The cold weather on Monday begged for a warm, cozy recipe and our 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread Biscuits fit that bill perfectly.  This class focused on the American South and foods that the Native Americans cooked with.  I talked about the Three Sisters: corn, squash, and beans which work together in symbiosis both in the body and in the garden.  The Native Americans would plant the Three Sisters together since the corn stalk serves as a "bean pole" for the beans to climb up, the beans replenish the soil with nitrogen creating a natural fertilizer, and the squash provides ground cover keeping the soil moist for the corn and beans.  When the three sisters are eaten together, they also offer a complete meal and a complete protein.  

The kids honed their measuring skills making the Cornbread Biscuits and learned how to read the list ingredients and differentiate between a tablespoon and a teaspoon.  Putting the sticky globs of dough onto the baking sheet was very "yucky" and fun.  The biscuits were sprinkled with cheddar cheese and popped in the oven for a mere 12 minutes.  The kids developed their knife skills further while cutting the mushrooms, bell pepper, and zucchini for the chili.  There were lots of cans to open for the beans and tomatoes; we emphasized how the sharp lid of the can should never be touched and always handed to an adult after opening.  As a group, we all read the directions for the chili to determine what steps were involved in cooking the chili.  

The chili was served up with shredded cheese, cilantro, and a cornbread biscuit on top which, when crumbled into the chili, absorbed all the delicious flavors of the chili.

Enjoy these yummy recipes!

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili Ingredients:

olive oil, enough to coat bottom of pot

1 onion, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 zucchinis, cut into half circles

10 mushrooms, quartered

6 cloves garlic, diced or chopped

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 bag frozen corn

3 cans of different beans, strained and rinsed

3 cans crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce, to taste (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

cilantro and cheddar cheese to garnish

1.    Heat a large pot on medium heat and add enough olive oil to to coat the bottom of the pot.  Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

2.    Add the bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until the veggies have softened up a bit.  When the pot gets a bit dry, add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.


3.    Add corn, beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, adobo sauce and salt.  Simmer for 10 minutes and ladle into bowls with cilantro and cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.


Cornmeal Biscuits Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup fine-grind cornmeal

1 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose

    flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.    Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.    In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.    Using your fingertips, rub the cubed, chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

4.    Add milk and stir until evenly moistened. Using 1/4 cup dough for each biscuit, drop biscuits onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

5.    Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Check after 12 minutes to see if done. Cool slightly and serve warm.

Makes 12 biscuits.

We kicked off our Chefs Around The World class last Monday by traveling to Greece and making a delicious hummus that was green due to the added parsley and cilantro.  The kids had fun cutting cucumbers into small sections and then using a spoon to scoop out some of the seeds to make little cups for the hummus.  They looked like real chefs as they garnished the hummus-filled cucumber cups with a sprig of parsley and a sprinkle of paprika!  We had fun peeling carrots, cutting bell peppers, and warming up pita bread to eat with the hummus.  For dessert we enjoyed Greek yogurt sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.  When I announced we were using a pomegranate in the class there were endless squeals of excitement.  

I'm looking forward to rest of the semester, we have lots of fun recipes ahead!  



Hummus in Cucumber Cups

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 can garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini
1 cup parsley leaves
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 clove of garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
4 cucumbers, peeled


DIRECTIONS:
 
1.   Add all of the ingredients, except for the water, to a food processor and pulse until mixture is well blended and smooth.

2.   Slowly drizzle in the water while the food processor is running until the desired consistency is reached.  You may need to use a bit more or a bit less water. 

3.   To make the cucumber cups, cut the cucumbers into 1 1/2 inch segments.  Using a spoon, scoop out some of the seeds being careful not to scoop a hole in the bottom.  

4.   Spoon some hummus into the cucumber cups and garnish with a sprig of parsley and a pinch of paprika! 

A great and energized class today while we made tapas.  We made 3 types of tapas - tortillas españolas, pimientos rellenos and sautéed greens and white beans on toast with shaved Manchego cheese.  The kids worked with great focus and delightful energy.  After lightly frying the petit peppers, the kids filled them with soft goat cheese, herbs and lemon zest.  Then, we popped them in the oven for about 15 minutes until they were warmed through and the cheese melted somewhat.

The tortilla required that the kids chop lots of potatoes and onions.  We first cooked those stove-top.  Once tender, we mixed them with the egg mixture.  We cooked stove top until the bottom set.  Once set, we popped the whole pan in the oven and baked until golden.  You can also flip the tortilla and cook it all stove top but the way we did it in class is a bit safer and will guarantee that your tortilla doesn't end up on your kitchen floor.

Finally, the little toasts topped with Swiss chard and white beans were yummy.  The kids made an aioli to spread on the toast before spooning the greens and bean on top.  A quick drizzle of olive oil and a bit of shaved Manchego finished up the dish.

