Purpose:
To encourage The Children's House community to move, grow and eat well
The Children's House Earth to Table program includes three curricular areas; Physical Education, Della Terra (gardening and botany) and Kitchen Classroom. Creating opportunities and experiences for children to learn about the importance of good physical health through activity and by eating whole, healthy food is one of our school's highest priorities. By regular and consistent experiences in these curricular areas, students have daily opportunities to move, grow and eat well.
Click here to view our Earth to Table presentation
Food of the Month
What is ‘Food of the Month'?
Food of the month is a full sensory experience to encourage students to sample a wide variety of foods in an effort to promote healthy eating habits. Students have been enjoying Food of the Month presentations for years at The Children's House.
This year, as part of the Earth to Table initiative, we are expanding Food of the Month to further enhance the learning experience. Below is a calendar of scheduled Food of the Month for the 2011-12 school year. Presentations will be given to students throughout the school during the third or fourth week of the month, timed to coincide with the launch of the lunch calendar. Students will have a presentation about the plant, it's uses and ethnobotany, and opportunity to see, touch, smell and sample raw seeds, leaves or fruit. Extended day students will then go to the Kithen Classroom and cook/make snack that week for their friends and occasionally the toddlers using the featured food. Likewise, Elementary students will make lunch and snack for their community using the featured food. The presentations will launched by the Della Terra instructor, and then gradually shift, with the assistance of the classroom guides, into an elementary student-led presentation to their peers and younger students. Each elementary classroom will have signups for students interested in researching a mini-study about their chosen Food of the Month.
October- Pumpkins
November- Kale
December- Potatoes
January- Carrots
February- Chocolate
March- Cabbage
April- Spinach
May- Asparagus
January - Carrot
Latin Name: Daucus carota
Family: Apiaceae (same as parsley, celery, dill, cilantro, Queen Ann's lace)
Description: It is a biennial plant which grows a rosette of leaves in the spring and summer, while building up the stout taproot, which stores large amounts of sugars for the plant to flower in the second year. The leaves are dissected and the flowering stem grows to about 1 meter (3 ft) tall, with an umbel of white flowers. The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in color, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh. The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a taproot, although the greens are edible as well. Different cultivars of carrot have different shaped taproot.
Origin: It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot. The wild ancestors of the carrot are likely to have come from Iran and Afghanistan, which remains the center of diversity of D. carota.
In early use, carrots were grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds, not their roots. Some relatives of the carrot are still grown for these, such as parsley, fennel, dill and cumin. The first mention of the root in classical sources is in the 1st century. The modern carrot appears to have been introduced to Europe in the 8-10th centuries. Some believe there is evidence that carrots were eaten by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
Cultivation (how and where grown): Carrots grow best in full sun but tolerate some shade. In order to avoid growing deformed carrots it is better to plant them in loose soil free from rocks. The seeds, which are 1-3mm in diameter, should be sown about 2cm deep or sown on surface. Carrots take around 4 months to mature for eating but flower the next year if left in the ground. Carrots seeds are very small and seedlings are difficult to thin. To deal with this in home gardens, carrots seeds are often mixed with sand to space out the seeds, or mixed with radish seeds to grow two harvests in the same space. Once the radishes are harvested, the carrots grow at the appropriate spacing. Carrot flowers are pollinated primarily by bees - honeybees or mason bees. Carrots are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Common Swift, Garden Dart, Ghost Moth, Large Yellow Underwing and Setaceous Hebrew Character.
Carrots are grown in temperate climates and China, Russia and the United States are the largest producers. Eastern carrots from Iran and Afghanistan were purple or yellow. Western carrots developed in the Netherlands were primarily orange. The color orange was an emblem of the House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence.
Fun Facts: The city of Holtville, California, promotes itself as "Carrot Capital of the World", and holds an annual festival devoted entirely to the carrot.
Nutrition: The domestic carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange color from β-carotene, which is metabolized into vitamin A in humans when bile salts are present in the intestines. One hundred milligrams of carrots contains over 100% of the RDA of vitamin A. Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding it back into the diet. However, only 3% of the β-carotene in raw carrots is released during digestion: this can be improved to 39% by pulping, cooking and adding cooking oil. Massive overconsumption of carrots can cause carotenoids, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals.
Different colored carrots contain different nutrients.
• Orange Carrots contain beta carotene, with some alpha-carotene, both of which are orange pigments. High in Vitamin A essential for well-being, healthy eyes. These carrots are from Europe and the Middle East.
