Welcome to The Kitchen Classroom

Della terra al tavolo- From earth to table

Welcome to the "heart of the house," otherwise referred to as the kitchen. Kitchen classroom in an integral part of the Earth to Table program. Beginning with extended day students and continuing through the sixth year, we build the skills and knowledge surrounding the transformation of the harvest into a feast. Students have the opportunity to learn the value of whole foods grown sustainably in their own backyard. We look forward to another year of culinary exploration and adventure!

Kristina@traversechildrenshouse.org

Week of January 31, 2012

“I’ve done a lot of carrot work this week!”
-Elementary KC student

Amen brother, amen. As promised, carrots continued into this week in the form of carrot pancakes (yum!), chicken and carrot pilaf, and Mac N Cheese. At the very least, 3 quarts of carrot puree were used to “color” the cheese sauce. In addition to pounds of carrots (are anyone’s kids looking a little yellow yet?), we learned how to pick chickens, carefully and how to segment grapefruit. Both tasks require a lot of patience, diligence and surgeon quality dexterity. We came a long way, but we won’t be offering any procedures to the public anytime soon. Just need a bit more practice…

The carrot craziness is drawing to a close as well as the Chinese New Year celebration. Extended day students were able to make Chinese pork buns and non pork buns for the vegetarians (or students who “don’t care for” pork). The first group worked hard to grate the ginger and orange zest, and juice oranges to help in finishing the fillings. The other three groups rolled out dough and pinched the little “purses” of goodness together.

Next week has already given me panic attacks, I mean, rushes of excitement! We will be welcoming in the culture and cuisine of India. I think I’ve identified most of the ingredients, still looking for some help with pronunciation of the soup. For the time being, I will just continue to chant Om. Ooooohhhhmmmmm……Oooohhhhmmmm….. 

Week of January 23, 2012

Kristina and Norie’s Neighborhood

As mentioned previously on our show, the kitchen is the “Heart of the House.”  The day is filled with visits from students, staff, and parents.  Some drop in to grab food, others to share stories and still others due to the smells in the hallway or even as far as the parking lot.  Our neighborhood does not have Mr. McFeely  or Officer Clemmons, we have Art and Steve.  Art and Steve stop in at regular intervals to “check in.”  Art cruises in, students look up from their work (watch your fingers!!), “Hey Art!”  He asks them what they are making, pokes around checking out all the ingredients, and scouting what’s for lunch.  Steve drops by- “Hi Steve!”  Steve usually replies with a “Hey guys, whatcha making??”  (I always hope they answer) A conversation ensues, Steve might tell a joke or share his latest bit of research. The kids always welcome our guests as if they were at home.  “Home is where the heart is,” and the heart is in the kitchen.  

“Carrots” is the word of the week.  Seventy-five pounds of carrots met their maker at the hands of some very skilled peelers, graters, shredders, and choppers.  Carrot and orange muffins, carrot top soup, carrot bread, and havla (Indian carrot pudding) are just a few that we will tackle before the carrot adventure is over.  February will be fast and furious- already this week we jumped into carrots, took a break for Chinese New Year, went back to carrots, then we’ll roll over to India to launch the cultural study, and then head south for Mardi Gras.

Great news!  We had a couple students go “pro” in the carrot sticking division.  Although they were self proclaimed I’m sure they will have no problem finding promoters.  Ninety-nine percent of the time the banter that goes on in the kitchen is full of awesome-ness.  I love being surrounded by eternal optimism and undeterred confidence.  I hope I can bottle some of that energy as we work through this next menu. 

Last words…

How do you know carrots are good for your eyesight?
Have you ever seen a rabbit with glasses?

Week of January 16, 2012

The art and science of kitchen classroom

People often say that baking is a science and cooking is an art. So far, I have no evidence to the contrary. This week we welcomed back a dough hook and set about baking bread again. We started with the potato bread- a moment leftover from last week's snowday. The first run of potato bread was literally a flop. The yeast either perished or were on vacation, at any rate, they were not "active." The second batch was lovely. Whatever conditions were present for the second run that were not present with the first allowed for the yeast to party like rock stars making light, even, gorgeous bread. The best part was having both examples in the hands of the students at the same time. What may have happen? What killed the yeast? Why are happy little yeasties necessary for happy bread? The students could see and feel the difference as they worked the dough, measured and formed loaves.

The vegetable stew this week provided the "art" of cooking. What do you put in vegetable stew? Whatever you have on hand that sounds good together. We have many options that were flash frozen at the end of the growing season that have been finding their way into dishes here and there. The majority of the broccoli we used for the stuffed shells was from outside our back door. Kale (shhh...) used to finish the stew was from our gardens as well. Soup is the perfect venue for creativity and artistic flair.

The Black Eyed Peas visited the kitchen this week (not the band). We finally found them and the extended day kids were able to make a wonderful salsa with the peas, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, tomato, and green onion. In southern traditions, Black Eyed Peas are supposed to bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year, an idea borrowed from one of my close friend's playbook, bless her heart! J

Science, art, and a little folklore- making so much more than "just lunch.

Week of January 9, 2012

Going underground...

This week we traveled underground to spend time with the potato, or in our case, 120+ pounds of potatoes. Latkes, scalloped potatoes, gnocchi, potato soup, potato bread, tater nuggets (yes, I did use the word nugget), and knish (bless you). If you haven't guessed, potatoes are our "Food of the Month."

While the elementary conquered pound after pound of potatoes for lunch and snack, extended day did one or two pounds at a time making tater nuggets. Tater nuggets are made from mashed potato, mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, cheese, and onion- oh, and rolled in corn flakes because...why not? Yes, they are as good as they sound.

Fun Facts learned this week:

"Scalloped" refers to the shape the potatoes are cut into.

It takes an hour and a half for 7 determined students and one hopeful adult to peel and finely "scallop" 35 pounds of pounds of potatoes.

Potatoes provide vitamin C and potassium. When possible, leave on the skin.

Potato starch is not only a thickener in foods, but can also be used as an adhesive. Not a believer? You are invited to try and wash our dishes this week!

Potatoes are especially slippery when peeled.

When you are locked out of your house, it's because you have "gnocchi."

What didn't we do this week? Make our black eyed pea salsa for luck in the New Year- unfortunately, there was a run on black eyed peas at Oryana and they were sold out. Bad luck, I guess.

Awesome moments:

Receiving 12 crates of Brown's apples...in JANUARY!

Two half gallons of Moomer's cream delivered to the kitchen within 15 minutes of a desperate request.

Two kitchen veterans rolling into the kitchen during lunch prep and finding their way around, suiting up, prepping their project, and CLEANING up after themselves before leaving.

Using our new aprons, hats, and sitting in our lovely freshly painted and decorated office.

Ahhh...it's going to be a great 2012!

Week of December 12, 2011

"This is the longest peel I've found yet."
- student referring to a squash peel she found while cleaning up

It truly never gets old; everyday something happens that never happened before, something that wasn't planned or expected. We peeled a lot of fruits and vegetables this week. I was focused on everyone who showed up with ten fingers, leaving with ten fingers as well as making sure everything was cut. More than one student commented on the shape of what they were peeling, how long they could make the peels, how many pieces each item was cut into, and the lengths of their peels. Size, shape, color, length, thickness- observation of what seems insignificant to me was the major focus for them. I'm not sure what that all means but it is always amazing to me to watch them drink in every little part of their experience; truly be in the moment.

This week we made Latkes for Hanukkah, Ham for Christmas, and Squash soup for Solstice (last week we had gumbo for Kwaanza). It was our own little culinary end of year trip through various celebrations. The potatoes for the latkes were ours, not many people probably have purple latkes. The ham was from Gallagher's down the street (I did have to pick it up though, it was unable to walk). It was a tough find, but one student and I scavenged the gardens to find chives to top our Cranberry Chicken Pasta.

Extended day continued a theme from last week and improved on it. Last week we used some extra ingredients to make breads. This week we used leftover breads to make bread pudding- really really good cranberry orange bread pudding. Mmmm....

In the true spirit of many of the celebrations going on this time of year, our kitchen classroom has been peaceful and generous. Older students are taking the younger ones under their wings and sharing their time and knowledge. What better way to wrap up 2011 than to be witness to the kind and caring citizens that are growing in this community. Ahhh...