Sprouts kicked off 2012 with a private chef’s table dinner at the Slanted Door in San Francisco. Head chef Justine Kelly and sous chef Victor Harvey dazzled guests with a decadent 11-course Vietnamese feast and wine pairings from Slanted Door manager, Mayra. Before the dinner, Mayra trained some of the young chefs who had just taken Justine’s grilling class to serve the meal; they learned how to set the table, how to serve and clear plates, how to properly fill a water glass, and familiarized themselves with the menu so they could describe the dishes to guests. Dinner began with an appetizer course of classic shrimp and pork spring rolls, crunchy vegetarian imperial rolls, and crispy duck confit salad. During the appetizers, Sprouts’ founder and director, Karen Rogers, shared some exciting updates with our guests, including Sprouts' new partnership with Jamie Oliver, her upcoming trip to London to work with his team, and our latest nominated for the America Inspired competition because of our culinary classes with emotionally troubled youth. 

After the good news, the guests were served wonton soup to whet their appetite once more, and then dazzled by steaming platters of Prather Ranch ribeye, Chue Farm baby box choy, and Hodo Soy organic tofu. Dinner guests bravely continued to enjoy a five-spice organic pastured chicken, Rodoni Farm Brussels sprouts, and yuba “noodles” with pioppini mushrooms and escarole. The menu focused on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to give diners a taste of the variety that Vietnamese cuisine offers. The evening also featured a silent auction for a private brunch with Tartine chef Laurie Ellen. Jacek Kozubek won, with a final bid/donation of $800.  The intimate, family-style dinner was a celebration of some of the best chefs and ingredients the Bay Area has to offer, as well as of Sprouts’ continued commitment to supporting young chefs and food education for kids. 

Thanks for supporting us and we hope to see you at our next Sprouts event!


Cheers,

Karen + Daisy

A box bursting with arugula was donated to the Sprouts class on Tuesday, and our students quickly made use of its’ versatility. Along with our regular farm box the students incorporated the arugula into a tasty salad with homemade croutons and parmesan, an orzo mushroom and cheddar dish, and also into a pesto for mini pizzas.  Demonstrating their impromptu cooking skills, the students also used some leftover pesto for a salad vinaigrette.  Other dressings concocted for our bountiful salads were a spicy honey mustard and a creamy blue cheese.  The lunch was also complimented with a cabbage stir-fry sautéed with onions, garlic, and chopped almonds served over white rice.   A quick and dirty marinating technique was also demonstrated with a kale salad.  Students used their hands to massage sesame oil, rice vinegar, and tamari converting crunchy kale into a tender and scrumptious Asian salad.  As usual, the Hub workers had a flurry of questions for how these young cooks produced such a delightful lunch!

Hello!

Today for our last class of the semester, your young chefs learned how to make empanadas!  While many of them had a hard time pronouncing the name, the technique was very similar to our apple hand pies.  Instead of filling the dough with apples, we went the savory route, and the young cooks were able to be creative with their fillings!  

Empanadas are a dish that you can find in many latin countries - each has their own distinct flavor and fillings!  Eaten as an appetizer or a snack, empanadas are half-moon shaped pastries.  While traditionally, empanadas are fried, we baked ours to keep the snack healthy.  

The class began with a group reading of the recipe and a short demo on how to mix the dough.  Working in pairs, the chefs carefully followed the recipe, very entertained with the dough sticking to their hands.  Once the dough was formed into a ball, we allowed the dough to rest wrapped in plastic wrap for ten minutes.  

The next step is to prepare the filling!  Traditionally, you would stew together ground meat with raisins and spices.  Today we kept all the ingredients separate, so that the kiddos could be creative with their fillings.  There were cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, ground turkey, black beans, cilantro, sauteed onions, and sliced green onions to choose from.  The key to filling the empanadas is to have a light hand on the amount you put in each pastry. While some children were a little overzealous with their filling, they quickly realized that you can't seal the edge if there is too much inside!  

Once all the empanadas were made, their edges crimped with a fork, we baked them in the oven and patiently waited for them to turn golden brown.  Once they are out of the oven, don't be tempted to jump in and take a bite - the insides are like molten lava! 

I really enjoyed cooking with your kids this semester, I hope that they continue to practice their culinary skills!  

Happy cooking!

Empanadas Recipe
Recipe adapted slightly from cooks.com

Shell:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tbsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup ice water
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut the shortening into the flour as though you were making a pie crust by working it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
 
Sprinkle dough with just enough ice water so that it will just hold together. Knead together briefly and allow to rest, covered about 10 minutes.
 
Roll dough out on a lightly floured board to circles about 3-4 inches in diameter.
 
Place a spoonful of empanada filling of your choice on one side of the circle. Moisten the edges of the circle with a small amount of water and fold the dough over the filling to make a half circle. Press the edges together to seal.
 
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

*While we did not prepare this filling, here is a more traditional filling that is very delicious!

Filling:
1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tomatoes, peeled
2 cups cooked beef, chopped
1/2 cup beef stock
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp vinegar
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Saute onions and garlic in hot oil until translucent.
Add meat, sauté 5 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes, stock and remaining ingredients.
 
