Squash Blossoms....Colorful & Edible

Trailing vines of zucchini and butternut squash have overtaken the garden, weaving and winding into the bushes, up the fence and over the tomato plants. Bright orange blossoms open each morning and wilt by midday under the glare of the sun. Using Mother Nature's fall bounty, Tonia's students harvested the vibrant blossoms for a culinary experiment: squash blossom quesadillas. Sauteed with garlic and onion, the blossoms were mixed with cheese and cilantro and encased between tortillas. The overwhelming majority found the experimental recipe to be a success...smiles, gestures for more and a full bunch of cilantro that rapidly dwindled to several errant sprigs. Gregory summed up the lesson with an exuberant, "Awesome!"

Vote: Delicious or Disgusting?

"Eewww...that's disgusting!" commented Matthew, when I pulled out three VERY ripe, squishy, brown bananas. I have to agree, the drippy fruit didn't look overly appealing in its "before" state. However, a with a little bit of cooking wizardry, today's class quickly transformed last week's donated bananas into tasty banana crumb muffins. Cracking the eggs and testing out the new hand mixer vied for the spotlight in today's cooking activity (and who can resist licking the batter off of the beaters? I've found it to be an international delight for kids of all ages!). By the way, Matthew changed his tune at the end of the lesson when he tasted the fresh from the oven muffins....

Going Bananas for Banana Pancakes!

Banana trees in Chicago? You might be thinking, "Has Mo lost her mind? Bananas don't grow in Beard's garden or do they?" No...the bananas for today's recipe did NOT come from the school garden, but in the form of a donation from our behavior therapist. Not willing to pass up bunches of ripening bananas, I shifted gears and decided to make pancakes with Tonia's students.
Pancakes from scratch are quite a novel concept for me, but turns out that the recipe is nice and easy...and a full sensory experience for the blossoming chefs in Room 108. Students explored the texture and taste of salt and sugar, squished the bananas in ziplock bags (a potato masher would be an alternative method), cracked an egg and stirred the lumpy batter. Eye contact was frequent and sustained while the pancakes sizzled on the hot griddle...Javaid grinned happily and clapped as I successfully flipped the first pancake without dropping it on the ground! Language, both verbal and gestural, surfaced as the pancakes made their way from the griddle to the table...it's incredible to see the level of communication increase in direct correlation with students' motivation!

Wheelbarrow Licensing Day!

CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVER! During today's garden lesson, students in Room 106 earned their wheelbarrow licenses after completing a "safe driving" demonstration. Congratulations to Robert, Amanda, Johnny and Ben, who have gained full wheelbarrow privileges...which means they will be moving mulch, plantings and soil when we get down to serious gardening business in the spring and fall. Additional "driving tests" will take place next week to ensure full licensing of the entire class. Today's harvest baskets were filled with ripe tomatoes and basil. Back in the classroom, students used the fresh harvest, along with a bit of crushed garlic, to create a simple, yet delicious tomato basil pizza. The smell of basil and garlic filled the room, then worked its way out the door...enough to raise questions from curious teachers and students in the hallway. Still more tomatoes and basil in the garden...perhaps pasta making is on the menu for next week?

Kitchen Gardening at Beard School

My return to the Northern Hemisphere coincided with the end of summer, which to gardeners means....tomatoes, tomatoes and more tomatoes! With enthusiasm still running high from my Aussie learning experience, I conducted my first garden and kitchen lessons with the students in Rooms 106 and 108.
The students in 106 honed their keen sense of observation during a scavenger hunt in the garden...searching for tomatoes, leaves, flowers and worms. Unfortunately, the worms weren't overly cooperative and were enjoying their own game of hide and seek! Taking advantage of the summer bounty, students harvested ripe, juicy tomatoes and aromatic basil to use in making their first recipe. Back in the classroom, students sliced, chopped and sampled their way to a fresh and tasty summer caprese salad. Although there were more "yuck" votes than "yum," I'm undeterred in my quest to expose students to new culinary and sensory delights in the upcoming weeks!
As 108 made their way to the garden on a gorgeously sunny Friday, they were greeted by the unexpected....the sprinkler. Bo worked some magic in securing the hose, which allowed students to wander the garden space without an afternoon shower! Students participated in a tennis ball hunt, a sensory and sorting activity and then filled their harvest baskets with tomatoes and basil (believe it or not, there are STILL more tomatoes on the vines). Our cooking group created a lovely afternoon snack of bruschetta with tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil...this recipe was a HUGE hit! Tonia's kids just couldn't get enough tomatoes! I was so pleased with the level of attention, engagement, language and communicative intent that occurred...it was such a fantastic way to end the first week of school!

Special Notes: Thanks to Kerry and Tonia for letting me invade your classrooms and letting me bumble through the first attempt...be patient while I work on smoothing out the kinks!

Two small wheelbarrows, watering cans, gardening gloves and child sized tools were delivered this week. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and get diggin'!

Next week's recipe: tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza