Garden To Kitchen News
What an exciting start to the term as we relaunched our Garden Kitchen Program last week! It has been wonderful to see students enthusiastically embracing the opportunity to learn, grow and work together in our newly restored garden and kitchen spaces over the past two weeks.
On Tuesday of week one, students rolled up their sleeves to plant a variety of seasonal vegetables and herbs in the school garden. Students also helped to create beautiful, sustainable signs for our garden. These have since been added to the garden and look fabulous!
Our budding chefs have been equally busy in the kitchen! As part of our Day of Joy celebrations on day one of term, students worked in multi-age groups to bake delicious zucchini and carrot muffins.
Here is the recipe if you would like to try these at home!
Recipe – Zucchini & Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 400 g zucchini (2 medium), grated with excess water squeezed out
- 400g carrot (2 medium), grated
- 1 brown onion, peeled, grated (including all juices)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 1/2 cups tasty cheese, shredded
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place paper muffin cases into muffin trays.
3. Set aside a little bit of cheese to sprinkle on the surface of the mixture at the end.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
5. Whisk the flour into the eggs until lump free.
6. Add the zucchini, carrot, onion and cheese. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
7. Pour into the muffin cases. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
8. Bake for 35 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Cool in the muffin tin. Enjoy warm or at room temperature!
During our first official Garden Kitchen sessions over the past two Thursdays, classes revisited the garden to observe the newly planted seedlings, reflect on what we had achieved together, and share their hopes for the program. They also helped to plant some native plants as part of National Tree Day (which is officially taking place this Sunday). These native plants attract pollinators, provide food and homes for birds and insects, and add to the beauty of our garden. It is going to be rewarding nurturing them and observing their growth!
Each class also contributed to the development of our shared garden and kitchen expectations to ensure we create a safe, respectful and enjoyable learning environment for everyone throughout the semester. Students also enjoyed the opportunity to prepare (and taste) scones for our special grandparent's morning this morning. To spread on our scones, it was fun to create and try herb and honey butter using freshly harvested rosemary from our garden!
We are looking forward to lots of time spent in the garden and kitchen together this semester!
Feel free to come in and check out our rejuvenated school garden space!
A special thank you to Mount Alexander Timber and Hardware for their generous support of our Garden Kitchen Program. Their donation of timber offcuts enabled our students to create the colourful garden signs to label the herbs and vegetables growing in our garden. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity and support of our students' learning.
What is our Garden Kitchen Program?
Our Garden Kitchen Program will provide authentic, hands-on learning experiences that take students on the journey from "paddock to plate." Through growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing food, students develop practical skills and a deeper understanding of where food comes from.
Throughout the program, students will gradually build confidence in gardening and cooking while developing safe food handling and hygiene practices. They will strengthen their responsibility, teamwork and leadership skills as they work together to care for the garden, prepare seasonal recipes and share meals. Students will also explore sustainable practices through a grow–eat–compost–regrow cycle, investigate plant growth using scientific inquiry, and make meaningful connections between food, culture and traditions. Time spent in the garden also provides valuable opportunities for reflection, mindfulness and connecting with nature.
The Garden Kitchen Program encourages sustainable living and environmental stewardship while promoting students' physical, social and emotional wellbeing. Most importantly, it fosters respect for food, the people who produce it and the natural environment, helping students develop healthy habits and lifelong skills that extend well beyond the classroom.
Clare Grainger
Science/Garden To Kitchen and Health & PE Specialist Teacher