Kitchen and Garden & Sustainability News
Indigenous Cooking for Reconciliation Week
With Reconciliation Week this week we learnt all about indigenous ingredients, both their culinary and medicinal uses. Reconciliation week is a time to celebrate indigenous culture and we loved using indigenous ingredients in our cooking this week. Our very clever chefs whipped up some warrigal greens pasta, anise myrtle damper, Torres Straight island friend scones, and some delicious ricotta and warrigal greens fritters. We chatted about finding some simple ingredients around the community. Check out the recipes below and the plants that can be found.
Here are some recipes that you can try at home. You don't need the specialised ingredients that we have cooked with this week you can find both warrigal greens and salt bush in our community. Warrigal greens can be found around Blue Water Lake and the beach tracks, and Salt Bush can be found everywhere. There is lots of Sal Bush along the river road from the Golf Club. See the photos below of the plants. Simply take out the Wattle seeds in the damper and add the salt bush leaves in the Mixed Pea and Leek Risotto to modify these recipes. We had lots of fun this week, hope you do too!
Salt Bush Warrigal Greens
Garden News
The sun is still shining and the garden is full of lots of green.
Last week was Internation Compost Awareness Week so our students played with lots of different ingredients to make a fabulous compost cake.
We collected up a selection of carbon and nitritogen examples and we spoke about how much of each is good and how the tell if it is a nitrogen or a carbon ingredient.
All of the years 4s took it in turns to layer all of the ingredients and filled a whole bin that we will now monitor and document its progress.
Our helpful lunchtime garden club members have been busy weeding, harvesting the last of our tomatoes that we will use for a green tomato chutney and potting up plants for our plant stall.
We were also gifted 2 wonderful timber chairs for our students to sit and relax on in the garden. Thank you to Marianne Ward and the local Ocean Grove and District Mens Shed for your generous gift.
Our plant sale stand is back up and running at the entrance to the school. Pop past and get yourself a lovely potted succulent or bargin clivia! The clivias are only $10, a lot cheaper than the local nursery which you would expect to pay $30!!
Jam and Chutney Crew
We would love to start up a Preserving team who is available to come in a couple of times a term to whip up some jam or chutney at times of high harvest.
If you are interested in being part of this group, we would love to hear from you!
Please emailfleur.kilpatrick@education.vic.gov.au or clancey.mckenzie2@education.vic.gov.au
Seedling Foster Program
Our seedlings have started coming in and we are busy planting our next crop. Thank you to those who have nurtured their seedlings. If you are still looking after some sedlings, you can bring them in on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursdays.
What is a seedling foster program you ask??!! Well, it is where the a class plants up some seeds during a garden session or lunch club and we ask school families to take these seed punnets home and 'foster' them, nurturing them until they are ready to bring back to school to plant.The best part is that your child doesnt have to be participating in the garden program to take advantage of this program, so that means even our foundation families can help out in the garden by 'fostering' some seedlings :)
We have developed an instruction and data sheet that will help you with looking after them and the children can also participate in the growing by documenting the plants growth and taking photos.I have attached a copy of the fostering form so that you can see how it all works and what is expected.It is such a fun way to continue learning at home for our students and you're also helping us to grow successful seedlings to plant out in The Patch.If you are interested in joining this fabulous new program, please come and see my in the garden or email me at clancey.mckenzie2@education.vic.gov.au
No experience in growing is necessary! If you are not sure, please please please reach out and I will help you through the process!!
Thanks for your support of the Kitchen & Garden Program
GARDEN WATERING HELP NEEDED
We are in need of some garden helpers please. You dont need to be a gardener you just need to want to help and have a spare hour or half hour to help. The weather has encourged the weeds to grow and also patches of the garden are a little dry where the sprinklers don't quite reach.
Please contact me if you can help in any way!
clancey.mckenzie2@education.vic.gov .au
Volunteer Information
We would love more volunteers in our classes. It is such a help as it greatly assists our students in their Kitchen Garden experience. Please view our Term 2 Timetable if you are free and would love to come along. Check out our Volunteer Info below. Thanks.
We would love some more volunteers in our program to assist in our classes. Your assistance is so wonderful as it enhances our students experience in our kitchen and garden. Either email Fleur (kitchen) or Clancey (garden) or just show up on the day.
There are a few things that need to be ticked off before volunteering:
- Have your Working With Children Check https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/applicants/how-to-apply-1
- Complete a quick induction at the office prior to starting (around 5 mins) https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/individuals/applicants/how-to-apply-1
- Please read our Child Safety Induction for Volunteers and attachments (either email Fleur or Clancey for these documents or have a look over on the day).