SUPERFOODS!

We have completed the first lesson on companion planting and are quickly onto the taste-testing lesson.  Children will be learning about superfoods and how they can turn us into super heroes with their various health benefits.  Children will also be taste testing kale chips and arugula pesto dip.

Yes! Kale is a superfood.  Kale packs more nutrients in 1 cup than practically any other food.  In one cup of kale there is 14% of your daily calcium, 659% of your daily vitamin A, about 900% of your daily vitamin K and contains more iron than beef per calorie!  Are you curious about trying these two new foods as well?  Here are the recipes!

Board Member Abigail Stockham becomes Superhero Kale to help present the health benefits of leafy greens.

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

Kale
Olive oil
Salt

Directions:

Break the kale into bite size pieces and place on cooking sheet.  Gently drip olive oil over the kale pieces and sprinkle salt over them as well.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Arugula Pesto Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
½ cup of almonds (we left this out at school due to nut allergies)
½ cup of fresh Parmesan cheese
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1) Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.

2) Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.

3) Combine the arugula, salt, almonds, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Garden Updates

With the arrival of spring, the past month has been busy!

The seeds are now up and growing both on the plant carts in the school buildings and in the hoop house at State Road. The kids have planted a variety of sprouts including beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes, ground cherries, basil, cabbage, Swiss chard, cucumbers, kale, nasturtium, and marigolds. They have already been able to see some growth in the hoop house.

Once the plants on the carts inside are ready, the kids will help transplant them outdoors to the gardens!

Coop Classes

Saturday, April 30th –  10am-11:30am

Ana Skemp teaches children to Eat a Rainbow!
Saturday, June 4 from 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Sign up through the People’s Food Coop

http://www.pfc.coop/calendar/event/eat-the-rainbow-pfc-class-for-kidsla-crosse/

Plant Sale

The Plant Sale is next week!

Check out the details: http://growlacrosse.org/plantsale/