One man's trash is another man's treasure....

Now that the school year is just around the corner, I'm going to ask for help to make my garden and cooking activities more dynamic - using what I've learned during my Aussie adventure. Currently, I have a limited mish-mash of kitchen equipment that I use for cooking and even less for the garden. In order to be more creative, it would be wonderful to have some additional equipment. So....here's my call to arms. If anyone has old kitchen / garden equipment collecting dust in their basement or garage that they would like to part with, please let me know! Here are some things that would come in handy: food processor, electric mixer, mixing bowls, electric fry pan, measuring cups, general utensils (wooden spoons, soup ladle, etc), gardening gloves (kids), watering cans, hand shovels, rake, wheelbarrow, magnifying glasses, butterfly nets...One of the big lessons that I learned from the kitchen and garden specialists...reduce, reuse, recycle, scour garage sales, put out wish lists and never say no to help!

Goodbye Australia, So Long Seattle...

The sun has set on my Australian adventure; I am back on US soil, feeling a bit like Jekyll and Hyde while coping with the jet lag that I avoided on the front end of the trip. Somehow on the return to the States, I managed to gain a day...I left Sydney on Tuesday at 1 in the afternoon and arrived in Seattle on Tuesday at 3 in the afternoon. Somewhere in there, I had 17 hours of flight time...slept not a wink from Sydney to Los Angeles and just a quick catnap between LA and Seattle. Tomorrow morning, I'm embarking on the four day cross country road trip to Chicago...2200 more miles to go to round out my 20,000 mile summer! What a once in a lifetime experience....

Bondi Public School

Today's trek to Bondi Public sadly marked the last of my visits to Australian primary schools. Bondi is new to the SAKG program, just opening the doors to its cozy kitchen cottage in December 2009. The only school in the greater Sydney area, Bondi is forging its path with less support than the schools in the Melbourne network. Thus said, the students in Ms. Brown's 3/4 class are getting quite skilled in the kitchen and in their food knowledge. Kitchen specialist Diane provides an experience that blends sensory exploration, problem solving and higher level thinking...the students are most definitely rising to the expectations! During our session, three students with autism joined in the making of vegetable barley soup and spinach dumplings. I paired up with Katrina, a young non-verbal student and together we sliced mushrooms, stripped spinach stems, then rolled and cut spinach leaves. I didn't get out into the garden class today, but found it plentiful with greens, broad beans, herbs and citrus trees....oh, and garden art that included a surfboard (what else can you expect in an Australian surf town?).

Worth mentioning: Five students from Bondi have been chosen to take part in a master class taught by Stephanie Alexander herself. These lucky students (Years 3-6) will showcase their culinary talents as sous chefs on Australian TV...cheers to the achievement!

Notes from the converted...

I could be considered by most as a "non-foodie;" I've found that this experience has not only challenged my mind, but my palate as well. Just as the students in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program do, I've tried some new foods and found that I truly like them - quince, tamarillo and fennel - just to name a few. Here are my new "discoveries:"

Quince: gorgeous burgundy fruit on the inside, fantastic as a tart just out of the oven, topped with vanilla ice cream

Rhubarb: once the toxic (yes, poisonous to humans) leaves are discarded, pair with ginger for a slightly spicy preserve or jam

Pumpkin: used for so much more than pie and carvings....spicy Thai soup, roasted and wrapped, gnocci, ravioli, spread...can't wait to share these autumn recipes with Chana

Beetroot: (it's what we call a beet)...beetroot dip is amazing...blended with yoghurt, walnuts and spinach

Fennel: wasn't even sure what this was (looks like an errant onion mixed with lettuce stalks), but was delighted at the fresh crunch and slight licorice flavor...nice alternative to carrot sticks

Tamarillo: a fruit that reminds me a bit of a kiwi, but with a dark orange/burgundy flesh...amazing as chutney...pairs well with cheese and crackers for afternoon tea

Grapefruit marmelade: tangy and sweet...excellent on toast at morning tea

Reflections....

Along this journey, I've been able to witness some truly memorable moments and learn some valuable lessons:

*Given a little guidance, paired with a liberal dose of independence, kids can create and produce masterpieces

*Empathy, though difficult to teach, is alive and well in healthy classroom environments

*Curiosity is a catalyst for learning...at all ages

*Strengths and weaknesses are balanced out when a team works together successfully

*Moving beyond the walls of the classroom enables students to tap into and transfer skills that have real life meaning and quality

*Everyone pitches in; even the smallest task is important and valued

More to come later....it is after all Friday afternoon, and I'm lucky to have a synapse or two past 3 o'clock!

Nunawading Primary School

Nunawading Primary School, the last of my Melbourne schools, was a late addition to my list. Last week I received an email from Prue, a SAKG board member, who had heard of my project via the kitchen garden foundation. She extended an invitation to tag along on her weekly volunteer session. Of course, I jumped at the invitation; I couldn't pass up another golden opportunity! I've got to tell you again, the people I've met couldn't be nicer!!
Lending a hand in the garden and the kitchen, I had time to chat with students and classroom teachers about their involvement in the program. I was schooled in the process of creating a rich, healthy compost, given a thorough tour of the chook pen and house, learned how to make bread dough and talked about how the program is linked to the curriculum back in the classroom.
Off to Sydney next week; sadly, I have only one more school to visit on my quest. As this portion of my fellowship nears the end, I now face the monumental task of digesting and processing the experience and turning it into a reality once I return to Chicago....

East Bentleigh Primary School

Great day of diversity at East Bentleigh Primary School - the school has a warm, inviting and relaxed atmosphere and a true sense of community!
I began my day in the garden with a group of Year 5s who were undertaking various maintenance projects: constructing a brick and cement wall, mulching pathways and adding straw to garden beds. My lucky day...students with autism from a nearby school joined the class for its weekly session...a fantastic opportunity for me to see social integration in action!
My second garden "assignment" was with a group of Year 3s - our mission was to harvest produce for a "salad of inspiration." Baskets in hand, we set off to collect silver beet, spinach, rocket, mint, thyme and some lovely little edible flowers. Kyle, my new found vegetarian friend, and I had a great conversation about raw foods, what it's like to be vegan in a meat eating world, how to not insult meat eaters and what to order in a restaurant...all from a 10 year old!
Rain and wind held off for my last session in the garden, again with a group of Year 5s. We literally dug into our task of digging out plants and potting them for future sale in the school's market.
Moving into the kitchen, Nicki welcomed me and offered me the option of facilitating the salad or the brownies. Despite my insatiable sweet tooth, I opted for the salad group (I seem to have some difficulty with getting measurements correct when baking). A small class, we split into three groups to make a salad, potato pancakes (latkas) and gluten free brownies. For a school in its first year of the SA program, I'm so impressed by the level of commitment and the structure in both the kitchen and the garden!

Worth Mentioning:
EB has chooks, as do many of the schools I've seen. However, these little guys and gals have free range of the school grounds (and sometimes make appearances in classrooms, I hear).

EB hosts a weekly market with organic produce, treats and crafts. Proceeds go toward special projects. Kudos to a successful fundraising venture!

Thanks so much to Deborah, Sandra and Nicki for sharing their time, knowledge and resources. I need another full week here in Melbourne to visit all of the places that they mentioned!