Have a wonderful break!

Week of December 5, 2011

"Wow! That's a lot easier!"
- Kitchen Classroom student's knife skill epiphany

My internal reaction; "Why yes, that is why for the past three days I keep giving you another lesson. Not only is it easier, but the chances you'll walk out of here with all your fingers are better."
External reaction; "Great!"
Reflection; "I just witnessed that magical moment called learning. Wow."

Learning happens in many ways, but the learner has to be open and interested. Sometimes keeping your fingers is not as motivating as one would think; motivation is different for everyone. Sometimes a finishing a mountain of carrots more quickly can interest someone into trying something a different way.

Speaking of learning, this old dog has been learning new tricks this week as well. When life gives you a broken dough hook and gallons of milk approaching the expiration date, make quick breads and muffins. We've tried a few new recipes this week with some success- cranberry yogurt muffins and sunflower honey bread, both of which used "what we had" in the kitchen. We also tried another lunch run at oatmeal. For those of you who have been following the story for the past 3 years, the first run at oatmeal for large numbers was dismal. The product was probably capable of sliding off your plate and making it's way toward the door. The version we chose for this week was baked, more like a bread pudding. Much more successful, and at least as filling. Thursday will be the first day for spaghetti nests. I cringe when I see a recipe that requires each meal to be individually portioned and created. Well, here we are, making 100 most likely 200 nests (they're small). At first blush, the kids already want to eat them so I'm sure we'll be doing it again. Yay.

But, I remind myself:
"If you do things the way you've always done them, you'll get what you've always got."
So, I guess I'll be learning to twirl individual nests of spaghetti, for 100.  

Week of November 28, 2011

Kale, Kale! The gang's all here!

The great "green monster" consumed the kitchen this week. Kale chips, kale muffins, kale smoothies, kale pesto and kale soup have all paraded through following the food of the month presentation.

Other than a tiny bit of kale further down the low tunnel, we managed to harvest it all and then had to go to Oryana for the rest.

What's the difference between pesto and "winter pesto?" Basil isn't growing in the winter, kale is. Wow! I couldn't believe how much I really couldn't tell the difference. I'm not sure if it had something to do with the fact we used a lot of Red Russian Kale that had turned sweet or that garlic heals all dishes but, it was great! To make enough for 85 it required an assembly line of seven to pick, wash, spin and blend nearly 11 pounds of kale into pesto (keep in mind, kale leaves don't weigh much).

Extended day made beautiful kale, carrot, and apple confetti muffins for their classrooms and enough to share. Muffins, smoothies, cookies or Mac n Cheese are convincing vehicles for "questionable" ingredients. The moment you mutter muffins, the crowd goes wild and seldom reacts to the preceding "kale" part.

It's confession time- Kale and I were not close even a year ago. The hype didn't thrill me. I figured when someone takes the time to create a bumper sticker for something (ie. "EAT MORE KALE") there may be a catch. After this round of "Kale: Food of the Month" I have officially fallen to its charms. I'm feeling the urge to start sporting kale bling and promoting the propaganda.

Last but not least, we have a new kitchen member, Bruno B.O.P. (the Big Ol Pot). Thank you so much to Karen's Circle! We can now cook enough soup in one pot to feed 100 AND clean it without dislocating a shoulder.

Holiday favorites from around the world are next up on the menu...stay tuned!

P.S. For more fun with kale, check out http://www.365daysofkale.com You'll find our kale muffins and tons of other recipes.  

Week of November 14, 2011

"My favorite part of the day..."

After school I always ask my children what was their favorite part of the day. The other day we were out running errands and one of the sales clerks asked my kids the same question to which my son replied with absolute pride, "I made a pillow!" The gentleman responded, "Really?!?! I don't think I've ever made a pillow!" It made me think about all the things our kids get to do at school that a lot of people have never done.

Dig a root cellar, make tea for a friend, bake pumpkins, use low hoops, know what low hoops are, bake bread, make pierogi, make kopytka, know what that is, dry herbs, identify herbs by taste, count how many steps they take in a day, monitor their heartrate while excercising, plant and harvest micro greens, know what micro greens are...and of course, make a pillow.

The differences in kitchen classroom this year as compared with the past two seem profound to me. Instead of shopping for all of our ingredients, we go to the root cellar to grab onions or potatoes, we reach in the freezer to grab tomatoes for spaghetti sauce, and we select herbs from the various dried herbs in the pantry. Students seem more comfortable with where everything goes, what kitchen procedures are, and taking the responsibility of having that knowledge- all the while still having the wonder and amazement at the all the different shapes potatoes can grow into, or at all the different smells that are created. (not so much with the cheese though, there is a reason for that expression)

Over the past couple weeks we were able to make Granola breakfast cookies for conferences, cheese crackers that "school" Goldfish, and a turkey meatloaf that was really just a vehicle for lots and lots of vegetables. We made spaghetti sauce from scratch and tossed it with whole wheat pasta. A little secret for you...The first year I was here I hid some whole wheat pasta in with the white. The second year I made "half our grains whole." This year, it's just whole wheat pasta- no tricks, and the lunch count keeps going up. Hmmm...It begs the question, "Who doesn't want to eat whole grains?" Maybe it comes down to what they are accustomed to...

Dare to be different! Eat some whole wheat pasta, or micro greens, or make a pillow!

Week of October 24, 2011

Carpe Pumpkin*

Pumpkin biscuits, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin spice granola...
pumpkin salad, pumpkin soup, roasted pumpkin seeds...
pumpkin spread and don't forget, pumpkin mac n cheese

All this pumpkin? Why, oh why?
Aren't you making pumpkin pie?

Kitchen classroom did make all these pumpkin dishes, but no, we didn't make pumpkin pie. Several groups, elementary and extended day, have been prepping for this week all month. We've been scraping and roasting pumpkins since early October; ours, theirs, his... We've had it baked, blended, and raw. We've eaten the flesh and the seeds.  There is rumor that we may even try it in smoothies for snack. Whoa.

Class has transformed into a well oiled machine. Students come into the kitchen, don hair control, an apron, wash hands, and put on gloves almost more naturally than brushing and flossing. After gearing up, they are ready for the food adventure du jour. There are still challenges that arise that may add a little bump in the road (curse you pierogi!), but all in all the kitchen has established itself as an integral part of the Children's house experience. We're in!

* No cans of pumpkin were opened to support this pumpkin extravaganza.
If you would like to enjoy all that pumpkin has to offer, check out the last Sarah Hardy farmers market this weekend. You too can roast and freeze enough pumpkin to support these and many other pumpkin adventures!

Week of October 17, 2011

The Great Pumpkin cometh...

After recovering from Polish week we dove into preparations for the food of the month; pumpkin! A lot of pumpkin will be needed for the return of pumpkin pancakes. Everyone got a chance to scrape pumpkin, sort seeds, and scoop roasted pumpkin. Dreading the reaction, when asked for the next task, I replied to one student, "Now you get to sort pumpkin seeds for roasting." Cringe. Her response, "Oh, finally something fun!" Wow. It's always important not to assume that someone else will feel the same way you do...about anything.

If you can't have the tomatoes you love, love the tomatoes you're with.
The tomato plants kept making tomatoes but they stopped turning red. Originally the plan was to pickle the green tomatoes but wanting more instant gratification for the extended day class we ended up making green tomato bread...really. From what I can tell, whatever you don't want or can't use otherwise, you can throw into bread- think zucchini. I became a believer when someone checked to see if there was any dairy in the "pumpkin bread."

The elementary class peeled 25 pounds of carrots, peeled 20 pounds of bananas, shredded 15 pounds of cheese, cored and roasted a bushel of tomatoes, rolled 90+ calzones, peeled a lot (precise measurement) of garlic to work their way to smoothies, black bean burritos, and calzones. Everyone also got to enjoy tasty Parmesan roasted pumpkin seeds.

More pumpkin fun is on the way over the next two weeks- the great pumpkin really is coming!

Week of October 10, 2011

Owww....

This week our school community embarked on an exploration of Poland.
We, stayed in the kitchen; mostly due to the inability to escape the labor intensive menu.

Tuesday kicked us off with a traditional Polish breakfast consisting of kielbasa, cheese, rye bread, preserves, pickles, and more- nine items in total. Take a moment to ponder prepping and plating that spread for ten classrooms. The dish hit it's target though- Agnes had said that it was meant to "satisfy everyone at the table" and it did!

