There is no snow on the ground in Berkeley around the winter holidays, but that does not mean that here at the Edible Schoolyard we don’t celebrate the changing of the seasons. This week we had our annual holiday wreath making party, guided by Wendy Johnson, who has been our advisor and mentor since the Edible Schoolyard’s inception in 1995. Wendy is a fabulous teacher and everybody loves to learn with her. She brought heath, California bay laurel, eucalyptus, Douglas fir, redwood, and pine, from Muir Beach, California, where she lives. Here at the Edible Schoolyard, we collected rosemary, olive, Grecian bay, catoneaster, and ivy to use as well.
When all the students arrived after school they were given a basket, and instructed to collect their materials. The choices were nicely scattered across our oversized picnic table beside the garden, and without any arranging, made a beautiful display. After we all assumed our indoor positions, Wendy told us about the basic techniques we could choose from to form our holiday wreaths. Each wreath maker was given a metal circle which would serve as the frame, and then we were to put together small bunches of greenery, and wrap wire cord around it and the frame to attach it. We were instructed to repeat this process until the completion, and then she showed us a tricky method to finish off our masterpieces.
The staff made them too, but I think the students wreaths looked the most beautiful. They used lots of color and texture, and were not afraid to go big. I was suprised how easy it was under Wendy’s guidance, and with such beautiful materials. I am already looking forward to the next change of season so we can make spring wreaths.
Wendy helping one of the students wrap her wreath
One of the wreaths half finished
Some of the materials we had to choose from
One of our students beautiful completed holiday wreath
Another gorgeous final product
A Trip to Spain
Though it was hard for all of us to come back on Monday from a relaxing, two-week winter break, we had a new grade level waiting for us in the kitchen upon our return. 7th graders bring a different kind of energy to the classroom, and Esther and I can only marvel at how many inches they’ve all grown since the last school year. For their first class back, the students are making a black-eyed peas dish from Ghana that includes red onion, coconut milk, greens from the garden, and at least ten different spices.
On Thursday, we weren’t able to see our regular 7th grade students due to a writing assessment and instead went on holiday in Spain hosting two Spanish classes, one specifically designed for native speakers. Though a standard kitchen class has the students broken up into three tables with each table preparing the same dish, this time each table made its own tapas recipe and prepared enough food for the entire class.
My table made a refreshing salad of sliced avocados, supremed red grapefruit, grapefruit-balsamic-mint dressing, and toasted pepitas. Esther’s table prepared patatas bravas by roasting red fingerling potatoes and made fresh aioli with eggs from our chickens by hand. Many students couldn’t believe it when they learned that mayonnaise was as simple as an egg yolk and olive oil and loved the deep color of the aioli as compared to a store-bought product.
Mr. Geiken, the Spanish teacher, led his group in shelling and then frying almonds and marinating olives (picked in the ESY garden and brined by students in November) with thyme, marjoram, garlic, and citrus zest. Everyone delighted in the variety of dishes we had to enjoy, learned new vocabulary (almendras, toronja, aderezo), and engaged in heated discussions about which plate was the tastiest.
Making grapefruit supremes
The finished salad
Almonds in their shell
Shelling the almonds in the mortar and pestle
Almonds transformed!