• Yellow carrots contain xanthophylls and lutene, pigments similar to beta carotene, which help develop healthy eyes aid in the fight against macular degeneration and may prevent lung and other cancers and reduce the risk of astherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
• Red carrots are tinted by lycopene, (another form of carotene) a pigment also found in tomatoes and watermelon; lycopene is associated with the reduced risk of macular degeneration, serum lipid oxidation, helps prevent heart disease and a wide variety of cancers including prostate cancer. Originally from India and China.
• Purple carrots (usually orange inside) have even more beta carotene than their orange cousins, and get their pigment from an entirely different class, the anthocyanins, these pigments act as powerful antioxidants, grabbing and holding on to harmful free radicals in the body. Anthocyanins also help prevent heart disease by slowing blood clotting and are good anti inflammatory agents. Some people say these will be the next superfood. These originate from Turkey, and the Middle and Far East.
• White carrots lack pigment, but may contain other health-promoting substances called phytochemicals, natural bioactive compounds found in plant foods that work with nutrients and dietary fibre to protect against disease. One might say these are the least healthy of carrots. They originate from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan.
• Black Carrots contain anthocyanins, part of the flavonoid family with antioxidant properties. Flavonoids are currently under investigation as anticancer compounds, as free radical scavengers in living systems, as well as inhibitors of LDL (the bad) cholesterol and the black carrot anthocyanins are especially active. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungicidal properties and oil made from its seed can help control scalp itchiness and provides essential nutrients for hair growth. The ancient black carrot has been making a comeback, not so much for culinary purposes but as a source of natural food colorants. These originate from Turkey, and the Middle and Far East.
Culinary Uses: Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways. They may be pulped, chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups and stews, as well as baby and pet foods. A well-known dish is carrots julienne. The greens are edible as a leaf vegetable, but are rarely eaten by humans. Together with onion and celery, carrots are one of the primary vegetables used in a mirepoix to make various broths.
The north Indian carrot is pink-red and sweet. In India carrots are used in a variety of ways, as salads or as vegetables added to spicy rice or daal dishes. The most popular variation in north India is the Gaajar Kaa Halwaa carrot dessert, which has carrots grated and cooked in milk until the whole mixture is solid, after which nuts and butter are added. Carrot salads are usually made with grated carrots in western parts with a seasoning of mustard seeds and green chillies popped in hot oil, while adding carrots to rice usually is in julienne shape.
Ever since the late 1980s, baby carrots or mini-carrots (carrots that have been peeled and cut into uniform cylinders) have been a popular ready-to-eat snack food available in many supermarkets.
The sweetness of carrots allows the vegetable to be used in some fruit-like roles. Grated carrots are used in carrot cakes, as well as carrot puddings, an old English dish thought to have originated in the early 19th century. Carrots can also be used alone or with fruits in jam and preserves. Carrot juice is also widely marketed, especially as a health drink, either stand-alone or blended with fruits and other vegetables.
Medicinal Uses: Carrots are high in Vitamin A essential for well-being, healthy eyes. As a folk remedy, the roots are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation.
Variety grown or eaten as school: Purple Haze, Snow White, Amarillo, Napolini, Cosmic Red, and several others
Impact on Culture: The carrot is said to be the second most popular vegetable after potatoes. The word "carrot" has become a common slang word that means "reward" in the English language, such as in the expression "Dangle a Carrot" in order to motivate someone.
Appearance in Literature: The most famous book about carrots was a children's book published in 1945 - "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss. It has been in continuous publication for over 60 years. It is a story about persistence and optimism. The book opens with the words: "A little boy planted a carrot seed. His mother said, 'I'm afraid it won't come up." Despite the skepticism of his parents and, particularly, his older brother, he persists and "pulled up the weeds around it every day and sprinkled the ground with water." The book concludes simply "And then, one day, a carrot came up just as the little boy had known it would." However, the singular carrot is so large that it fills a wheelbarrow.
"The Carrot Principle" by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton is a well-known management book that talks about how to use recognition rewards to reduce employee turnover and achieve organizational goals.
December - Potato
Latin Name: Solanum tuberosum
Family: Solanaceae or nightshade family. Same as tomatoes and eggplants.
Description: The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family (also known as the nightshades). The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. Potatoes come in colors of red, yellow blue, and white and in round and oblong shapes. It has become an integral part of much of the world's cuisine. It is the world's fourth-largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize.
Origin: Potatoes are indigenous to the Andes in South America in what is today southern Peru. They have been in cultivation for 7,000-10,000 years and today there are thousands of varities.
Cultivation (how and where grown): Potatoes are planted all over the world in temperate climates. China is currently the largest produced of potatoes in the world.Usually "seed potatoes" are planted in the ground. As the plant grows from the seed potato, more potato nodules are formed on the plant roots. When the 2-3 ft herbaceous perennial plant has flowered, and in the heat of the summer, the plant usually dies back to the ground. Potatoes are harvested by digging up the roots where the potato plants grew.