Wednesday was a blur. Rolling enough Kopytka (potato noodles similar to gnocchi) for 70 took every minute of four hours. While that was going on, Norie and guest chef Jennifer made dough and filling for the 320 pierogi required for Thursday's lunch.

Not to be forgotten, extended day students have been making Polish apple fritters all week in the midst of everything else. They turned out to be the perfect marriage of our local apple harvest and Polish tradition.

Friday brings Borscht- the "red light" at the end of the tunnel signaling the end of an incredible week in the Polish kitchen.

What have we learned?

A couple elementary students learned the fine tuned balance of wet to dry when working with pierogi dough. Fifty pounds later, several students learned that apparently potatoes are a staple in Poland. Polish fritters are more like pancakes. And most importantly, don't challenge a Polish cook to an arm wrestling match- they work their upper bodies all day, you will lose!

Many thanks to all those who lent us a hand (or two) this week. A special thanks to Agnes, the inspiration for the menu and our adviser.
What a great beginning to the school wide cultural study of Poland!

Week of October 3, 2011

Applesauce for 100 please...

The last of TCH apples disappeared into a vat of applesauce this week leaving some welcomed space in the cooler. The aforementioned apples met their match at the hands of some very skilled 5-12 year olds using all sorts of apple cutting/peeling gear. The apple corer/peeler/slicer spinny thingy has got to be the most popular piece of equipment in the kitchen. Having trouble with boredom at home? This contraption will provide hours of entertainment for the whole family- not to mention the apple related food opportunities. We've made apple carrot muffins, apple bran muffins, apple bread pudding, and applesauce to name a few.

What could be better than applesauce for 100? Grilled cheese to go with it. Raise your hand if you've ever seen 12 pounds of grated cheese- better yet, raise your hand if you were one of the 1st or 2nd year students that grated 12 pounds of cheese. I personally had never seen that amount of cheese in bowl at one time. After cutting 200 slices of our homemade bread, AND buttering it, we had some of the best grilled cheeses ever- well, some of us did. One Extended Day student commented while watching me butter a slice of bread, "What kind of grilled cheese is that? I always order grilled cheese wherever we go and I've never had one with butter." :)

The harvest is slowly coming to a close. Everyday less and less is brought out of the garden but it never ceases to amaze. The kitchen gets what Della Terra brings it, minus the allowed "souvenirs" that get stuffed in pockets or wrapped up and stored in backpacks (you may want to check pants pockets really well before you end up dehydrating carrots in the dryer). Growing and cooking our own food never ceases to amaze me or the students. The constant state of wonder when handling all different fruits and vegetable is inspiring. Observations of shape, size, color, smell and taste are irreplaceable. All living things grow differently when allowed to be themselves- not controlled or presorted, not genetically engineered. Between our gardens and the farmers market, we work with some of the most beautiful and interesting produce. Each plant's individual beauty is honored by recognizing its uniqueness, just as we get to honor and observe the uniqueness we each possess.

Week of September 26, 2011

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
How about 3? or 4? or more??

We are continuing to enjoy the bounty of our harvest and that of the overall region. We source our apples from Brown's Orchards in Bear Lake. They have certified organic apples and do a great job giving us a wide variety of "kid size" apples for snacks and lunch. You can find Laurie Brown at the market on Saturdays in the second row on the Union end if your child can't make it over the weekend without apples! :)

Thank you to all of you who made it out to the Harvest Feast! What a wonderful evening of community; a true harvest of not only the gardens but the all the gifts our school community has to offer. Thank you again for all your help and good company!

Bread is baking. Each week the afternoon classes are making at least one batch of fresh bread for their community. We are learning about our little friends the yeast, what makes them happy, what doesn't and why oat bran is NOT the same as whole wheat flour. Bread is a living organism (well, thousands of living organisms), so we talk about how important it is to treat it with respect while working with it- just as you should treat anything that you are preparing to put in your body or give to someone else.

Other than that, onions still bring the best out of the kitchen. In addition to the onion cutting battle, this year I can say, "Hey, will you please go out to the greenhouse and gather up a bowl of our cured onions. Yes, OURS."

Week of September 19, 2011

It's better when you grow it!
...it's harder too.

Where to start? "Earth to Table" is stuck on rapid fire speed. The line between earth and table has completely blurred. The kitchen floor is evidence that you can no longer tell where the garden ends and the kitchen begins. Eleven elementary students (even the kitchen class did some harvesting) over the course of the week harvested at least 40 pounds of potatoes, 6 pounds of carrots, 3 pounds of beets, lots of celery, onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, herbs, and some leftover melons and cucumbers.

As fast as Della Terra delivers produce, kitchen classroom works to prepare it. Produce arrives, gets cleaned, weighed and then prepped. Store bought potatoes can be rinsed and sliced or diced. Backyard potatoes need the dirt knocked off, sprayed of, scrubbed off, and rinsed off again before they can be sliced or diced. The same goes for the carrots, beets, onions, and celery.

Have you ever noticed blueberries in the nice plastic pint container at the store have no stems? I hadn't until I watched two boys sort through a ten pound box removing stems and leaves to prep blueberries for smoothies. My favorite part was how the tedious task spawned evolving philosophies of how to sort most efficiently. Philosophies that experienced debate, peer review, and revised rationales.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of harvest and harvest feast preparations, the extended day students continued to whittle away at the apple harvest by making wonderful AND healthy Apple Bran Muffins. Mmm...the X-Day crews come down, mix up a mad batch of muffins and then swagger back to class in hair nets; "full of awesome!"

We grew it. We harvested it. We cooked it. (Whew...) Now it's time to eat! Can't wait to see many of you tonight!

Week of September 12, 2011 

" It's better if you win it. "

For festival goers and midway frequenters, the summer tends to collect tiny toys and artifacts of games won or activities completed; artifacts now found in the crevices of car seats, bike trailers, and backpacks. Objects too dear from with to part. Why? Not because someone worked hard to purchase them, or thoughtfully gave them as gifts, or that they are of great quality. No, none of these. They were won! They were free!

Directly outside the elementary doors to the playground there is an apple tree. If you look up to the top of the tree you will see it is filled with...balls. Basketballs, footballs, four-square balls, and even an occasional flying disc. Is the tree coincidently in the middle of a bunch of playing fields? No, but if you throw something hard enough you can knock down one of those tart apples and "win" yourself a snack.

On Monday we had an opportunity to take a short harvest trip across the side street to the neighbor's pear orchard. Upper elementary students took time out of their busy recess schedule to pick nearly 5 bushels of pears. Truly "organic" looking pears were the finest fruit to be had that day, and have been sought after for snack since.

Harvest is in full swing. Baskets, bowls, and buckets filled with all the edible prizes around the school are pouring into the kitchen. Kitchen classroom has been working hard to keep up- apple sauce, apple-carrot bread, pear breakfast cookies, pear sauce, apple pear sauce- all while making lunch as well.

On Friday September 23rd we, hopefully with some help from you (hint, hint) will be closing up the harvest with a few projects around the school, a feast made from our "winnings" all for free! RSVP and we'll see you there!

Week of September 5, 2011

This morning I woke to find summer waving a white flag to autumn. Luckily fall was courteous enough not to reign down a bitter frost, which allowed us to harvest basil in time for the celebratory "end of summer" pesto pasta tomorrow. The onions are curing in the cool, but bright, sunshine in hopes of preparing them to store for the winter. A falling apple advisory is in affect for the elementary playground area. At least 150 pounds of apples have been salvaged and are in process of becoming applesauce. The unending tomato and cucumber harvest will soon be gazpacho. We are gearing up for kitchen classroom to start next week. The next two weeks leading up to the harvest festival will be a combination of preparing snack, lunch, and a feast for all those who wish to join us on September 23 for a wonderful celebration of the bounty of our gardens. I can't wait to get started!

