Seed Sowing at its Finest

Hello Parents,

Did you know that last week and this week we are sowing seeds for our fall garden at the ISC?  This is probably the kids' most favorite thing to do (aside from eating the freshly harvested produce).  This year we chose a different approach and decided to pare down our vegetable variety to just five types of vegetables: kale, peas, radishes, carrots and greens. 

Half of the school planted last week before the storm came rolling in (even despite the spitting rain).  We had an intensely rapt audience!  Little hands helped make rows, plant seeds, spread soil and pat down garden beds.  Big hands (our volunteers) came in ahead of the kids to clear the beds and compost spent plants. 

As always, I personally am truly amazed at how much time our volunteers are willing to offer to this small project.  We are growing because of you, volunteers.  Thank you!

This week we will be planting on Friday morning if all goes as planned.

Here are some photos, courtesy of Liberty Kalergis.  Thanks, Liberty!

Recipe #1: Fermented Vegetables

Ok, so maybe the title doesn't sound too, too appetizing, but trust me, this is a fantastic way to preserve the harvest.  It's also healthy as the process of preserving is also known as lacto-fermenting.  Think probiotics and prebiotics all in one.  And just because they are fermented does not mean they contain alcohol.

Here are some foods that are fermented:
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Kombucha Tea
Kosher Dill Pickles
and much more!

Here's the recipe:

Fill 1 quart jar with water, and from that jar pour out 1 cup.  Heat the 1 cup of water and combine it with 2 Tablespoons pink Himalayan salt.  Stir to dissolve.  Once dissolved, add back to the quart of cool water and mix.  Fill another jar (any size needed) with fresh vegetables.  Make sure to pack them in as tightly as possible.  Pour salt water over carefully and make sure all veggies are submerged, filling a clean ziploc bag with water halfway up, sealing and placing on top of the vegetables to keep them submerged.  Loosely seal with lid and place on top of a towel to absorb any liquid that spills over.

This is a "living" food that will need to be monitored, meaning the lid will need to be loosed every few days and retightened to allow any excess gases to escape.  After 1 week the vegetables will be ready to eat.  Seal tightly and keep in a cool, dark place or in the fridge.

Fermented veggies are great on their own, but adding some onion, garlic or red pepper flakes often makes them taste even better.  Most any vegetable can be fermented, but here are some suggestions:

Cucumbers, green beans, okra, cabbage, carrots, beets, swiss chard, watermelon rinds, asparagus.

First Fall Planting Week!

On Friday of this week we will start our fall planting!  This year we will be planting the following seeds:

Red Russian Kale
Wild Lettuce/Spinach
Peas
Radishes

Right now the teachers are signing up for the their 20 minute slots beginning at 9 am and going until roughly noon.  For those interested in volunteering (or planting with your child's class) come on over on Friday.  Planting is sometimes slightly chaotic, but we've devised a method that's work well for us in our most recent plantings, so a fun time should be had by all and with a little bit of luck we'll get some seeds in the ground and grow some awesome vegetables!

9.14.15 Meeting Notes for Volunteers

Hey everyone!  Thanks to those who came to the meeting.  It was productive and a nice way to introduce new volunteers to our concept.  For those of you who couldn't make it, here's everything you need to know and we all look forward to seeing everyone in the garden soon!

The meeting began as an overview of what happened last year (planting schedules, what we planted, working with teachers, volunteer time), and then we all took it from there discussing how we could make better, more organized changes for the benefit of education, the teachers, the parents and of course, the kids.

1. I will set up a google calendar that all volunteers and faculty will get invited to so that folks can sign up for slots where they can be physically present in either the garden or the kitchen, both mornings and afternoons.

2. We decided that limiting our seed/vegetable plantings to 3-4 strong types of vegetables that fit the season would be best.  This way we could harvest more and make more in the kitchen.  Think for the fall: kale, peas, radishes and greens.

3. We discussed donations.  Many of us are either donating our own seeds and equipment or reaching out to other local businesses that could donate seeds, soil, tools, cooking ingredients, etc. to our effort.  I will post a google doc wish list that all of you can see and edit so that we can see who is donating what and what is still needed.

