Spoons Across America: March 2010

Friday, March 19, 2010

PS 205Q: The Alexander Graham Bell School Celebtrates NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010 and SPOONS Makes a School Visit!!

On Thursday, March 18, 2010 I had the wonderful opportunity to join in the NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010 celebrations with three participating second grade classrooms at PS 205Q in Bayside, Queens. With one day left of NY Agriculture Literacy Week, PS 205Q was still celebrating- full swing! I had so much fun and couldn't believe what all of the second graders had learned throughout the week! They knew so much about apples and couldn't wait to taste three different types of apples during the special apple tasting led by Program Leader and Science Teacher Ms. Bosi and the three participating teachers, Ms. Chin, Ms. Gartner, and Ms. Tsimis!

Here is a little bit about how each classroom celebrated on Thursday:

When I entered Ms. Chin's classroom, the first thing that I saw was a long row of bulletin boards covered with apple facts, an apple web, a list of apple sayings, and apple vocabulary words. All of the students wanted to tell me all about what they learned throughout the week, but couldn't wait to taste the three types of apples that Ms. Bosi brought into the classroom. After reading Apples and How They Grow by Laura Driscoll, tasting the Fuji, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith Apples, the students in Ms. Chin's class made apple prints by dipping apple slices in paint colors corresponding to the color of the apple they were using. They then folded their paintings in half in order to show and learn about symmetry! Here is Deanna's apple print:

Ms. Gartner's students were all so knowledgeable about the different parts of apples and became experienced taste-testers, nibble by nibble. During the apple tasting they made great observations about the skin, the flesh, the seeds, and some students even got a piece of the core! After each student tasted each of the three apple choices and took his/her own notes, the class voted to determine the favorite class apple. Granny Smith apples won the vote followed by Fuji and finally Golden Delicious apples which only got one vote. Here is a picture captured of Ms. Gartner's students experienced taste-testers in action:

When I walked into my last classroom for the day, Ms. Tsimis's class, I met 11 student-scientists all ready to make scientific observations and participate in a detailed observation-based apple tasting. Ms. Tsimis's students made picture graphs to determine their classmates favorite kind of apple. Here is a picture of Andrew, with his picture graph who found Fuji apples to be his classmates overall favorite:

Thank you PS 205Q Principal Ms. Scott-Piazza, Science Teacher and Program Leader Ms. Bosi, and Second Grade Teachers, Ms. Chin, Ms. Gartner, and Ms. Tsimis. Also, a very special Thank You to all second grade students at PS 205Q for inviting me to celebrate with you!

-Alix
Spoons Across America - Volunteer Coordinator
NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010 Program Coordinator

Monday, March 15, 2010

It's time to celebrate NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010!

March 15-19 is NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010. Spoons Across America is the county coordinator for NY Agriculture Literacy Week, which is brought to us through Cornell Agriculture in the Classroom and Cornell Agriculture Outreach and Education. In collaboration with Cornell's Agriculture in the Classroom, Cornell's Outreach and Education, The Pearson Foundation and Penguin Publishing, and New York City College of Technology, Spoons Across America provides participating 2nd grade classrooms teachers throughout NYC with a Teacher Resource Guide Folder including donated copies of a story book related to agriculture and the specific food topic of the year(donated for 2010 from The Pearson Foundation and Penguin Publishing), supplemental lesson plans and activities related to the topic (provided by Cornell Agriculture in the Classroom and Cornell Agriculture Outreach and Education), and other supplemental information and fun facts to be used throughout NY Agriculture Literacy Week.

This year, Spoons Across America is following an Apple theme. The chosen book for the year is Apples and How They Grow by Laura Driscoll.

Fifteen schools throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx will be participating this year!

Here is a great, hearty, rustic vegetarian sandwich recipe from Chef Bobo's Good Food Cookbook to help you celebrate NY agriculture and APPLES:

Cheddar Cheese and Apple with Watercress- 6 Servings

Ingredients:
Fresh lemon juice
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, and thinly sliced
2 loaves unsliced French bread, halved lengthwise and toasted
6 to 8 slices cheddar cheese
1 bunch watercress
1 recipe Tarragon Mayonnaise

Steps:
1. Sprinkle a little lemon juice over the apple slices and toss them together (The lemon juice will keep the apples from oxidizing and turning brown.)
2. Preheat the broiler. On the bottom half of each toasted bread loaf, pile on the sliced apples. Top with cheese. Broil until the cheese melts. Remove from broiler and top with watercress.
3. Spread some of the Tarragon Mayonnaise on the top half of each toasted bread loaf. Place on the sandwich, mayonnaise side down. To serve, cut each sandwich into 3 pieces

Tarragon Mayonnaise
Combine 1 cup light mayonnaise dressing and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon. Let stand for a few minutes to let the flavors develop

After you try out this recipe…let us know how you like it by posting on our Facebook wall or emailing us at info@spoonsacrossamerica.org!

Be sure to check back for NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010 updates throughout the week!

Have a healthy and delicious NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010! To celebrate along with Spoons make apples your fruit choice of the week.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chef Bobo's Tomato, Garlic, and Oregano Crostini

1 loaf unsliced crusty Italian bread or baguette-style French bread, cut diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices
¼ cup olive oil or olive oil-flavored nonstick cooking spray
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Beefsteak tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ cup chopped fresh oregano
1 chopped Beefsteak tomato

1. Preheat the over to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper foil.

2. Arrange bread on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush bread with a little olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the bread.