Week of May 31, 2011

Earth to Table ...and back again

This week really drove home what it means to be green. Monday the entire school community along with some parent volunteers pitched in to weed, plant, mulch, compost, chip, or straw the landscape, classroom boxes and production gardens. Nothing says hard work like sunny skies, ninety degrees, and three hundred percent humidity. It truly was a lovely day and even though a few tasks still remain, the grounds look gorgeous. Volunteers enjoyed a shared lunch of pizza and fresh salad from the gardens and greenhouse.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday took us down to South America- Ecuador to be exact. We soldiered sadly on without any of our extended day or elementary friends through an Ecuadorian Quinoa soup, Chaulafan de Pollo (chicken fried rice), and Humitas. The soup and the chaulafan were easy; the humitas, not so much. As we were blending fresh corn, cheese, onions, eggs, and a touch of cream I was thinking, "Wow, this is easier than I thought it would be." Later as we were wrestling with the fresh corn husks and tiny little ties made of two husk strips tied together I was thinking, "So happy that we only have toddlers and lower primary here for lunch today." Everyone was able to sample these three dishes whether or not they ordered lunch this week. The soup was a big hit! Quite the surprise since it consisted of mainly veggies and quinoa, there were even green veggies in it. Whoa.

Friday afternoon. Full circle Friday. Funky smell Friday-

Steve is the head compost commander. We had run out of room in bin one. Steve really shouldn't have to be the only one responsible for keeping us green. I can't bear the thought of putting compost in a landfill. All these thoughts helped us psych ourselves up to dive in with pitch forks and shovels and move each bin down one to open up bin one for new compost. Steve said it would take three hours for one person. With two and half of us we did it in about an hour twenty. Now I sit alone, and I blame no one for at least a dozen yards for leaving me here alone. I really don't even want to get in my car.

Lesson for the week? As a wise frog once said, "It ain't easy being green." But an hour and twenty among friends to keep all that out of the landfill- completely worth the scrubbing and laundry ahead of me.

Week of May 23, 2011

All quiet on the western front...

Being that I am directionally challenged, I'm not actually sure if the kitchen is the western front-I think it is. I was quite quiet this week. With Grandparents day at the end of the week, we only really had three lunches to prepare, one student for each. One student cut 25 pounds of potatoes by himself for the potato soup and peeled 87 carrots for carrot sticks. Another student mashed bananas and measured ingredients for banana bread. A third student cut the onions for soup and skinned and diced pineapple (she brought a friend for the pineapple). Other than having a storage bag of unfrozen soup break loose on the second to the top shelf in the freezer, and drip through the remaining shelves below, the rest of the week was fairly uneventful.

Macaroni and cheese gave us a bit of a scare. On Monday the count for Mac N Cheese was 33 orders. This seemed VERY FISHY. Either the last batch for 100 had been horrible OR we were missing some orders. I guessed we would at least be in the eighties and made sure we had enough ingredients. At 10:00 am the day of, it was confirmed we had 87 orders. Quick! Make some more cheese!!

Next week we are looking forward to some Ecuadorian delights and of course Garden Work bee day. This is me, begging you, please please please come! We hope to use much of our herbs, onions, garlic, potatoes and tomatoes in next year's lunches. We are putting in a root cellar in the fall to aid in this goal but first we need to plant the food! I hope to see many of you there on Tuesday May 31st. Don't forget to RSVP so that we can plan on you for lunch.

See you soon!

Week of May 16, 2011

"Why don't we try making Calzones?"
-Anna Serrano

I remember at that moment thinking, well, several reasons. We'd have to make the dough, then ball the dough, then roll out the dough, then make the sauce, and shred the cheese...AND THEN put them all together neatly creased in little half moon shapes. But since it is THE kitchen classroom, we did it for the second time this week- our numbers jumped from 62 to 82 this time around. Jokingly, as a couple of highly skilled sixth graders breezed through the kitchen, I asked if they would like to help roll calzones. Initially they backed out of the kitchen door quickly only to reappear later asking if they really could help and bring a friend. Awesome.

There was quite the fair share of piece work this week- peeling hardboiled eggs for 82 people, cheese popovers, bread rolls for 90, bread rolls cut in half and stuffed with pulled pork for 65, and then of course the calzones. Our hearty group of five peeled, and rolled their way right through it all (they also chopped, shredded, and diced).

Next week is our last official week of Kitchen Classroom . The last two weeks bring some pretty exciting times. The second to the last week we will be offering free tastes of lunch (6/1-6/3) to all students. This is an idea that we poached from the Farm to School conference. During those days we will be preparing some Ecuadorian recipes to coincide with the all school cultural study of Ecuador. This past week the Extended Day kitchen classroom made Llapingachos which are an Ecuadorian potato cake. Next week they will be making empanadas.

Last but not least, field day gets even better- free picnic for all! No need to sign up, only let us know if you do not want your child to have lunch. We will have a vegetarian option as well. We've got it covered- you get to do the cooking for Dance of the Cosmos though!

Week of May 9, 2011

Breakfast burritos, cornbread muffins, Swedish meatballs, oh my!

In and amongst the talent show and culture fair, kitchen classroom somehow managed to put out lunch, snack and lots of granola anyway. We believe we have found a new strategy that may be used to disable any foe- baking granola. Anyone can find themselves rendered helpless when struck by the wafting aroma of honey, oats, butter, and vanilla. The doors of the kitchen are constantly being opened by desperate faces that just "must know" what we are cooking. Throw in onions, and garlic on the stove and fresh bread cooling on the rolling rack, we then end up rendering ourselves into blubbering goo.

May is upon us and is showing no mercy- kids are bustling all over with the end of the year festivities. This week we lost a group on Wednesday to the talent show- but it was totally worth it. What an incredible show! Anna and I are considering entering ourselves next year. She would like to do a blindfolded knife throwing act...I hope I get a blindfold too. The real big upcoming event for Earth to Table is just around the corner- the all school gardening day. I hope many of you are planning on joining us. Please RSVP to the front desk so that we can count you for lunch. The famous Children's house greens salad will be part of the lunch- freshly picked that day.

We wrapped up our week this week with sweet bean pudding. The extended day and the elementary kitchen classroom crew banded together to mix coconut milk, vanilla, basmati rice, bananas, black beans and orange zest and place the heavenly mixture into corn husks to steam for a sweet tamale like treat.

Whew. That's a wrap

Week of May 2, 2011

Be present.

I heard this spoken to a child the other day, or at least I think the intention was toward the child. It more likely should have been directed to the adult; for really, how often is a child not present, in the present? Typically, the confusion comes from the adult who is already somewhere in the future or dawdling in the past. At any rate, the adult is concerned with either running out of time or being about to whereas the child's "present" stretches out for an eternity.

How in the world does this pertain to the kitchen classroom? Good question! Thanks for asking! More often than not, several adults or fellow students wander into the kitchen classroom, possibly for snack, dishes, an egg, compost, or curiosity. Inevitably they ask, "Whatcha makin'?" And, equally inevitably, the response is ... silence, with possibly a glance toward me. I swear we cover this! Really!!  We discuss components, ingredients, food groups and origins, cultures, traditions, etc.. For me, these moments are akin to those at the grocery store where the cashier smiles adoringly at one of my darling children and says, "Hi sweetie! What's your name?" At which point unknown forces strike my child a deaf mute and they reply with a blank stare and ...silence.

In the kitchen scenario, I've come to observe that the students are so engaged, and "present" in the mechanics and process of their task their minds are not strolling down memory lane milling over what we just discussed or daydreaming about how the diced carrot or rolled dough will be used. They are dicing the carrot as precisely as possible for the ? (Cinco de Mayo Sopa de Fideo) They are washing and spinning five pounds of greens repeatedly to get all the dirt out for the ? (Gala) They are carefully grinding cloves for the ? (May Day Beltaine cakes) The only thing that may remove them from this moment may be pausing to wonder why we keep changing the subject of their internal monologue. By watching their eyes, hands, and intent I have formed this theory. As for the grocery store, no theories there.

In the classroom, we do have deadlines- lunch must go out everyday at the same time (okay, so maybe sometimes 5 minutes later). Even with deadlines, it seems so much easier to let the moment hum along in the kitchen. At home, I find myself rushing the present into the future in order to "check off" yet another required task in my day. Whether in the kitchen or elsewhere as everything rushes toward summer, commit to slowing down long enough to share a few moments together in the "present."

Happy Mother's Day!

Week of April 18, 2011

"Matzo Matzo Man, I wanna be a Matzo Man!"