Fun Fact: First vegetable to be used as a toy. Original Mr. Potato used real potatoes with plastic arms and legs. Eventually a plastic body was added. Mr. Potato Head was first toy advertised on TV.
Nutrition: A medium-size 150 g (5.3 oz) potato with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV), 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10% of DV) and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin,magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 g) is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. Potatoes are not considered by the NHS as counting towards the five portions of fruit and vegetables diet. In terms of nutrition, the potato is best known for its carbohydrate content (approximately 26 grams in a medium potato). The predominant form of this carbohydrate is starch. A small but significant portion of this starch is resistant to digestion by enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, and so reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits as fiber: It provides bulk, offers protection against colon cancer, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowers plasma cholesterol andtriglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage.
Culinary and Other Uses: Potatoes can be boiled, mashed, baked or fried. Potatoes are found in every cuisine in the world. Some famous potato dishes are Irish Colcanon, Shephards Pie, Indian Samosas, french fries, potato latkes, potato pancakes, hash browns, Indian Ala Gobi (curry dish with potatoes and cauliflower).
Baking and boiling are the healthiest preparations. Deep frying potatoes causes the absorption of oil and may cause the starch in the potato to be converted the acrylamide, which has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Potatoes are used to brew alcoholic beverages such as vodka, potcheen, or akvavit. They are also used as food for domestic animals. Potato starch is used in the food industry as, for example, thickeners and binders of soups and sauces, in the textile industry, as adhesives, and for the manufacturing of papers and boards. Some companies are exploring the possibilities of using waste potatoes to obtain polylactic acid for use in plastic products; other research projects seek ways to use the starch as a base for biodegradable packaging.
Medicinal Uses: Potatoes contain toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. These compounds, which protect the plant from its predators, are, in general, concentrated in its leaves, stems, sprouts, and fruits. Tubers (roots) that have been exposed to light and are becoming green and are developing solanine and should not be eaten. Solanine is also found in other plants in the family Solanaceae, which includes such plants as the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and tobacco (Nicotiana) as well as the potato, eggplant, and tomato. This toxin affects the nervous system, causing weakness and confusion - symptoms include nausea and vomiting. Solanine has fungicidal and pesticidal properties, and solanine hydrochloride (a salt of solanine) has been used as a commercial pesticide, but never on a large scale. Solanine has sedative and anticonvulsant properties, and has been used as a treatment for asthma, as well as for cough and cold medicines. However, its effectiveness for either use is questionable.
Variety grown or eaten as school: In 2011, we planted Banana Fingerling, All Blue, Purple Majesty, Mountain Rose, Yukon Gold, Sieglande
Impact on Culture: Potatoes are considered one of the plants that changed the world. The Spanish brought potatoes from the New World back to Europe, when they became a food staple. They are considered to have made the industrial revolution possible by enabling workers to move to the cities with potatoes as a reliable, cheap, compact and portable food source. The Irish became very dependent upon the potato; milk from a cow and a source of potatoes could sustain an entire family.
Late blight, a fungal disease, wiped out the potato crop in Ireland in 1845, causing the The Great Irish Famine and the deaths of millions of Irish. Partly as a result of the famine, the Irish fled the Emerald Isle and scattered to the four corners of the world (the great Irish Diaspora). Ireland still has less people in it today than it did before the Irish Potato Famine.
Appearance in Literature: Featured in many books about the Irish Potato Famine, such as ‘The Potato People' by Angela Wright and featured in Michael Pollen's ‘The Botany of Desire', and ‘Seeds of Change, Six Plants that Transformed Mankind' by Henry Hobhouse.
November - Kale
Latin Name: Brassica Oleracea
Family: Brassica or Cole (cabbage) family, which includes cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
Description: Leaf plant (non-heading) which can have curly leaves or flat leaves. Color can be purple, greenish blue, dark green, brown or green with red veins.
Origin: Believed to be Europe; it has been in cultivation for 2000 years, from the Mediterranean to the North Sea. It was eaten by the Romans and Greeks. Today it is eaten all over the world.
Cultivation: (how and where grown): Kale is a biennial, which means it produces flowers in its second year and then dies. It is a cold weather crop and tastes sweeter after a frost because the sugar content increases in cold weather. In hot weather Kale becomes bitter.
Fun Fact: Students in elementary love to eat Kale in the garden. It is planted in both the Triangle garden and the Production garden so students can snack on it during Della Terra.
Nutrition: Rich in vitamins K, A, C and minerals such as calcium. A serving size is 1 and 1/2 cups and should be eaten 2-3 times per week for achieve the health benefits.
