Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

SAKG Programme 

News - from the kitchen & garden with Chris and Hadley.

Cooking

Grade 4/5 Cooking Week 7

IIn Cooking this week, Grade 4 and 5 made Fruit and Vegetable Cakes.  We made Zucchini and Chocolate Cake, Carrot and Orange Muffins and Pear and Ginger Cake. 

From the garden, we used Zucchini, Carrots and Pears from David’s tree.

Douglas, Sidney and Owen made the Carrot and Orange Muffins. Sidney grated the orange zest and Douglas and Owen grated the carrots and measured out the other ingredients for the muffins.  They made sure they ticked off each step on the recipe so they knew which step they were up to.  We discussed that its important when making cakes to measure ingredients carefully and make sure we complete the steps in the correct order. Douglas put the muffins liners in the tins and they carefully spooned the mixture into the muffin tins.

Cooper, Thea and Perla made the Zucchini Chocolate Cake. Thea grated the zucchini and squeezed out the moisture and Cooper and Perla chopped the chocolate.  They carefully measured out the dry ingredients and mixed everything together well.  Thea carefully poured the mixture into the lined loaf tin.  

Ulla and Jayden made the Pear and Ginger cake using the pears David brought in. They measured out the ingredients for the dough carefully and mixed them together in the food processor.

They did a great job of pressing 2/3 of the dough on the base of the cake tin and up the sides, then arranged the pears on the base.  They crumbled the rest of the dough on top of the pears.

They were very proud of the delicious Pear cake they made.

Everyone did a great job making the cakes and muffins and we had them in the oven in time for them to cook during recess.

After recess Sidney and his team rinsed the dishes and stacked the dishwasher and wiped the dishes.  The rest of the group cleaned the tables, put away the cooking ingredients and set the tables for lunch.   While we waited for the cakes to cool, Grade 4 and 5s ate their lunch first, then enjoyed the veggie cakes and muffins.

Everyone worked well together to make the delicious veggie cakes and muffins.   Well done Grade 4 and 5 on your great cooking and teamwork and thanks Lea. 

This is what they said about their cooking this week …

My Mum always puts veggies in cakes. We make a delicious  Zucchini and Chocolate cake. Owen

I grated the zucchini and squeezed it out. Thea 

I measured the cocoa powder and whisked the eggs and added vanilla for the Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Cooper

I used the food processor to mix the flour, butter and ginger for the dough for the Pear and Ginger cake.  Jayden 

I made the Pear and Ginger cake. It was fun!  Ulla

I made the Carrot and Orange Muffins.  I blended carrots and the sugar. I got really zesty, zesting the oranges. I also rinsed and washed the dishes in the dishwasher.  Sidney

I checked the recipe and ticked off what we had done.  I also cleaned the tables.  Douglas

The recipes for the dishes we cooked are attached.

Grade 2 and 3 Cooking Week 6

In Cooking this week Grade 2 and 3 used the abundance of beautiful broccoli from the garden to make Broccoli and Vegetable Gyoza and Asian Dipping Sauce and Crispy Vegetable Rice Paper Parcels (GF Fat Free)

We used broccoli, potatoes, mizuna, spring onions, garlic, chives and parsley from the garden.

Ella, Matilda, Asha and Aleida worked with Hannah  to make the Crispy Vegetable Rice Paper Parcels (GF Fat Free) with a Dipping Sauce (GF Oil free). They chopped and cooked the broccoli and spring onions and herbs and mixed in the potatoes they had mashed.

After recess, they tried out a new way to prepare the rice paper and wrap the Broccoli and Vegetable parcels.  They then cooked them in the air fryer so they were fat free.

Dana’s group made the Asian Dipping Sauce and cooked the ingredients for the Broccoli and Vegetable Gyoza filling.

They learnt how to measure out the ingredients for the Asian Dipping Sauce and heated it and mixed it together, then plated it up to serve with the Gyoza. 

Noah and Allie measured out the oil and cooked the  spring onions and garlic for the filling then added the broccoli. 

Alysha helped Johnny,  Bobbie, Elio, Cooper, Zak and their team chop the broccoli florets and stems finely, chop the spring onions and herbs. 

After the mixture was cooked they mixed in the potato that Bobbie and his team had mashed, then added the miso and seasonings and herbs.  Elio chopped the garlic chives into small pieces and mixed it into the gyoza filling.

As we were cooking, Bobbie did a great job sweeping the floor and Poppie, Johnny, Cooper, Pete and Noah, rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher.

After recess everyone learnt how to fold and fill the Gyoza wrappers to make the Gyozas.  We practised folding them and also learnt how to use the Gyoza maker too.  Everyone did a great job filling, folding and pleating the wrappers to make great shaped gyozas.  

Cooper, Noah, Zak and their group worked with Alysha to cook the Gyozas.  They had to make sure they carefully monitored the heat of the frypan to make sure the bottom of the Gyozas browned then they carefully added the water and put the lid on to steam the Gyozas. They learnt how to safely cook with steam and test that the Gyozas were cooked.

While the Gyozas were cooking Dana’s group cleaned up and set the tables and picked flowers from the garden.

Well done Grade 2 and 3 for a great cooking session and thanks Dana, Hannah and Alysha (Zak’s Mum).

The recipes for the dishes we cooked are attached.

Gardening

Garden News

Over the last couple of weeks, the students have been learning about some of the local frogs they might find in and around Taradale and the broader Mount Alexander Shire. We took a walk down to Back Creek that runs through the Taradale Mineral Springs park. We spent time listening out for local frogs to see how many different types of frogs we thought we could hear. Over the next few weeks and into term 2 we will continue our investigation of local frogs and hopefully learn to recognise their calls.  

We have also been learning about the winter solstice that is coming up on the 21st of June. We learnt that this is the longest night of the year and after this day the days will get slightly lighter each day. The Prep/ 1’s and 2/3’s made a winter solstice lantern out of recycled food jars. They also got to create a clay decoration for the garden in celebration of the solstice. We will use our lanterns and  over the coming weeks, as winter solstice draws closer 

Once the longest night of the year passes, we will turn out focus to growing more food and flowers for the garden!