The dueling holidays of Passover and Easter brought us to our knees. Ouch. From Matzo kugel to the Matzo ball soup that never was, we learned quite a bit about working with unleavened bread (which is what matzo is, contrary to local folklore). Most of the students are getting quite familiar with how leavened bread works. They have seen the yeast bubble and the dough rise- the matzo provided a nice contrast. On Friday we decided to give the matzo ball mix a go; after many struggles with getting our matzo balls to rise I believe that the snow day was true divine intervention. As Anna put it, "We dodged that bullet."

Hot cross buns made their way around the school all week. The extended day classroom made buns for themselves and for toddlers and elementary. Like with most cultures and traditions around the world, hot cross buns are sweet egg dough traditionally available on Good Friday. Ours a bit more than one a penny or two a penny...

Fish made a debut on the menu this week. Initial reactions positive, if there were other opinions we haven't heard them...yet. The "new" macaroni had an encore performance of 95. Salad made the scene, not once but twice throughout the week. Rumor has it TCH lettuce may make an appearance at the Gala!

"Are we going to cook this or bake this?" Overhearing this question between two students (the other student answered), reminded me how the kitchen really has it's own language and culture. Leavened, unleavened, cook, bake, broil, boil, sauté, fry, roast, etc. etc. Knowing the language and the skills that match allow one to follow a recipe for just about anything. I ran into a friend and parent of an elementary student the other day. She was describing how her child would get up and make pancakes but she was concerned about her melting the butter. To which I answer, "She successfully wields a knife, why worry about the microwave."

Next week: more cooking!

Week of April 11, 2011

Spring continues to spring regardless of chilly winds and threats of snow. The crocuses are opening up letting in more sun as the days get longer. Moments inside are beginning to feel longer as the afternoons heat up. It's time to start fresh, let go of the old and let in the new. So what did we do in Kitchen Classroom? Brought back some old favorites, further illustrating our stubborn streak.

Since bagels are really a no brainer and smoothies are made in the 20 hairy death defying minutes previous to service- Monday afternoon was spent prepping for Wednesday. As a result, we kept ahead all week, or so we thought. Pulled pork takes a while to be ready to pull, and is best done all in one day, that day being the day BEFORE you plan on serving it for lunch (unless you want to come in at 4:30 AM). It all worked out, but I think I may have aged prematurely. Friday brought a new friend into the kitchen, since Anna was out. In getting to know someone while working the mad rush before lunch, it made me reflect on some other new and wonderful relationships that cropped up over the week.

Typically, I pair students with someone they probably don't spend a lot of time with- allowing them the opportunity to meet someone new. Okay, so I partly do it so that they are with someone of another age and not someone they just had the time of their life with on the playground- but the first reason sounds so much better. One pair that came together this week consisted of two strong willed individuals that may not be fully aware of themselves. Watching the two continents slowly drift toward each other over the course of the week until they finally made contact which ended in giggles was most entertaining and heart warming.

The boys and I ventured outside to collect some fresh herbs that are determined to grow. We travelled all over campus and successfully returned with chives and sage. We hope to use these in a sauce this afternoon for our homemade gnocchi. Cross your fingers for us!

Opening flowers, opening hearts, and open minds for new challenges- Happy Spring!

Week of April 4, 2011

"I have a big spoon, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

In the small moments afforded for reflection, I've come to the conclusion that the big idea in all we do for our children is to help them build confidence. Their self confidence will be the deciding factor in the varied situations that come their way. The one constant in life is change and one needs confidence to decide to make change or endure it. Change may arise from opportunity or conflict (which is really an opportunity in disguise). In the kitchen we strive to provide exposure to many different foods, tools, and techniques so that they are not afraid to try something new; now, or more importantly, in the future.

On the lighter side, we had the pleasure of hosting a tight knit group of four this week for kitchen classroom. We were surrounded by exuberance and enthusiasm. They dove in with both hands (and spoons) to tackle pancakes, lentil soup, fried rice and calzones. Well, someone helped with the calzones. We're not sure, but it seemed that our group was replaced by voice activated kitchen robots. "I am your cheese shredding robot." "I am your cleaning robot."

Extended day students started warming up for leftover colored eggs that may appear in their futures. They made a glorious sunny yellow egg salad for their classmates.

Using big spoons, eating hard boiled eggs, or transforming into a kitchen robot pretty much sums up kitchen classroom for this week.

Week of March 21, 2011

Ahh... Spring. Spring always renews and refreshes; brings hope, enthusiasm, and snow. What?!?! There was a bit of a "delayed spring support group" in the kitchen this week. The squelched spring enthusiasm transformed into frustration that was worked out during food prep. Carrots were shredded with gusto, cheese hacked and shredded with vigor, cabbage dismantled, and bread torn asunder. Morning pretzel rolling had to be halted, and redirected to save the life of the dough. One group of extended day completed the process by talking reassuringly to their pretzel dough- Spring will come, just keep rolling along.

Corned beef and cabbage to coleslaw: our left over chopped cabbage led to an impromptu vegetable to accompany pesto pasta. The reception ranged from "not my favorite" to "I'll eat his."

Fresh greens are back!! And they are so good! Topped with a bit of tomato and either homemade ranch or balsamic vinaigrette, it was just the push to get us through the snow.

As we waited for our extended day group to return from PE, the kitchen crew did a little light cleaning of the stove and such. When I asked them how they felt about doing some heavy duty scrubbing they said, "Yeah!" After they started scrubbing they admitted that they thought I was joking. Who, me? Joke? Nah...

For those of you, who are abandoning the North Country next week, please bring back some warmth. Until spring is here to stay, just keep rolling along.

Week of March 14, 2011

"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and - SNAP - the job's a game!"
-Mary Poppins

This week's work was a game for all. Vegetables with voices, carrots with conflicts, or songs for stew- all preparation for lunch or snack this week had a sound track. There have been times when a visitor may comment, "You really need a radio."  Not once did that suggestion happen during kitchen classroom. During kitchen classroom work may become a game, an adventure or possibly a challenge. The challenge for us is to remind ourselves that productivity and learning may make noise, all different kinds of noise.

Countries collided this week as St.Patrick's Day coincided with the Ethiopian Cultural study grand finale. Injera made from Teff flour mingled with Irish Soda bread and scones. Avocados to apples and Berberre to Boxty kept everyone guessing as to what was cooking in the kitchen.

We have a new friend. If you are in the kitchen vicinity, come on in and meet "Thunderbird." Thunderbird is our new mixer who makes mountains into mole hills making it so much more enjoyable to make batters and doughs in the quantities that we need. Sticking with the theme, a couple girls renamed our food processor "Doesn't listen to his mama." It will listen though, you just have to know how to talk to it. Many thanks to Karen's Circle for bringing us Thunderbird!

From food prep fairy tales to naming kitchen equipment much fun was had this week at "work."

Week of February 28, 2011

"I cut the cheese, and it was easier than I thought!"

-Kitchen Classroom, building confidence one epiphany at a time

Between President's Day and the 100th day of school, the week of February 22 flew by. We set an all new record for lunches sold,106, and it wasn't pizza- it was the ever controversial Macaroni and Cheese. I think an extended day student summed up the controversy best with her innocent exclamation, "Finally! You made the good Macaroni and Cheese!" We make the dish several different ways. We've made it with chicken, chicken and broccoli (an obvious favorite), pumpkin, pumpkin and sausage or just plain. Plain has always been white, I know I've mentioned this before. This time around we made it "plain." We added something, which I will not share here, that created the "KRAFT" effect. It was so amazing that one of the Primary guides was convinced that we had sold out and gone commercial. I can't tell you the secret, but I will say Bugs would love our Mac N' Cheese.

In our Extended Day Test Kitchen (ETK, leaving the D out for obvious reasons), white bean brandade was discovered. Warm white beans, sauteed onions, garlic, celery, carrots, rosemary, and a touch of olive oil, salt and lemon zest created snack time revelations. One student who was firmly convinced carrots were not a food option for him, broke down and tried his own creation. The clouds cleared, the sun shone down and he had a "come to the kitchen" moment. He had to be reminded to wait for the rest of the group to be served before devouring his snack. Three helpings later, carrots may no longer be so bad.