3. Bake, turning once, until crisp and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, Rub each piece of toasted bread with garlic, then rub with a cut side of a tomato. Sprinkle with oregano and chopped tomatoes.

Seasonal Suggestion: During tomato season you can often find different tomatoes of different varieties, colors, and sizes. Experiment with the flavors of yellow cherry tomatoes, heirloom varieties, sweet 100s and others.

Makes: 18 crostini

Recipe from "Chef Bobo's Good Food Cookbook" by Robert Surles

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chef Bobo's Carrot and Ginger Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cut chopped shallots
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar or regular sugar
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Drizzle the oil in a heavy 3-quart soup pot and swirl it around until the oil coast the entire surface. Heat over high heat until hot.

2. Add the onion, shallots, bay leaves, and garlic. Cook and stir until tender, but not brown.

3. Add the carrots, fresh ginger, salt, sugar, and pepper. Stir in the vegetable stock. Bring to a bowl. Reduce heat to simmering and cook until carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove soup pot from heat. Cool for 15 minutes.

4. Ladle soup into a blender a little at a time and blend in small batches until pureed. (Be very careful because hot liquids in a blender can be explosive when you turn on the blender.) Once all the soup is blended, return soup to pot. Or use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the soup pot.

5. Serve hot or chill and serve cold. Top each serving with a sprinkling of ground ginger.

Makes 4-6 Servings
Recipe from "Chef Bobo's Good Food Cookbook" by Robert Surles

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chef Bobo's Vegetarian Summer Rolls

1 seedless cucumber
12 10-inch round rice papers*
1 bunch fresh basil
1 bunch fresh mint
1 ½ cups cooked rice
1 ½ cups shredded carrot
1 2/3 cups shredded daikon **
2 cups hoisin sauce

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, then cut each quarter into 3 long pieces. Trim to 4-inch lengths.

Fill a bowl with very hot water and lay out a large cotton towel or napkin that has been sprinkled with water. Place 1 rice paper in the hot water and let it soften for 15 seconds or so, until it is flexible and nearly transparent. Lay it on the towel. Working in the center of the rice paper, place 2 basil leaves and 2 mint leaves, then top with 2 tablespoons of rice, pressing down slightly. Add about 1 tablespoon shredded carrot, 1 tablespoon shredded daikon, and 1 piece of cucumber. Top with 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce.

To wrap the summer roll, fold 2 sides of rice paper over filling, then roll into an egg roll shape. Serve the remaining hoisin sauce on the side for dipping.

*Note: Rice papers can be found at Asian groceries or specialty food stores. They are about 10 inches in diameter and are translucent, papery, and made from rice flour. In order to use the rice papers, they need to be soaked in hot water, but don’t leave them soaking in the water for too long or they get gummy. They are very sticky and need to be placed on cotton towels that have been sprinkled lightly with water.

** Note: Daikon is a long white Asian radish. If you can’t find these at your local market or farm, you can substitute with regular red radishes.

Seasonal Suggestion: Add or substitute vegetables depending on what is in season and/or available at your local market, farm or farmers market. Try chives, sautéed mushrooms, sprouts, red peppers, etc. Be careful not to add too much to the rolls, or the rice papers will rip and fall apart.

Makes: 12 Summer Rolls
Recipe from "Chef Bobo's Good Food Cookbook" by Robert Surles

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: 4th of July Berries and Cream

Spoons Across America founder, Julia Jordan, shares her recipe for a simple taste of summer. She recommends that you "sit back; enjoy the lush creamy texture and the bursts of berry flavors. It’s as close to perfection as summer gets."

4 Cups Market Fresh Berries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
1/3 Cup Sugar – optional
1 Cup Heavy or Whipping Cream from your local dairy
1 teaspoon Vanilla – optional
1 Tablespoon Confectioners or superfine sugar – optional
1 bunch Mint or Verbena or Lemon Thyme Leave

Lightly rinse berries. Drain.
Reserve 1 cup berries for garnish.
Toss remaining berries with sugar. Set aside.
Whisk heavy cream, until soft peaks form*. (7-10 minutes)
Fold vanilla and/or sugar into the whipped cream, optional.

Place berries in individual parfaits or glass bowls. Top with whipped cream or alternate layers of berries and cream.
Garnish with whole berries and sprigs of mint.

*Note: Place stainless steel mixing bowl and whisk in freezer, or whisk cream over a double boiler filled with ice water.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Radishes

This was one of our first Greenmarket dinners of the season! We enjoyed this fresh side dish with fresh lamb sausage from the Greenmarket and bread from our local bakery. It also goes well with grilled chicken or fish, or add shrimp or scallops for a complete main course!

1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. Sugar Snap Peas (trimmed)
1 bunch radishes (thinly sliced)
1 tsp. fresh mint (minced)
1 tsp. fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter in a medium sauté pan. Add peas and cook for 3-4 minutes, until heated through and tender, but still slightly crispy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the radishes and sauté until warm (1-2 minutes). Add mint and chives and toss to coat.

Serves: 4-6

Friday, March 19, 2010

PS 205Q: The Alexander Graham Bell School Celebtrates NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010 and SPOONS Makes a School Visit!!

Monday, March 15, 2010

It's time to celebrate NY Agriculture Literacy Week 2010!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chef Bobo's Tomato, Garlic, and Oregano Crostini

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chef Bobo's Carrot and Ginger Soup

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Chef Bobo's Vegetarian Summer Rolls

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: 4th of July Berries and Cream

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas with Radishes

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