Growing Together: Open Forum

Hi Everyone!

We are working on providing resources to school gardeners in our region (North Texas) and would like to share some simple recipes or ideas for incorporating tastings into their lessons. 

If you all have any resources or can share what you all do, we would love it!

*Sadly in Texas, it is difficult to incorporate garden food into public school cafeterias, so we need super simple ideas.

Thankful for your input and help! Happy Gardening!

Kim

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Kim Aman
Grow Garden Grow
Dallas TX
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Hi Kim!

I am not sure how much these things transfer over to you, but... Our garden can't really use fires or flames so we try to introduce concepts. The garden curriculum does an edible flower salad, we do a lesson on store bought versus homegrown, where we just sample the individual veggies with nothing but a dip. We make lavender lemonade, mint lemonade, sun tea, etc. We dehydrate our own herbs and they can take them home to cook with them with family! Having the veggies with dips helps! 

That's what I could think of to suggest! Hope it helps 

KJ

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Kalie Johnson
Fostering Hope Ohio
OH
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Hi Kim,

If they are growing herbs in their gardens, there are all sorts of easy herb dips and salad dressings they could make and then serve with other veggies or salad. These are some of the recipes we used, but they can probably be simplified even more:

Herb Dip

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill fronds

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

• 1 tablespoon thinly-sliced fresh basil leaves

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Could substitute other herbs as well!

• Serving options: fresh vegetables, pita bread, chips, or crackers

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite fresh vegetables, pita bread, chips or crackers.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Mayonnaise

• ¼ Cup Greek yogurt

• 2 teaspoons Chives

• ½ teaspoon Dill

• ½ teaspoon Parsley

• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

• ½ teaspoon Onion Powder

• ¼ teaspoon Salt

• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

• ¾ Cup Buttermilk, or regular whole milk

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and all of the seasonings.

2. Whisk in the buttermilk or milk until smooth.

3. Serve this dressing immediately, or for best flavor chill for 2 hours before serving.

Here are a few other simple recipes we love:

Garden Wrap

Ingredients

• 1 tortilla

• Cream cheese or hummus

• Herbs

• Microgreens

• Any other veggies you'd like!

Instructions

1. Spread tortilla with cream cheese or hummus

2. Sprinkle on herbs 

3. Add microgreens and other veggies

4. Wrap and enjoy!

Spring Rolls + Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• For Spring Rolls:

• Rice paper

• Vegetables for filling (carrots, cucumbers, beans, lettuce, etc.)

• Herbs for filling

• For Dipping Sauce:

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon chives, chopped

• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• ½ teaspoon white sugar

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Dip rice paper into warm water for 5 seconds.

2. Place onto plate and line up fillings on the paper.

3. Wrap it up into a roll.

4. In a small bowl, mix ingredients together for dipping sauce.

5. Dip spring roll into dipping sauce and enjoy!

Hope that helps!

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Laura Aprill
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Hi Kim,

We have made homemade salsa using cilantro, parsley, and peppers that we grew (recipe below - always use a blender that I bring from home). I have also done "tea parties" with our younger students. I usually bring in cookies and then set up a table where they can come and get a cup of tea made from some of the fresh herbs we've grown - mint, lemon balm, chamomile, thyme, etc. I see someone has already posted a recipe for Ranch Dip/Dressing. I have also had kids make this and bring in some celery/carrots for them to dip.

Restaurant Style Salsa

PREP TIME:

10 Minutes

DIFFICULTY:

Easy

SERVINGS:

12 Servings

INGREDIENTS

§  1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice

§  2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)

§  1/4 cup Chopped Onion

§  1 clove Garlic, Minced

§  1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin

§  1/4 teaspoon Sugar

§  1/4 teaspoon Salt

§  1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

§  1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)

§  1/2 whole Lime Juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

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Lisa Hiteshew
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These are such great resources! Thanks to all who sent ideas our way. Y'all have been so helpful. I love this Community!

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Kim Aman
Grow Garden Grow
Dallas TX
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We too have made salsa, tea and salads with all fresh produce from our garden. The dressing we make is olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar that we made from our apples. With those apples, we've made apple sauce and apple chips! Easy snacks to make with a dehydrator and an instant pot.

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[Hope] [Sickmeier] [Designation]
[Garden Educator]
[Southern Boone Learning Garden]
[Ashland] [MO]
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Hi Kim,

Check out the Growing Minds Farm to Preschool Toolkit. You can download a fabulous book that includes lots of great recipes and lesson ideas. It's good for all ages and not just preschool.

Lara Guerra

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[Lara] [Guerra]
[Science Teacher]
[The Hockaday School]
[Dallas] [Texas]
[lguerra@hockaday.org]
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Hi Kim,

Everyone has shared such great info - love this community!

We at City Blossoms regularly cook with youth in our gardens and classrooms and have come up with bilingual, shareable resources and a wide array of kid-tested and kid-approved, recipes that are simple and adaptable. We designed the City Blossoms Cooking Box that has everything you need, from kid-friendly tools to pantry staples, to easily make a range of recipes with a whole class; feel free to reference and share our bilingual, comprehensive guide to making one of your own. And here are three of our free bilingual recipe cards to get a taste of our favorites!

For more tried-and-true ideas, we have a whole bilingual cookbook, Garden Gastronomy, with 32 recipes available for purchase! Happy gardening and tasting!

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Jillian Fan (she/her)
Resources and Trainings Coordinator
City Blossoms
Washington, DC
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I second the  Growing Minds Farm to Preschool Toolkit. It has some GREAT  recipes. I also purchased the cookbook from Global Gardens and it is great.https://global-gardens.org/cookbook/

We make a lot of smoothies with fresh produce from the garden.

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Anne Baines
School Farm 2 Fork teacher
Acworth, GA
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