The Earth to Table committe met last week with some new members. One of the biggest interests was learning how to appeal to picky eaters. An idea started to take form along the lines of a support group that may include some cooking, harvesting, idea sharing and such- Picky Eaters Anonymous Support or PEAS for short. What do you think?

This week Mardi Gras paraded it's way into the kitchen. Gumbo, Red beans and rice and Jambalaya made an appearance. Typically in kitchen classroom we talk about "mirepoix" which consists of carrots, celery and onions and serves as a base for most sauces and soups. This week we talked about the cajun/creole version of mirepoix, the "holy trinity." In New Orleans cooking the "holy trinity" refers to onions, green peppers, and celery. Everyone got a chance to chop a bit of each.

ETK had the pleasure of making "King Cakes," another Mardi Gras tradition. The pastry is an egg dough with a danish like filling shaped like a crown. Traditional cakes contain a plastic baby or orange slice- we chose to go choking hazard free on ours. The cakes are decorated with purple, green, and gold colored sugars (special ordered, natural vegetable dyes, I'm not kidding). The feedback was unanimous- everyone loved the cakes! Shocking, really, what's not to love?

Sugar's still good, carrots are not too bad after all, and cutting cheese is pretty easy. Whatever surprises you encounter this weekend, enjoy!

Look next week for recipes...
 

Week of February 14, 2011

"So why was he deaf in one eye?"
"No. I said ear. He was deaf in one ear."

This was overheard while peeling carrots- another reason why it is so important to offer instruction in more than one format. At the very least, new information should be presented visually, auditarily, and kinestically. Although, I have to say I was glad that the speaker didn't point to his ear with his peeler- or we may have had a Van Gogh moment on our hands.

From cracking eggs for French Toast to cutting onions for, well, everything else, I observed many V-A-K teaching moments not only from Anna and I but most importantly by students to each other. A sixth year student who was paired with a first year so naturally spoke, demonstrated and then observed her younger partner- giving feedback and re-instruction along the way. A skill that is often forgotten by veteran teachers is second nature to our 12 year olds since it has been modeled to them for so long. Patience and perserverance, kindness and seeing mistakes as opportunities are the qualities of successful leaders. Wow.

In other news, the extended day students made Oat cakes for snack. These little cakes were packed with iron, fiber, and protein. But, you couldn't tell it by looking at them or even eating them. I think the layman's term for the creation became "cookies." Ahh....the magic of marketing strikes yet again!

Last but not least, a student who was diligently returning his plate to the kitchen and intending to wash it himself accidently dropped it. After working together to safely clean up the mishap, he looked at me and said, "Well, I guess I don't have to wash that plate."

Presentation, patience, and perspective-

If moments arise where you struggle to get your message across, take a deep breath and consider changing your presentation or perspective so just in case they are deaf in one eye, they can be grateful for being able to hear you with the other one. :) 

Week of February 7, 2011

"Know thy self"
The past two weeks proved adventurous for our kitchen heroes. When we last left Team kitchen, they were about to embark on a Chinese New Year culinary journey. The extended day crew made Nian Gao, a rice and bean cake as well as "Tea soaked" eggs. The Nian Gao was mistaken on several occasions for being an American cake with chocolate chips. Reactions were various; some could not stop eating it, while others barely slipped it by their lips before strongly rejecting it. My personal favorite was the "in-between" reaction- nibbling the sweet rice cake while secretly picking each bean out. I would like to enter that in as yet another way kitchen classroom promotes fine motor skill training.

The un-snow day was an anti-climatic end to diligent squash, parsnip, rutabaga, carrot, and sweet potato peeling and dicing- no squash soup for us. The week ended in a flurry of catching up on shepard's pie and lasagna.

This week brought a new group who was thrown together by fate. Due to several absences (don't forget to wash your hands- often), pairs were juggled around and switched creating an entirely new chemistry among the group. Wow. What an incredibly determined, efficient group! Approximately 30 pounds of onions, 12 pounds each of carrots and celery, countless cloves of garlic, 12 or so loaves of bread, and a handful of green peppers were peeled, sliced, diced or chopped to create strata, chicken noodle soup for 100, shepardess pie, and cassoulet.

Although there were many beautiful moments throughout the week, there was one moment in particular that inspired the title of this week's blog. As one young member of our crew began her trek to the cooler for the infamous onion break she looked back at her cutting board and seeing only one onion left, stopped- paused, sighed and returned to the cutting board to finish the job.

We all know what we are capable of, we all know we can push ourselves a little bit more, and we all know it's better to just finish the job now. And- we've known it since we were at least seven years old.

Week of January 24, 2011

From beef to beans, and back again ...

"What ya cooking?"

"The neighbor's cow."

This week we worked at both ends of the protein spectrum. Tuesday started with a standard middle of the road protein, the incredible edible egg, which acted as the glue in our potato pancakes. Wednesday we took a no nonsense approach, cutting up hanging tenders and skirt steaks in order to create a winter-y beef stew. Thursday, the vegetarian cassoulet was our shout out to the vegans, with navy beans acting as our protein champion. Moo came back for Friday's spaghetti and meatballs. Typically our menu balances out over the course of the month between vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. I find it intriguing how skeptical children (and adults) are of vegetarian meals but yet in the kitchen, the same eaters are not keen on preparing meat. This week we were literally eating the neighbor's cows. Gallagher's is just down the road, 3 minutes as the car drives. Many of our students have probably seen the cows we ate this week on their way home or on their way to Moomer's. Kitchen classroom, as a component of Earth to Table, really provides an opportunity for students to understand through experience where and how they get their food.

"You have to try something 17 times before you know whether or not you like it"
I've heard this quote used at various seminars for various arguments. In my experience, I believe the concept has merit. This week I watched as some students fell in love with a food that they previously claimed to "not eat" while others fell in love with cooking. Attitudes, interests, and tastes change. Without the opportunity to try something, at least once, or possibly again, we may miss out for a lifetime.

Sun shone down on the kitchen kingdom as the aroma of dried herbs coming to life in warm winter-y dishes filled the kitchen with memories of those last Indian summer days that seem so far away now. Thyme, oregano, and parsley came down from where they hung, to breathe life into sauce, stew, and cassoulet. Our tomatoes are officially gone, along with our garlic, carrots, and pumpkins. Daydreams of larger crops, root cellars and extended greenhouse growing sprouted.

The extended day made "the" famous granola for their classrooms this week. It may only be famous to those of us who are tortured by the smell of warm honey buttery goodness that wafts through the hallways, but, that is famous enough. Next week is a big week for extended day- Chinese New Year. We plan to go nuts. We will be attempting Tea soaked eggs (google that!) and sweet bean and rice cakes. Adventure is brewing...

Thanks goes out to this week's crew for putting the "soul" in the cassoulet, the "eat" in meat balls and the "ew" in stew! :) Have a great weekend!

Week of January 10, 2011

"We teachers can only help the work going on, as servants wait upon a master. "- Maria Montessori

Earlier this week, a colleague entered the kitchen classroom, looked around and asked, "Are you busy?"

Six students were working on six different tasks with an array of tools- and it was virtually silent. I replied, "I suppose not." In truth, it is a difficult question. At any moment I may be called upon for clarification or guidance, or, I may not. Once everyone has had a lesson on a task, off they go, and I wait, observe, and of course, "support" if need be.

This week I observed A LOT of work!

- I watched one student perfect her egg cracking as she encouraged her partner who was new at it.

- I watched a veteran grapefruit segmenter (yes, these people really exist) work side by side with a novice.

- I watched a few students try, and try again to find a grip that worked for them with our wonderful new knives.

- I watched an extended day student become so immersed in rolling dough for our Ethiopian snack bread that she didn't notice anyone around her- she was in the zone!

- I watched students really truly evaluate their own work, feel pride and accomplishment.

Just like watching flowers bloom, waiting can be tedious, but so rewarding when the petals finally unfold!

Take some time this weekend to sit and watch- you'll be amazed at the subtle, yet profound changes you observe.

Week of January 3, 2011

"If you just keep doing it, it gets easier..."

If we could all be as smart as kindergartners, how much easier our lives could be.

- This week the extended day students explored the world of pomegranates. They learned how to separate the seeds from the pith underwater- a great Martha Stewart trick we recommend if you are short on entertainment.

- Between making pumpkin pancakes and cornbread, the elementary crew did their fair share of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing in order to convert recipes and combine measuring instruments.

