“THE ATMOSPHERE IS ONE OF CASUAL COMFORT, ALLOWING GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE THE GRAND VIEWS WHILE ENJOYING EXCEPTIONAL FOOD.” BLUE WATERMELON PROJECT KEEPS STUDENTS CONNECTED TO HEALTHY EATING Chef Charleen Badman of FnB restaurant in Scottsdale is one of Arizona’s most celebrated chefs as the winner of the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2019. The award-winning chef is passionate about teaching kids about nutrition. For 11 years, she has been volunteering at Echo Canyon School in Scottsdale. In 2017, she helped found the Blue Watermelon Project, an initiative of Slow Food Phoenix, bringing farmers, chefs and the community together to advocate for nutritious food in schools and educate students about healthy eating. “My goal is to continue to grow the program and have chefs at every school in the Valley,” Badman said. Before COVID, Badman and other chefs would regularly visit local schools for hands-on lessons focused on nutrition, Arizona ingredients and more. “At first it was about getting kids to try new foods and eat better,” she said. “The program has evolved to include more lessons and interactive experiences to get students involved in preparing meals.” NEW IN TOWN: CIELO AT ADERO The Adero luxury boutique resort opened in North Scottsdale in October, featuring amazing views, amenities and activities highlighting the desert terrain and a signature restaurant called Cielo, which means sky in Spanish, offering sustainable cuisine and a spacious patio. “The atmosphere is one of casual comfort, allowing guests to experience the grand views while enjoying exceptional food, wine and cocktails,” said Adero’s director of Chef & B, Bryan Dillon. Guest favorites include Kansas City steak with Southwest grilled corn and whole roasted branzino with fennel and blistered tomatoes. Popular libations on the extensive beverage menu include the scotch-based Trailblazer and the Adero Especial Margarita. Dillon and his team work closely with producers around the state and country to provide the highest quality products, including Crow’s Dairy in Buckeye, Hayden Flour Mills in Queen Creek, Noble Bread in Phoenix, Rango Honey in Tempe and Queen Creek Olive Mill. “I spend a lot of time with small producers such as Petaluma Creamery, which provides us with organic cheeses and butters,” said Dillon. “Tempesta out of Chicago provides dried and cured meats for our charcuteries. Our chickens come from the Amish country in Pennsylvania, where the Bell & Evans team has been humanely raising their poultry since 1894. Our shrimp are wild-caught Mexican whites and never farmed. We utilize Diestel Family Ranch in California for our turkey, which we roast in-house every day.” The restaurant has received good feedback from diners since it opened. “We believe that we owe it to our guests, as well as the planet, to provide the best product on earth that gives back to the community and Mother Nature,” Dillon said. To learn more, visit aderoscottsdale.com/cielo . Photos courtesy of Adero Scottsdale JAN 2021 | 42 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA

Shoshana Leon | CONTRIBUTING WRITER When the pandemic forced many schools to close, the Blue Watermelon Project found a way to continue to reach students, funded by a grant from Sprouts Farmers Market. Badman and other volunteers provide kits to students and teachers containing plants and ingredients supplemented by online videos. A recent lesson focused on chickpeas. Students received a kit with supplies and seeds to plant chickpeas and create a dish. The kit was paired with video instruction on how to plant the chickpeas by master gardener Lou Rodarte. The video lesson also included Badman teaching students how to make a chickpea pancake. The Blue Watermelon Project has always been a collaborative effort and continues to be with several chefs and vendors volunteering to keep the program going, including Cotton and Copper, Gallo Blanco, Vilardi Gardens, Noble Bread, Hayden Flour Mills and Dakota Press, to name a few. “The Blue Watermelon Project is about teamwork and growing together,” said Badman. “Chefs, restaurants, suppliers and the local community have been very generous, and we will continue to educate these students about healthy eating and Arizona’s indigenous ingredients.” To learn more, visit slowfoodphoenix.org/ blue-watermelon-project . Photo courtesy of Jill Richards Photography “ THE BLUE WATERMELON PROJECT IS ABOUT TEAMWORK AND GROWING TOGETHER.” CHARLEEN BADMAN