Fall Cooking & Gardening

YMCA Cooking Class

Participants helping prepare an end-of-summer meal.

Grow La Crosse leads cooking classes for teens at the Teen Center at the YMCA.  Cooking seasonally has been a big focus of this class.  Program Director Josh uses vegetables when they are ready in the gardens.  Some of the recent menu items have been:

Pan Fried Fish, Baked Acorn Squash  

Chili & Cornbread

Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Green Beans & Brats

We hope to come out with a recipe book in the future.  It’s nice to have local and seasonal recipes on hand.

Using fresh corn-on-the-cob in August during the cooking class.

Enjoying the food after helping with the preparation.

Frost and colder temperatures

Frost on oregano in the State Road school garden.

Vegetables, herbs and Perennials 

It’s starting to frost.  It’s time to cover crops to see if you can extend the season or start preparing beds for the winter.

Here are some tips.  This site includes what to do with herbs and some perennials.  More here.

Wildflower Planting

Also, is fall the best time to plant wildflowers?  Some say it is.  If you have a spot you want to do wildflowers in next year, you might give this a try.

Recap on Apple Coleslaw

Executive Director Anne Seehafer helps students squeeze lemons, shred cabbage and cut apples for the taste test. Students got hands-on experience preparing coleslaw.

At the beginning of the taste tests at State Road Elementary School, only 42% of students said they liked coleslaw.  After they helped us prepare the apple coleslaw, almost every student tried the coleslaw.  We had multiple classes that had a long line for a second helping.  “Can we have 3rds?” was a comment we were pleased to hear.

Comments from the taste tests:

• This is the best thing I ever tried.
• This is the best thing in the world!
• Can you make this again?
• Can we have 3rds?
• Remember to give me recipe.

Here is a link to the Apple Coleslaw Recipe.