- The rest of the week involved garlic and onions- lots of garlic and onions. We are beginning to see rapid evolution in onion cutting. I think in the short time we have had students cutting onions, some have already begun to develop eyeballs of steel. No cooler breaks for these guys. Peeling garlic seems to be the new "cutting onions." Patience, focus, and practice are needed to master the dexterity required to peel off all those tiny little skins. Once again, "if you just keep doing it, it gets easier."

- Finally, more meatballs than we bothered to count. In theory it should be about 176, but one 1st year who is definitely a math guy counted his scoops and approximated 200 meatballs- 45 minutes tops. My favorite part was when a second grader stopped everyone to explain the mechanics of the scoop- and everyone stopped to listen.

As the New Year ages, and resolutions begin to slip, call upon the wisdom and hope of being five- if you don't give it up, it's bound to get easier!

 

Week of December 13, 2010

Celebrations

For the past two weeks many elementary students have been studying festivals of light all over the globe. Taking time throughout the year to pause, go within, and find hope, joy and peace in order make it through the dark and begin anew is a commonality we all share but celebrate in a different way. It may be on a different day, or for a different reason, or with different food- but generally for the same purpose. The kitchen celebrated as well, and did it's fair share of finding hope to lead us through the darkest moments.

- Snow Day! A.K.A "make tomorrow's lunch of bread pudding for 85 by yourself" day!

- Tuesday: Winter Solstice Soup We peeled, diced and roasted butternut squash, buttercup squash, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, turnips, potatoes, and onions- enough to feed 100. From within the hard or dark outer coating of many of these vegetables sprung a sunny golden soup to remind us we won't have to eat squash forever! These students also got the pleasure of their meal being shared with all of the staff.

- Wednesday: A quick trip to Mexico was made by a rather large group of not only the kitchen classroom, but the extended day Spanish students as well. Our tour guides were Anna and her husband Vicente. An assembly line rolled masa, flattened it, placed it in a corn husk along with a chile chicken filling, and folded the tamales and put them in a pot to steam. On Thursday, many little corn husk packages went out to classrooms. Children had to "unwrap" their lunch to find the warm, wonderful tamale inside. Along the way, many songs were song and shared between Vicente, the elementary and extended day students. Definitely a fiesta en la cocina!

- Thursday: Back home for Christmas- Home is a pretty fluid concept in our country. We celebrate all different holidays with many different regional foods. We put together a few different traditions, Pineapple glazed ham, roasted root vegetables, and sweet potato pie. When was the last time you peeled, cooked, and pureed 15# of sweet potatoes?

Whatever your tradition is, may you enjoy this holiday season and share it with the ones you love! See you in the New Year!

Week of December 6, 2010

"A good teacher is one who makes herself less necessary to the student over time"

Shhh...I'm a bit concerned about my continued employment. This week the crew of five included four kitchen classroom veterans and one newbie. Try as I might to help the newbie, I was no match for the veterans' lightning fast reflexes. As I was inhaling in order to speak, another crew member was already there showing the new student where or how or when or why. If this trend continues I might need to keep an eye on the "help wanted" ads.

With the holiday season upon us, we have been exploring celebratory foods for multiple holidays. We started the week off with Latkes for Hanuka. Wednesday brought gumbo and collards for Kwanzaa. (or, according to an extended day student, from the movie "Princess and the Frog") We are looking forward to next week's Mexican Christmas Tamales, a traditional Christmas ham, and Winter Solstice squash soup.

Extended day made the famous "honey cinnamon cream cheese" spread for our in house baguette. They made enough to share with elementary and the two kind gentlemen who were in the kitchen at the same time working on our dish machine.

Every week I wish that these notes could be done after Friday is over- it always proves to be the highlight of the week. On Friday afternoons we come up with a spontaneous project based on what product we have left that needs to be put to use. By the end of the week, the students are really on a roll so some of the greatest revelations occur. I'm excited to see what this polished group comes up with tomorrow!

Until next week, I'll be pondering how to balance effective teaching with still being necessary enough to earn a paycheck.

Week of November 29, 2010

Recipes are more like "guidelines"...

Quite often the kitchen gets asked for recipes. Some recipes have already been written down, posted, or are fairly easy to share, others, not so much. A great recipe, like any great day in the classroom, doesn't always follow the plan exactly.

A few examples...

- Strada for 65: Cut enough bread to fill 9 half pans, crack enough eggs to soak the bread with (season those eggs to taste), grate cheese (about 1 cup per pan), chop onions (about 1 per pan) and brown sausage.
Bake at 375 till done

- Pumpkin Mac N Cheese? Make enough Mac N Cheese, add sausage, pumpkin puree and sage.

- My favorite example, hummus. A 4th year and a 1st year (at times two 1st years) made enough hummus for the entire school's snack. Their recipe consisted of one lesson together, taste testing as we went, and then chick peas, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt, a dash of confidence and reckless abandon to taste. Then squeezed, peeled, drizzled, and processed so many batches of hummus I lost count. It is truly amazing what students can do if you will just get out of their way!

The incredible crew of three 1st years, and two upper elementary students made hummus for snack, scallion pancakes for the Chinese Cultural celebration (with help from their extended day friends), chicken noodle soup, strada, pumpkin mac n cheese, and vegetarian cassoulet; all the while honing their knife skills, being creative, and having fun. Can't beat that!

Week of November 15, 2010

Breaking local news...

A flock of chickens was fatally injured in the making of this week's lunches. Twelve organic free range chickens shall range no more. In addition, a sincere apology to all the plant lovers - 18 quarts of broccoli perished as well. Penance was paid Friday with Vegetarian burritos. Black beans and quinoa stood in for the chickens, yellow squash and zucchini for the broccoli. Internment of the deceased shall take place...wait, let's not go there.

- Although the online menu stated that we were having "Chicken Broccoli Crapes" on Tuesday, we decided to make "crepes" instead. The crew very carefully measured and mixed step by step enough crepe batter for 65. Once again, who does that? Answer: TCH Kitchen Classroom

- Alex, I'll take soup for 100. The answer is, " TCH Chicken Noodle Soup." Um...What is ten pounds of onions, five pounds of carrots, five pounds of celery, four chickens and four pounds of alphabet pasta? (not to mention the need for a much larger pot!) Correct!

- Broccoli was the "Food of the Month" and was presented this week. It also graced the chicken pasta dish. And took a very long time to cut up into tiny pieces.

- What's that? (one of my favorite questions) This time it was quinoa. We were all able to taste test the "wonder grain." Quinoa is not a very common food for many of us, but you would be surprised how many foods considered "common" receive the same question. All the questions remind me of how important the opportunities are that the Earth to Table program provides.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am thankful to be a part of this program, I am thankful that my children can be part of this community, and, of course, I am thankful I'm not a turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Week of November 1, 2010

Persistence, tolerance, and resiliency- just a few life skills being experienced in the kitchen classroom this week.

The terms above are used in a multitude of contexts, nearly all of which build character.

• "Potato, potato, potato..." One member of the crew, while washing potatoes for potato soup, was determined to discover every melody or rhythm that could handle the lyrics "Potato." She was persistent, ranging from folk traditional to rap hip hop. (Puh-puh ta to, Puh-puh puh ta to) She was resilient when other members requested a station change. Many crew members built tolerance for individual creativity.
• One hearty member looked up at me with a huge smile, and watery red eyes and said, "Kristina, this is my 6th onion without taking a cooler break!" She bet me she could do the rest with only one break (drinking fountain breaks wouldn't count). Having nothing to lose and everything to gain, I took the bet. She persistently tolerated the remainder of the onions, and was resilient against doubts that water breaks really didn't affect the bet.
• This week was the week of onions, celery and carrots. If you think you don't like one of the aforementioned, I challenge you to name your top five "like mom used to make" dishes that don't have one or all three of those ingredients. Most everyone experienced one or more of these prep items. Persistence was used to scrub the farm fresh carrots, tolerance for the onions, and resiliency to wash, and dice into itsy-bitsy pieces 7 pounds of celery.
• Tolerance is a term often used to refer to dealing with different cultures. It seems an odd term to use in that context. Even though I jokingly used it above with individual creativity, I'm not sure why we use it when we should probably be using the word "understand." The extended day students had a chance this week to further understand the "Dia de los Muertos" tradition. With Anna they made Pan del Muerto, or Bread of the Dead. It's a sweet bread often made and shared to remember loved ones that have passed on. These 5 and 6 year-olds were able to share the bread, and the tradition, with the rest of the school community.