4. A month-to-month growth chart will be added to the blog so all can reference what grows when and what can be harvested when.  This should help with volunteer efforts if you're unsure when to step in and offer your time.

5. We will be posting recipes and nutrition information on the blog so that teachers and parents can reference this when working both with produce from the garden and other produce purchased at markets or grown at home.  This will be an invaluable resource.

6. Finally, in the next week or so all volunteers will be assigned to a season.  Go ahead and fill out your questionnaire if you haven't already.  This way we can match you in your preferred time of year.

Please comment below with questions for everyone to see or email me individually if you'd like some heftier feedback.

Thanks again to all of you amazing volunteers!  Let's grow this garden and educate our kids about healthy food!!

What's Growing August 2015

We have had quite a successful summer crop for such a modest garden.  Here's what's growing now and what will be ready soon:

Heirloom muskmelons
Heirloom watermelons
Cucumbers
Butternut squash
Acorn squash
Asparagus beans
Carrots
Beets
Swiss chard
Green beans
Okra
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Tomatillos
Bird house gourds
Pumpkins  (fingers crossed)

Edible ISC Wish List

We've got a garden outside and a kitchen to prep veggies inside.  What could be better than that? 

Well, I'm glad you asked!

We are looking for donations of the following items which will help us in teaching the kids more about the culinary aspect of growing fruits and vegetables.  Thanks to Eric and all of the faculty and staff at the ISC, we now have a beautiful cooking space located off of the Toddler classroom where all students will be able to visit with their teachers throughout the week and help to turn what we grow into easy-to-follow and delicious meals.  As mentioned in the previous post, I will be posting recipes directly to this site so that the children and staff can continue to replicate what they learn at home.  To be able to achieve this goal, I ask that you look around your house for extra (and unused) culinary tools as well as some pantry staples that we will be using throughout the year. 

Here's our current Wish List:

Tools:
Tongs
Whisks
Spoons (Wooden are best, but anything will work)
Large mixing bowls
Cutting boards
Small chefs knives and pairing knives
Towels (that can be washed and reused)
Storage containers
Plastic storage bags
Kitchen shears
Colanders or strainers
Rice cookers
Crock pots
Large pots/Stock pots
Plastic measuring cups for dry ingredients
Glass Pyrex measuring cups for wet ingredients
Tablespoon and teaspoon measures

Ingredients needed:
Apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Granulated sugar
Unbleached, all-purpose flour
Garlic powder
Himalayan Salt (pink salt)

If you could, rummage through your kitchen and get rid of items you don't need.  Next time you're at the store, maybe pick up an extra bottle of cider vinegar when it's on sale.  We appreciate your help tremendously!

School is back in session!

Summer vacations are done (for most of us!), pool passes are being put away for safe keeping and most likely some nice new indoor slippers have been purchased for what promises to be another amazing year at the ISC!

Here at the school garden we are gearing up for another strong year with an edible schoolyard that is looking to be even bigger and better than last year, our inaugural year.  With more volunteers than I know what to do with (not that I'm complaining) we are in the process of designing our 2015 Fall gardening schedule and I am working with the teachers to help design curriculum based on what will be in season when. 

In the upcoming posts, I'll be detailing what we intend to plant, what is in season now, how volunteers can help and of course, the best part of all, I'll be posting many recipes that can be used to turn what we're growing into something dinner-worthy.  If anyone would like to volunteer their time in the garden and you have not heard from me yet, please email me at lynsibel@gmail.com.

In the very near future I will be posting some Sign Up Genius pages for both staff and parents to help understand what we've got planned as far as seed sowing, plant planting and kitchen cooking goes.  This is going to be really fun and I can't wait to get back in the garden with the students.

CHANGE!  Our first Edible ISC meeting will take place on Monday, September 14th, at 7 pm @Cville Coffee.  Anyone is welcome!  Here I will lay out our annual plan and we will brainstorm ways that anyone interested can get involved.