself and said, “you may not know of the school where I work, it is a
small, girls’ school…”
Of course marlen knew of the school! So began her renewed relationship with her
alma mater where she could share her gifts. marlen brought her years of experience
and knowledge of the culinary world to Forest ridge, volunteering many hours in
educating on the importance of organic, farm to table eating.
Among the gifts she brings is a vast experience in all things delicious and healthy.
She had the great pleasure of being part of the creative team that just released the
cookbook, tender: farmers, cooks, eaters with the james Beard-Award winning
Seattle chef/author, tamara murphy. The recipes are not only simple and delicious,
but also provide an important way for us to eat healthfully and support our farmers
and communities. marlen says she hopes this book will inspire and educate. For
more information, or to purchase Tender, please visit her Web site at www.
farmerscookseaters.com.