Curriculum:
- Discuss different methods of preserving and maximizing our produce, such as:
- Refresh wilting greens in ice bath
- Put paper towel in bag with greens to keep from getting soggy
- Store carrots & celery in water – fresh for weeks
- Store herbs and green onions in jar/glass of water & cover with bag
- Make extra sauce / broth and freeze. Store veggie scraps in freezer to boil into broth later
- Squeeze lemon juice on avocado / guac to keep from browning
- Keep cheese blocks in paper bags
- Freeze bread – don’t refrigerate
- Use leftover ground meat and make burgers to freeze for later
- When you use the last of mustard, use the leftovers in the jar to make dressing, make overnight oats in pb jar
- Freeze leftover herbs in oil / water in ice cube tray
- Store produce in proper spots in the fridge – veggies in crisper, condiments in door, top shelves have consistent temps so good for dips / hummus, leftovers, middle shelf good for dairy products and eggs, lower shelves best for meat bc coolest also “dripping” (food safety)
- Make veggie sushi
After talking about all the different ways we can keep our produce fresh and at its best, we made our own version of some vegetable sushi. Almost all the veggies came from the garden and we discussed the different ways we can eat more vegetables than normal by making meals and snacks like veggie sushi. Practicing our sushi rolling practices as a group was tons of fun and the meal was more filling than anyone expected. We even brought it true wasabi! A few of the kids and one of our staff all took to the challenge of trying some. Let’s just say their sinuses are probably still clear.
This week we spent a lot of time at the Callanan Community Garden and the Evergreen Elementary School Garden. We cleaned up the walkways and fence lines as well as tended to our food bank beds. We talked about usable soil, healthy soil, and proper watering practices. At the hospital garden, we collected lemon balm, red raspberry leaves, and a few other herbs. We made bundles and hung them in the shed to dry. With a small group working on that project, we talked about natural and wild plant medicines. We talked about red raspberry’s effect on reproductive health as well as many herbs that are good for relaxation.