Leeks

Why did our leeks take SO long to grow? It's been months! I think we may have planted them at the wrong time, but they are a winter vegetable.... I should have had a better look at the seed packet, and harvesting time etc. I'm going to make some potato and leek soup : - )

Cabbages

It's been a long time between blogs, but look what we harvested at the beginning of October! Pretty impressive isn't it! Room 19 made coleslaw with one of the cabbages. They added grated carrot and apple, and parsley from the garden, as well as a mayonnaise dressing. The majority of the class thought it was yummy. Some children tried it, when they wouldn't have tried it at home. That's what it's all about : - )

Twenty Minute Carrot Soup

5 cups sliced carrots
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt/pepper to taste

Steam or boil the carrots until tender. Drain, and put them in a pot with the vegetable stock and ginger. Heat over medium heat until warm. Use a stick blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.

So easy! Enjoy : - )

Cooking Day!

Wow! What a great morning we had! First we went into the garden and each pulled up a carrot. We were very impressed with how big some of them were. We had more than enough for our two recipes, and there are a lot still left in the garden. We spent the whole morning in the kitchen, first making carrot soup, and then savoury carrot and cheese muffins. Most of us agreed that it was a delicious lunch. We had the muffins with parsley butter, using the parsley from our garden. The soup was really yummy, thanks to our lovely fresh carrots (recipe to follow).
Many thanks to our patient French chef Odile, and also Shaun for helping us out : - )

Winter Vegies

In May we planted some broccoli and cabbage. After being left to fend for themselves for a couple of months, they are looking good. I thought I would make coleslaw with the cabbage, but I'm wondering what would be the best way to present the broccoli to the children, so that they will like it. Any ideas?

Carrots

Our carrots are ready to harvest! 

On Friday we have a French guest coming in to do some cooking with Room 19.

Exciting!! I wonder what's on the menu........

Snow Peas

After neglecting our garden for a little while over winter, the snow peas are now tied to their stakes, and are doing really well. I picked a handful for the children in Room 19 to try. The verdict...... all the children, with the exception of one, said they were "delicious and crunchy." Having sampled some myself, I have to agree : - )

Harvest

Look at our vegetables!

Seedlings

In February we planted raddish, bok choy, and red spring onion seeds. They took a bit of looking after! We left them inside the office window for warmth, until they got big enough to plant out.

Katydid

We had a visitor in our garden. Its leaf-like body was excellent camouflage against our strawberry plants. The katydid, or bush cricket, as it commonly called, is a member of the Tettigoniidae family. Crickets, grasshoppers and weta are in the same family. They have an earhole on their front legs, just below the elbow. Some katydids have antannae 2-3 times the length of their bodies. These help them to navigate in the dark.

Bumper Crop

Our first harvest was amazing! 

We had a bumper crop of beans, 

and it was hard to keep 

up with the picking.

Welcome to Pinehill School's Edible Garden

Our school garden was established in 2013 by Dana Smith and Shaun Weston, with the idea that students could actively take part in caring for, and contributing to, the upkeep of the garden. We also hoped that the garden would encourage the students to try new vegetables (especially ones they had grown themselves), in order to promote healthy eating.
Our lovely scarecrow was made by Jo Seaman, and has weathered quite a few storms so far with only minor repairs.