And the Beet Goes On... at The Garrison School

Chef Laurie Gershgorn from Healthy Culinary Creations kept the Garrison School's 4th graders very busy this week with two beet dishes to prepare in just one hour: A raw beet borscht and beet pasta. Each group had a copy of the recipe and worked independently on their task.

One group worked on the raw beet soup and chopped beets, carrots, leeks and herbs. 

Another group measured all the liquids for the soup. 

While a third group worked on the pasta dish and separated the leaves from the beets...

chopped the fresh herbs and garlic, and cut up the pre-roasted beets.

After everything was prepped and ready, Chef Laurie explained to the 4th graders that it is very important to have Mise-en-place she said (pronounced [miz on plas]). This is a French culinary term which means "everything in place," as in set-up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients before you begin to cook.

When all the prepping was complete, they all went into the kitchen and started cooking. 

The first dish they completed was the Raw Beet Borscht.

Next came the beet pasta. 

 And the final verdict: The Raw Beet Borscht – a little too garlicky. 

The Beet Pasta – Yum!

The Beet Pasta will be served for all the Garrison students on February 26th.

“A Garden for Every Child. Every Child in a Garden.”

"A Garden for Every Child. Every Child in a Garden." This is the tagline for the U.S. government's gardening program in World War I. 
Check out this interesting article on the History of School Gardens by Rose Hayden-Smith, an academic with the University of California's Agriculture and Natural Resources Division. 

It's a Party in my Mouth!

No, I'm not talking about the latest junk food craze. I'm talking about beets! At least that is what one Haldane 4th grader said after trying the beet soup his class made with the chefs from the Culinary Institute of America yesterday. 

 

Beets are the featured vegetable for January at Haldane and The Garrison School's Chef in the Classroom programs.

Last week, chefs Matt Sporer and Sarah Garcia, students and Slow Food members from the Culinary Institute of America visited Haldane's 4th and 5th graders to make a creamy beet soup with homemade croutons. 

Students donned plastic gloves before peeling and grating the dark red beets purchased from a local farmers' market. 

Others chopped onions and garlic and tore fresh sage and thyme into small pieces. 

Everyone got a chance to mix the ingredients in the saucepan. 

To finish the soup, Matt added local Hudson Valley Fresh cream and used a hand blender to puree until smooth.

While the soup was cooking, students took turns grating gruyere cheese and Chef Matt cut up a freshly baked baguette from the Apple Pie Bakery at the CIA into small slices. 

Next, the the baguette slices went in a pan and students drizzled olive oil and grated gruyere on the toasting bread.

And when it was time to try their creation, what was the response?

It's a party in my mouth!

I want to make it every day!

I'm in heaven it's so good!

These are 4th and 5th graders talking about beets!

Parents, you can't beet that!