Pineapple at Durkee

Just had to share the current excitement at our school. We planted a pineapple top in the garden 3 1/2 years ago. This spring it started grow a pineapple--finally!

Here are some pictures:

This one was taken 3/5/08

This one was taken 3/27/09

This one was taken 4/22/08--notice the pup growing below and to the left of the pineapple.

Garden Salad

Yesterday, the students at Port Houston made a salad from the vegetables that they had grown. Each of them gathered pieces for the salad, so that they all got first-hand experience. Everyone had their own paper bag to gather material in. One student commented that "it's like we are grocery shopping in the garden. Right outside!" They loved eating the fresh greens.

They learned:
- How to tell when lettuce, carrots, and broccoli are getting ripe
- That insects live in the plants that they are harvesting, but that we can all coexist.
- How to clean fresh produce.
- How to prepare a fresh salad
- That a little bit of some herbs goes a long way, and to use them sparingly.

Sesame Greens

2 lbs greens (collards, mustard, chard, kale--whatever you've got)
1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
Braggs or Nama Soyu to taste
1 lime squeezed or more if you like
1 teaspoon ginger minced
sesame seeds to taste
sea salt to taste

Wash greens and remove tough stems. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces. Whisk remaining ingredients together. Toss greens in marinade. Let sit 1 hour to "marry" the flavors.
Add-ons: sunflower seeds, peas, cranberries, pecans

cabbage recipes the kids loved!

happy new year all . . . yesterday we harvested our first cabbage at Garden Oaks (i'll post photos when i get them). the kids were extremely excited! the cabbage weighed about 2-1/2 lbs. and was 22 inches in circumference. 

after the harvest, we prepared the following two recipes that the kids really enjoyed! FYI . . . the recipe with the fruit should be prepared at the beginning of class (if possible) and then eaten after about an hour to give the cabbage a bit more time to marinate.

happy gardening!

irene :)

Patterson Elementary: New Garden 2008

This is my first blog post... I haven't had the opportunity to say how proud I am to be a part of such a great group of people. Each and everyone of you have so much to offer and I want to thank you for sharing.

Last semester, I had the honor of building a new garden at Patterson Elementary. The kids and I had so much fun building the foundation of a humble garden that will be teaching us so much for years to come. Above are some picture of the day we began the garden.

I'm so excited and can't wait to get back and begin planting with the kids. This year I'm hoping to learn something from all of you. I will also be check this blog more often and add entrees.

I wish everyone a great year full of enlightenment and health. Hope to see all of you soon.

Peace

Pickled Beets

I adapted this recipe from one I found my Ball Blue Book of Preserving (p85) "Spicy Pickled Beets"

Ingredients:
4 lbs Beets 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter (or you can cut them down to size in slices or chunks)
3 cups thinly sliced onions (optional)
2 cups sugar (or less if you like)
3 sticks cinnamon, broken
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon whole allspice (1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon whole cloves (1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water

Wash beets, leave 2 inches of stem and the tap root intact. Put beets in a large sauce pot and cover with water or roasting pan. Cook in pan until tender (either boiling or roasting at 350F). Drain (if boiling). Remove peel; trim ends. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add beets and cook until hot throughout. Remove cinnamon sticks (or leave in if you like). Pack hot beets into hot jars (that have been steralized) leaving 1/4 inch headspace (space between top of contents and top of jar). Ladle hot liquid over beets, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbls (slide a knife down along the sides of the jar to let the air out). Adjust lids (if processing use canning jars with 2 piece lids, otherwise you can use any jars you have collected). Either process 30 minutes in a boiling water canner or refridgerate for up to 8 weeks. Will be ready to eat in a few days.

Caution--this juice will stain so if making it with students make sure they are wearing aprons or some other covering.

Dill Pickle recipe

Ingredients:
4 lbs cucumbers (makes about 7 pints)
3 cups white or cider vinegar
3 cups water
1/3 cup pickling salt (must be pickling salt or bad things happen to your pickles)
12 peeled, sliced garlic cloves
21 peppercorns
7 dill heads or 14 tablespoons dill seed

Directions:

1. Wash cucumbers and cut into spears.
2. Combine vinegar, water and pickling salt and heat to boiling. Add garlic
3. Pack cucumbers into steralized jars.
4. Add 3 peppercorns and 2 tablespoons dill seed or 1 dill head to each jar.
5. Fill jars with the hot pickling mixture. Leaving 1/2 inch headroom (space between the top of the liquid and the top of the jar)
6. Adjust lids. If processing, place in boiling waterbath for 20 minutes for quarts. complete seals if necessary If not processing place in refridgerator, will keep for up to 8 weeks.