On Thursday, January 12th, students at Scituate High School were treated to a delicious cafeteria lunch: fish tacos! Thanks to posters adorning walls and stairwells, students like myself have been looking forward to the delicious lunch option for days. 

Jon Belber, director of farm education at Cohasset’s Holly Hill Farm, is an avid compost, planting, and recycling volunteer at Scituate High School. After talking with Joby Norton, a Mullaney’s fisherman known as the “fish guy,” Belber and Norton organized a volunteer-oriented lunch with fish tacos, homemade salsa, cafeteria-made tartar sauce, and shredded cheese.

Over the past 3-4 years, Norton has donated approximately 1,800 units of fish to all six Scituate schools, including a hefty donation for today’s taco day. Belber contributed with a homemade salsa containing cilantro, garlic, tomatillos (green tomatoes), and red tomatoes, helped by SHS seniors Lauren Esker and Julia Levenson. 

“We’ve been growing garlic out in the garden beds,” said Esker. “So this morning, we harvested it and mixed together the ingredients to make the salsa.” She played a large role in growing and harvesting the produce for the salsa—some of which was grown on Mullaney’s rooftop garden.

After gaining some feedback, it was clear that students were huge fans. Senior Caitlin Bruscino commented, “I can taste the love that went into it,” noting that the rice was “really good.” 

Victor Bowker, another SHS senior, described how it was “meaningful to eat something that’s from Scituate.”

Slight criticisms arose from senior Jackson Frost, who didn’t prefer that it was “just fish.” However, with salsa, rice, cheese, and tartar sauce as sides, it merely required a bit of construction. 

Belber and Norton’s hard work, accompanied by cafeteria staff and students, truly paid off in this delicious meal. During my lunch block, I tried one of the fish tacos, decked out in rice, cheese, and salsa. I especially loved the rice, which was soft and flavorful. Paired with the white fish—which tasted fresh and was seasoned well—it truly tasted restaurant-quality. The salsa was a perfect add-on, with just the right kick of spice. Every aspect of the meal tasted fresh, and quality-made—the hard work and love that went into each taco was truly tangible. 

I hope we have more unique lunches soon. It really does integrate our community with our school, resulting in a delicious meal for students and staff alike.