Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

SAKGP Garden and Kitchen Programme 

News - from the kitchen & garden with Chris and Eve

Our cooking and gardening classes are each Tuesday

We would love to have more volunteers in both the garden and kitchen classes.

No garden or kitchen skills required, enthusiasm to support the students as they learn is all you need.

If you would like to know more, come into the office and see Chris (Principal)

Gardening with Eve

This week in gardening class the Prep/1s met our new school chickens, five friendly rescue hens that we adopted over the school holidays.  We talked about the conditions that they had come from and why they are looking a bit skinny and are missing a lot of feathers, why the tips of their beaks have been removed and how we can help them to live happier lives in their forever home here at the school.  

The children enjoyed checking for eggs (we found six chicken eggs and two duck eggs) and we made some edible toys for the chickens to help settle them in.  We mixed together coconut oil and seed mix to make seed balls to hang in their enclosure.  The fat combined with protein from the seeds are good for them as they regain their health.  Our seedy pinecones were a big hit with the hens! 

Next we headed to the veggie beds to collect some greens.  We talked about how greens make the yolks of chickens’ eggs deep orange - a sign of healthy chooks.  We also had lots of snacking ourselves - the kids picked and ate celery, lettuce and broccoli and we checked out our plump radishes that the p/1s sowed last term and are nearly ready to harvest.  

The students cut up their greens, added calendula petals and some seeds and we finished our session by presenting our chooks with a garden buffet, filling up the duck pond with water and arranging a buffet for them too.   Happy chooks, happy ducks (and very happy kids too!) 

The grade 5/6 class spent their session building a no-dig garden bed ready to plant this year’s pumpkin patch.  We talked about layering carbon-rich material and nitrogen-rich material (our ‘browns’ and ‘greens’ to create a lasagne style garden that will break down into beautiful nutrient rich compost for our plants.  We’ve set up two arches to create a pumpkin tunnel, so the bed we are making runs along the side of these.  

The last session of the day was the 4/5 class.  We decided to spend our gardening session in the orchard bonding with the chooks and ducks while we set up a big garden of greens that we can use to easily supplement their food during summer when the grass dries out.  In groups the students weeded the bed, planted out kale, silverbeet, cabbages, lettuce, celery and assorted greens.  

Another group made some seed bombs using a seed mix for bees and butterflies.  We are planning to throw some of these around our edible gardens, and might sell some on our farmers market stall.  

During the session students took turns bringing barrows of mulch and we began weeding and mulching our fruit trees.  It was all a bit chaotic but very fun and productive and the chickens LOVED ‘helping’ us with the weeding and being hand fed greens all afternoon.  They have certainly landed in paradise! 

Cooking with Chris

This week in Cooking Grade 2 and 3 made an Italian Feast, including Tomato Sugo with Greens, Parsley Pesto, Fettucine pasta, Gluten Free & Fat free Pasta sauce and Salad of the Imagination and a GF, Oil Free bread.

From the garden we used parsley, celery, chives, silverbeet, butter lettuce, cos lettuce, mizuna, duck and chicken eggs, and tomato passata, pumpkin and greens (oil free and GF) from the freezer. 

We worked in 4 teams to prepare the ingredients and make and cook the pasta and sauces.

Cooper, Marlin, Aleida and Noah mixed the pasta dough and kneaded it for 10 minutes, until it was smooth and soft and then covered it to rest until we were ready to make the fettucine.

Rui, Sid, Johnny, Percy and David worked well together to chop the greens and make the Tomato Sugo and then took turns to stir the sauce as it cooked.

Owen, Marlin and their team washed and dried the parsley for the Parsley Pesto and patiently chopped the parsley very finely and Douglas and Jayden grated the cheese.  Oliver and Pete did a great job pounding the salt and garlic using the mortar and pestle. 

Ella, Vega and Rosa used the GF, Oil free veggies and tomato passata from the freezer and secret herbs and flavours, to create their delicious Gluten Free, Fat Free Pasta Sauce.

As we finished using the dishes and utensils, Rosa and Vega and Sidney and Rui did a great job rinsing the dishes and stacked them ready to be put into the dishwasher. 

At the end of the first session Noah wiped down the tables and David  swept the floor and made sure the area was clean.

After recess, we worked in 3 groups to knead the pasta dough, shape and cut it into rectangles and we used the pasta makers to roll it into thin, see through, pasta sheets.  We had to be patient and persevere as some of the pasta makers were difficult to use. We then used the cutting section to turn the pasta sheets into fettucine. It was a great team effort as each group worked together to make sure the fettucine was cut well and then tossed in flour so it didn’t stick together. In their group, Sidney cut the pasta, then Aleida and Johnny tossed it in the flour. Owen and Oliver worked well together to cut the fettucine and Rosa and Pete tossed it in the flour.  Chris and Scout cooked the fettucine in boiling water in batches after it was made. 

After we finished making the pasta, we divided into teams to clean down the tables, set the tables with cutlery and cups, dish out the sauces, and count out the plates for Scout to serve out the fettucine.  Emma made the Salad of the Imagination with her team and Ella, Vega, Noah, Johnny and Owen picked the flowers for the table. Everyone worked well in their teams to get the table set, ready to share what we had cooked.

Everyone enjoyed the Italian Feast. Aleida and Jayden dished up their Fettucine, Parsley Pesto and Tomato Sugo with Greens like the Italian Flag (see photos)

Great cooking Grade 2 and 3 and thanks Emma and Scout. 

This is what Grade 2 and 3 said about what they cooked and tasted.

The most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted . I kneaded the pasta dough and I liked cutting it into Fettucine. Noah

It was to die for! I’m already finished it all! (see photo). Owen

I think it was really good. I liked all of it! Pete

The Gluten free, oil free bread is delicious! Ella