SAKG NEWS

In the kitchen our star ingredients for the second last rotation this term were broccoli and silver beet.  We have had some beautiful types of sprouting broccoli growing in our garden, including a purple variety. It has been delightful to compare with the type available in shops and the kids found that not only the florets, but also the stalks, were good to eat and go in the soup. We have made creamy potato and broccoli soup, blended with a white sauce to really give it that creamy texture. Several kids have been surprised to find that they enjoyed it, even though broccoli is not their favourite veggie. 

We’ve also had a plethora of silver beet and chard varieties in the garden, including some with ruby red and golden stalks. Some have had dark green leaves and white stem and some have a much lighter green. Blending all these together with herbs and a mixture of cheeses we’ve made Spanakopita, which is a mouthful to say, but makes a delicious mouthful to eat. We’ve made this into triangular individual serves, but it can be made into a pie or a twist, the possibilities are endless. 

Our bread team have made herby cheesy garlic bread, which can be made using either fresh or slightly stale bread rolls. In fact, it is a fantastic way to reduce food waste and give an uplift to old bread. Fresh herbs from the garden and crushed garlic have been mashed into butter or nuttelex, then spread all over the chopped bread and slathered with grated cheese. It was deliriously delicious and incredibly easy.  Homemade herb butter can give a lift to bread, pasta, you name it!

And last but not least we have made stone-fruit crumble using up some of the frozen apricots and plums from our plentiful harvest earlier this year. Many of the students can remember the chopping and destoning that was undertaken and appreciated the work done then for a reward now. We served the crumble with either custard or homemade ice-cream (please find recipe below). 

No Churn Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 x 395g tin sweetened condensed milk
• 1 x 600ml cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
• Little pinch of salt

Method

• You will need a loaf tin lined with cling wrap.
• In a mixing bowl add condensed milk, cream, vanilla, and salt.
• Using a hand beater, whip the mixture until it forms soft peaks.
• Pour the mixture into the loaf tin. Cover with cling wrap.
• Place in the freezer overnight before serving.
• Store in a sealed container in the freezer 🍦

In the garden for this rotation students have been thinking about and noticing what happens in Early Spring. Jodie has introduced students to “Ecologist Tanya Loos Wombat Forest Calendar” and what she has noticed in that forest during Early Spring. Following this, Jodie has inspired students to notice what is happening in our garden! Ideas so far have been flowering of fruit trees and daffodils, and the start of hay fever symptoms that come with flowers in the garden. Then students have been working in their groups to add compost to the garden beds and germinate seeds that will be ready to plant when they get back from holidays in Term 4.

Chickens are still free ranging in their temporary enclosure to try and manage emerging coddling moth. If the coddling moth breeding cycle is interrupted, we will get a good crop of apples! Students have been harvesting Asian greens, celery, herbs, carrots and beetroot for the kitchen. They have also been gluing and nailing the last of wooden signs together so that they can be painted in Term 4. After this each section of the garden will a name and decorative sign.

Finally, this last fortnight of term Year 6 students are having their last session in the garden, so they will choose from a range of fun activities such as a Garden Tea Party, Guinea pig petting zoo, spending time with the chickens and planting a sunflower seed in a newspaper pot to take home.

There has been some additional activity in the garden with Jodie running a weaving session for our Bahai Community. This took place last Saturday morning when the sun was out.  It was so lovely to see so many faces, many being own students, weaving their little hearts out, creating some amazing masterpieces, weaving wool onto cd's.  Please check out the snaps below to view them hard at work.

Lastly, it’s our regular call out for holiday host for our animals. We have three lots of guinea pigs – girls (2), boys (3) plus Rupert (our new addition), as well as a family willing to come to the school daily to feed and water the chickens and collect the eggs. If you are interested in any of the above please contact either Jodie, Kate, Mrs O’Brien or talk to the ladies at the front office.  The animals definitely return the favour with much love and joy.

Mrs O’Brien, Jodie and Kate