Simmer 30 minutes

Sprouts students rang in the first Out of the Box lunch of 2012 with a beautiful spread of pasta, salads, quinoa, and brown rice, all intermixed with lots of fresh winter vegetables from their weekly CSA farm box.  Learning how to make a pasta sauce from scratch, as well as properly cut an onion were the focuses of this class. Tears were shed, but these kids proved to be onion chopping machines. The Italian salad consisting of polenta croutons, onions, mozzarella, and shredded basil with a balsamic thyme dressing, along with the penne pasta tossed with homemade tomato sauce and sautéed cauliflower were the hits of the day. Buon appetito, indeed!

The Out of the Box chefs turned their heaping farm box into an array of colorful dishes for the Hub workers Tuesday morning.   Eight rutabagas were the challenge of the day, and these creative chefs found three ways to incorporate them into today’s meal. A quinoa dish was served with additions of roasted pumpkin, sautéed kale and rutabaga. Delicious pasta was served with sautéed mushrooms, roasted pumpkin seeds, garlic, olive oil, a bit of Dijon, honey, and parmesan.  These dishes were complimented by three crisp salads, one consisting of mandarins with a rice vinegar dressing, another featured diced rutabagas, and the last consisted of apples and shaved carrots tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.  A last minute idea brought some sushi rolls to the table, as brown rice, shaved carrots, and rutabagas were rolled around nori paper.  A fruit salad was also thrown together with leftover mandarins, apples, and strawberries in a balsamic vinegar dressing.  These young cooks never cease to impress!

Ten swift little cooks churned their box of produce into quite the palatable lunch at the Hub this Tuesday. This crew was all business today, immediately washing, chopping, slicing, and sauteing upon the farm box arrival. Dishes included 3 large crunchy salads, basil ricotta crostini's, mushroom orzo, cheesy broccoli, and fresh strawberries tossed with ricotta, cream, and honey toasted almonds.  The students got creative with their salads, one was brightened with grapefruits and tangerines, another was tossed with vinaigrette, crisp apples, cheddar cheese, and red onions, while the last disappeared in a flash due to the homemade garlic croutons, olives, and ricotta toppled over the lettuce.  As usual, many happy and hungry Hub workers came to join the kids for the meal they prepared.  The strawberry ricotta dessert was also quite the hit, and students shared the recipe with some curious Hub workers.

Today was the day that we FINALLY created our gingerbread house village!  But before we could start on the sugary construction, we first created something savory.  We began the class by talking about different ways to eat eggs.  Some eat them simply fried in a pan, some eat them in a sandwich, some scrambled.  I introduced them to a fun way to eat eggs - hint - its from Italy (we visited there a couple months ago, remember?) FRITTATAS!  Frittatas a a wonderful way to eat eggs because you can be creative with the veggies that go into it!  Today we used green beans and Swiss chard (remember to eat those greens!)  But you can use anything from potatoes to bell peppers, to spinach and mushrooms!  We started by reading the recipe as a group, to see what we needed to do - keeping track of time so that we don't miss out on assembling our ginger breads!  We began chopping the green beans, washing and chopping the greens.  Those went into a saute pan with some olive oil and salt.  While the veggies were sauteing, a group of boys began grating the cheese, and another group cracked eggs into a bowl.  Half the cheese was added to the bowl and it went straight into the perfectly al dente veggies (you don't want to overcook them!  They finish in the oven.)  With a little sprinkling of cheese, this frittata was ready to pop in the oven - and cook for 15 minutes while the kids quickly cleaned up the work space to make room for our gingerbread houses!

With a little help from our neighboring architecture class, we came together to assemble each carefully cut gingerbread cookie.  Our icing perhaps wasn't strong enough - or it could have been that the gingerbread village was on the North Pole fault line - our gingerbread houses suffered some structural damage and did not want to stay upright!  Don't worry, there was plenty of landscaping and icing stealing to be done!  Either way - we all had fun decorating our gingerbread!

We finished the class by sampling out frittatas - and admiring our gingerbread village.  A great way to end the day!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday break - filled with lots of warm food and treats!  

Take care, and see you next year!

Of course, the recipes: 
Frittata
 
Ingredients:
8-10 eggs
2-3 cups assorted veggies and herbs
½ cup grated cheese
2 Tablespoons water
1.5 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
 
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375.  Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk just to blend.
Wash and roughly chop the vegetables and herbs.  Add ¼ cup of the cheese (half), the water, the salt and pepper to the eggs, stir to blend. 
 
In a large pan, heat the olive oil to medium heat.  Add the vegetables and herbs and cook until they are tender – but not completely cooked.  Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and herbs, stir to blend.  Heat until the eggs are half cooked.  DO NOT OVERCOOK as the frittata will finish cooking in the oven. 
 
With the back of a spoon, smooth the top of the frittata and top with the remaining cheese.  Transfer the skillet to a preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the frittata is puffy and golden brown.  Remove the frittata from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges, like a pie.