So what do you get for all this character building? A bunch of characters! Enjoy your own little character this weekend- when they do something that drives you crazy or makes you laugh, notice what character skills they are building!

Week of October 25, 2010

Pumpkin Fun Week

Steve has always suggested that menu items need a bit more pizazz or flair in order to be home runs. This week may provide supporting evidence for his theory. Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin and sausage Mac N Cheese, and pumpkin pancakes hit the ground running. Many kids signed up for the Mac N Cheese- usually it is white being that milk is white, therefore cheese is naturally white. But as any kid knows, Mac N' Cheese is ORANGE. Guess what?!? When you add pumpkin to a white cheese sauce, it turns...ORANGE. Home Run.

• Anna has been making Oat bars with the extended day kids for a few weeks. They have honey, cinnamon, oats, dried fruits, pumpkin seeds, flax-very tasty, and healthy. They received a luke warm reception even though all feedback about taste was phenomenal. So, this week...Oatmeal confetti cookies!!! Home Run. As marketing and sales folks already know, it's all in how you sell it!
• "There are a lot of bad seeds in here." Luckily for kitchen classroom, this student was referring to the seeds he was saving from our Cinderella pumpkins, not our kitchen crew. We scraped and sorted, roasted and scooped our pumpkin harvest over the past two weeks.
• Through wind, snow, sleet and rain... I had quite an adventure procuring our local, antibiotic hormone free sausage this week. Roads were closed, phones were down, but we still made it to Gallagher's by doing a little two-tracking.
• Have a great Pumpkin Fun weekend! May all of you have power and internet so that you can read this!

Week of October 18, 2010

Cracking eggs, cracking jokes...

Knock, Knock

Who's there?

Owls

Owls who?

Well of course owls hoo!

Everyday we get the opportunity to learn something new- you never know what it may be. This joke is one of my most favorite things that I learned this week. It keeps making me laugh at random moments.

• The group this week brought a lot of energy into the classroom. At times it was difficult to ascertain if we were still heading in the right direction. But after stepping back and seeing the whole picture, the "right" direction is merely a judgment call. We were all headed in the same direction, which really should be the right direction, right?
• The elementary crew worked hard this week preparing many different cracked, chopped, shredded, or peeled ingredients for burritos, soup and pasta. They also got a chance to create granola and begin applesauce for next week's snack.
• The extended day did a great salsa project with Anna, using some of the last tomatoes from our gardens. They learned that not everything turns out the way you hoped. And when that happens, try, try again. Others learned that salsa is REALLY yummy!
• I can't wait to see what we'll learn next week. Until then, I'll keep laughing because "of course owls hoo!"

Week of October 11, 2010

Four hundred thirty-eight meatballs later...
Initially as I looked at the numbers for meatball day, I started to wonder if I was coming down with something. There must be some reason I wouldn't be able to make those meatballs. Team kitchen classroom set to work as usual. While I was cutting up bread to toast and turn into bread crumbs (yes, really), I observed that I wasn't the only one internally battling through the grieving process. Everyone had their own hurdle to conquer.

Shock: Do I have to peel all of them? Do I really have to cut all of these, or is this enough? 23? REALLY?

Denial: Kristina, can I go get a drink? I need to use the bathroom. I think I need a new pair of gloves. What time do we get out? How long have we been here?

Anger: I'm done! You can finish! She's only done one, I did three! (silence) (huff- sigh)

Bargaining: Please can I be done?!? I'll wash dishes while she finishes the rest. I'm tired. Can I go back to class? How 'bout I just do one more and then be done?

Depression: Ugh. I'm never going to finish! I'll still be mashing turkey tomorrow. None of these apples will stay on the peeler. (more silence from the onion cutter)

Acceptance: Just one more! Look how fast I can peel this apple! If you use the knife like this the skin comes off easier.

23 pounds of turkey+ 23 apples+ 23 onions +16 cloves of garlic + 4 sheet trays of bread crumbs= 438 meatballs

Hands raised over head, shouting "YES! I have just conquered 23 onions!!! What next?" - Priceless

Week of October 4, 2010

Kitchen Marathon
Marathon runners when asked, "How did you do?" are often heard replying, "I finished." As a non-runner, this seems to me to be quite a feat. Observing the kitchen crew this week reminded me of the simple gratification of starting AND finishing a task.

• As lunch participation increases, the size of the prep tasks increases as well. Students are paired off into teams and rotated through different tasks throughout the week. Friendly competition crops up between partners which seems to help them drive each other on to finish. As one finishes their "half" of the task, a premature celebration erupts in the moment before they are reminded that the team must be finished for them to be finished.
• You can't unless you try. No one (well, no one I know) does anything perfect the first time they try. In starting and finishing a task, students learned that as they progressed, they got better at their task and found strategies that worked for them.
• "I get by with a little help from my friends..." The extended day students, plus guest chef, Steve Maas, jumped in to save the day by shredding chicken for the Buffalo chicken wraps. Definitely a photo finish moment.
• The Potato soup this week used up the rest of our own potatoes. The BBQ sauce for the Buffalo Chicken wraps was started with our own tomatoes. The wraps themselves, filled with our own lettuce. The chapati for the wraps- made in our own kitchen. Someone rightly asked, "Who does that?" Answer: Chidren's house kitchen classroom.
• How did the week go? We finished... with a little flair.

Week of September 27, 2010

"Do you want to see the trick I use to do that?"
One thing I try to do with each group of students is to pair them off in teams, experienced with less experienced. I overheard the question above while floating from pair to pair. One student was sharing the "trick" that worked for him with his younger teammate. I really enjoyed listening to kitchen classroom veterans share their wisdom with incoming first years.

• Chicken pickin' led us off this week. We learned why it is called "picking" instead of "mushing, squashing, or mashing." No one appreciates bones in their chicken and broccoli crepe.
• Newbies earned their onion stripes yet again this week. It always surprises me when students enthusiastically volunteer when they see a bag of onions in my hands.
• The magic of basmati rice, with it's alluring aroma, led to a bidding war to gain permission to eat the pot-ful. The leading bidder bid their entire life savings for even a spoonful. They weren't sure if it totaled $142 or $242, but at any rate, it was A LOT! A side business plan starting forming in my head...hmmm....
• A skeptical primary student visited early in the week inquiring about black eyed peas. He really needed to see what they were all about. As I write this, I can see his point. How did all those peas each get a black eye?
• Extended day students started their rotations with Anna this week. Wild rice crackers were a definite hit, with oat bars being a close second. Each group gets to create a snack item to share with their class.
• The garden is turning out even greener than imagined. We have harvested and used nearly 1000 greenbacks worth of produce in our lunch and snack programs!

Week of September 20, 2010

Back in the fire
Don't you just love the kitchen in the fall? Colors are everywhere- in the trees and in the harvest. Even at home I find myself yearning to cook up something warm and hearty to heat from within as we batten down the hatches for cooler weather.

• Onions, potatoes and eggs started the week off for our young chefs. The onions, as usual, tend to cause a lot of tears but nothing that couldn't be cured by a cooler break. Our potatoes, though purple in color, were "green" at heart. The energy spent to put them on the table was fueled by elementary planters, diggers, scrubbers, and slicers- earth to table distance, less than 100 yards.
• Next up, four chickens met their fate at the hands of two determined young men- determined to save the wishbones. At least one wish was granted, but the others ended in a draw, neither one of them getting the center.
• A beautiful, multicolored bounty of tomatoes provided the base for Ratatouille along with peppers, garlic, and eggplant- all from our own gardens. I highly recommend watching the movie, "Ratatouille" before, during or after enjoying a bowl or two. (yes, I did just recommend a sedentary activity....shhhhh)
• Last, but definitely not least by any child's lunch standards- Pesto pasta!!! It took two afternoons of all hands on deck to process all the basil we had, but the end result received high marks. All 7 of us toiled over finding the perfect balance between basil, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and Parmesan cheese. The first two batches took about 3 tries each, a total of 42 tasting spoons. The third run was a charm- 7 spoons and high fives all around.