Culinary Uses: Most nutritious steamed, but can be eaten raw in salads, boiled in soup and added to stir fry's. In the Netherlands it is served in a traditional boiled dish called "boerenkool". In Ireland, it is served with mashed potatoes in "Colcannon". In China, Taiwan and Vietnam is added to beef in stir fry. In Portugal, it is part of a traditional soup called "Caldo Verde". In Germany, they have Kale festivals in the winter. Kale is served with Christmas Ham in northern European countries.
Medicinal Uses: Chopped kale is sold in cans for older people or babies as nutritionally dense food. The high fiber in kale helps lower cholesterol. Kale has anti-oxidant (cartenoids and flavonoids) as well as anti-inflammatory properties. It is believed to have cancer preventative as well as cancer treatment benefits.
Variety grown or eaten as school: Scotch Blue Curled and Red Russian.
Impact on Culture: A winter staple that sustained many villages over the winter when food was scarce in Europe - thus saved lives throughout history. Believed to have sustained slaves in the old south. Slave diets were poor except for the kale and collard greens they were allowed to grow that may have pevented malnutrition.
Appearance in Literature: Mentioned in Scottish literature.
October - Pumpkin
Latin Name: genus Cucurbita
Family: family Cucurbitaceae (gourd family along with winter squash like Acorn or butternut)
Description: Pumpkin is a fruit of one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is believe to be native to North America. They grow on a vine and can have an orange, yellow, white or green-blue shell, creased from the stem to the bottom, containing the seeds and pulp. They ripen in fall and are cultivated for agricultural (animal feed), ornamental and culinary uses.
Origin: Now found all over the world but believed to originate in North America.
Cultivation: (how and where): Pumpkin is a warm season crop that needs a 70 F soil to germinate and grow. It also needs a very moisture retentive soil. Pumpkins are monoecious - they have both a male and female flower can be pollinated by the native squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, European honeybees or hand pollination to produce fruit.
Fun Fact: All giant pumpkins are Curcubita Maxima cultivars and are called ‘Atlantic Giants'. Every year giant pumpkin growers compete in contests to see who can grow the largest pumpkin. The current world record holder is Chris Stevens's 1,810-pound Atlantic Giant pumpkin, which in October 2010. Another fun fact is that 95% of all pie pumpkin are grown in Illinois and processed in Morton, Illinois by Nestle.
Nutrition: For the flesh, the main nutrients are lutein and both alpha and beta carotene, the latter of which generates vitamin A in the body. Seeds, or Pepitos, are good sources of protein, as well as iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium.
Culinary Uses: Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, oil from the seeds, the leaves, and even the flowers. Parts of the pumpkin are eaten all over the world.
Flesh: Ripe pumpkin can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. In North America we eat it mashed in soups and purees and pies. Pumpkins that are still small and green may be eaten in the same way as squash or zucchini. In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes like halawa yaqtin. In South Asian countries such as India, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices in a dish called kadu ka halwa. In Japan, small pumpkins are served in tempura. In Myanmar, pumpkins are used in both cooking and desserts (candied). In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with custard inside and served as a dessert. In Italy, it can be used with cheeses as a savory stuffing for ravioli.
Leaves: In China and Kenya the leaves are used as a vegetable and in soups.
Seeds: In Mexico and the U.S., the seeds are often roasted and eaten as a snack. The seeds are a popular sunflower seed substitute. Also, pumpkin can be used to flavor both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Pumpkin seed oil is a delicacy in Austria and Eastern Europe used in salad oil in desserts. It has a nutty flavor.
Flowers: In the southwestern United States and Mexico, pumpkin and squash flowers are a popular and widely available food item. They may be used to garnish dishes, and they may be dredged in a batter then fried in oil.
Medicinal Uses: The medicinal properties of pumpkin include anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory. Pumpkin seed oil contains essential fatty acids that help maintain healthy blood vessels, nerves and tissues and is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Seeds and oil have been a folkloric remedy for prostrate issues in men. Pepitas contain high levels of L-tryptophan that are believed to help with anxiety and depression.
Variety grown or eaten as school: In 2010 we grew a french heirloom called ‘Rouge d'Vif Etampe' otherwise known as Cinderella Pumpkins. This year we grew New England Pie Pumpkins.
Literature: Pumpkins feature prominantly in many stories such as the ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow', ‘Cinderella', and Harry Potter series and many more
Cultural: Across the US in the fall there are Pumpkin Festivals, giant pumpkin weighing contests, pumpkin chunking events (where pumpkins are thrown using a catapult). Pumpkins are carved as jack o' lanterns for Halloween. Pumpkin pie is a featured food at Thanksgiving and Christmas feast.
Check the Earth to Table teacher pages for more information:
Michelle's Della Terra Page
Kristina's Kitchen Classroom Page
Steve's Physical Education Page
