Cooking with root vegetables

Hi There!  

Last week was a fun one in the wellness kitchen.  We learned all about root vegetables!  Specifically radishes, turnips, and beets.  They were delicious but a harder sell for the kids than other vegetables.  The radishes and Turnips have a bit of a kick to them, which some kids love and others are not sure about.  The beets were a hit with most of the kids though. 

Our recipe of the week was:

Beet and Turnip Chips 

turn the oven to 350 degrees

put beets and turnips in food processor to cut up after washing them

baste them with olive oil 

place on a cookie sheet

salt them

turn them over 20 minutes.  baking for an hour or longer.

...

For an appetizer we had  cut up radishes with sea salt.  The kids that liked spicier foods loved this!

{they loved using the food processor}

{radishes and sea salt}

{preparing to go in the oven}

{We also composted the waste - always good to reiterate what they've learned in the garden.}

{One of the kindergarten kids drew this beautiful picture of a radish.

  The students at lakewood are very talented artists!}

More notes from the wellness kitchen coming soon!  

Take Care,

Sarah Tucker

Notes from the Wellness Kitchen

Today, I thought I'd tell a few tips for anyone who decides to take over the wellness kitchen next semester.

The kids and I have built a good relationship and almost all of them will at least try what we cook. I find the fact that they see where the food comes from, help to pick and then cook it, helps them stay more open to foods they would normally turn down. There are a few things I try to do to give positive peer pressure. Although, I never tell anyone they must try anything, it should always be on their own accord to try something new or turn it down. We practice good manners and no one is allowed to taste until everyone has it. Then, we all try it at the exact same time. I always say "mmmm" afterwards and they usually mimic what I say. I stay positive about the experience and most times they are too. It is so helpful that the teachers are also open to trying- They have all been as enthusiastic as I am. This is important because kids are always watching - which spills into every aspect of our life choices. For example, If you are drinking a coke, they don't understand why they can't. Being around children helps me to remain conscious and mindful of the little decisions I make everyday because I always want to be a good example. This is applied to everything I do and say. I never want to be a person who says "do as I say, and not as I do".

Now, onto what we've been cooking . . .

We've had a great week cooking up the beautiful squash and carrots that have popped up in our garden. We've chopped them up and sauteed them in garlic and olive oil.

Hope you all have a great Spring Break!

I can't wait to see what will have popped up when I come back!

Take Care,

Sarah Tucker

spinach pizza and brazilan collard greens -straight out of our garden!

To the table!

Today we picked Spinach for our spinach "pizza".

We mixed garlic, olive oil, salt, and parmesan cheese. Then we put it all on an english muffin and baked them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Everyone loved it!

Many students were apprehensive about spinach at first but after their pizza, they were sold.

I think we've got them hooked on spinach.

A friend of mine helped cook today. The kids loved Ms. Cami!

In another class we cooked brazilian collard greens. The recipe can be found here.

Each group was able to help make the collard greens.

While the others were busy using our collard greens from outside as their model for their drawings. They also learned how to spell "COLLARD GREENS"

We've got a lot of artists at Lakewood!

It is always a pleasure to cook with our students at Lakewood.

They make my day so much brighter.

take care,

Sarah Tucker

I couldn't tell you how many times I've heard recently, "it smells so good in here" by those walking by the wellness kitchen. Which must be one of the reasons why even more teachers have signed up and each class that has cooked has kept their spot for the next eleven weeks. It warms my heart to watch kids actually enjoy food that is going to keep diseases at bay and doctors away. They have all been so brave and adventurous when they try these unfamiliar greens. All of the teachers have been encouraging and helpful, one especially so when she wrote me saying,

"Sarah- WOW! My children loved cooking with you. Watching their expressions as they tasted the kale was priceless. When W asked if he could drink the juice in the bowl I knew you had him hooked on greens! Thank you so very much! I am hoping you are up for another cooking experience soon."

The germination lesson has gone really well. The kids are all excited to see how their beans and corn will grow. I also like the way it helps teach responsibility. Telling my group that they were responsible for their cup made them take even more ownership. And the fact that it is a group effort teaches them how to work together harmoniously.

Spending time with our students at Lakewood starts my day off in the right direction!

(kind of like our gardens compass)

:)

Take Care,

Sarah Tucker