With the abundance of fresh food this time of year, we have enjoyed bringing new flavors and food experiences to the children. In the last 2 weeks we have shared the following snacks:
Squash Gnocchi with sage butter and fried sage leaves
Pureed Squash waffles regular and gluten free
Spinach saag with cream cheese
Pumpkin bread
Roasted pumpkin seeds
Raw cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots served with hummus
Fresh apples, pears, cantaloupe
Cereal with milk
Pumpkin muffins
Smoothie – fresh squeezed apple juice, Greek yogurt with honey, frozen bananas and strawberries, fresh mango and blueberries.
We had a grandparent donate 17 large winter squash to the school, which were a hybrid that self seeded in her garden. The children had a naming game, to name the new variety of squash and then we cooked a few in our oven. The children scooped out the flesh from the roasted squash, sorted through the pulp to remove the seeds to be roasted, and then used the food processor to puree the roasted flesh. The puree was then used to make pumpkin muffins and bread, as well as being added to the waffle batter to make squash waffles. The children drew out the recipes and then helped make the batter: breaking the eggs, measuring the ingredients, and whisking the batter until smooth. We made both regular and gluten free versions so all of the children (and teachers) could enjoy them. We used a waffle maker that was donated to the school from Adele at Breville, and the children watched as the timer counted down and counted along with it waiting for them to be cooked. Lessons in nutrition and hygiene are always paired with any cooking adventure.