Pico de Gallo and Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Heirloom tomatoes from Happy Boy and Fogline Farms

      October’s Harvest of the Month is tomatoes.  Students in nutrition have been observing a variety of tomatoes.  Over the last two weeks, students learned about heirloom seeds and explored giant heirloom tomatoes generously donated from Happy Boy and Fogline Farms.  For many students, it was their first time seeing giant sized and different colored tomatoes.   Students were also introduced to the nutrition knives and nutrition knife safety.  Student’s practiced their knife safety while cutting cherry tomatoes for Pico de Gallo (2^nd-4^th) and Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce (5^th).   Both recipes were huge hits with the kids.  I invite you to try the recipes at home!

  Pico De Gallo

Ingredients:

*1 basket ripe cherry tomatoes

*1/4 cups diced onion

*1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*2 padron peppers seeded and diced

*2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime

*2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*Blue corn chips for dipping

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Serve with blue corn chips.

 

Students chopping cherry tomatoes for Pico De Gallo.

Padron pepper growing in the garden.

Student enjoying Pico De Gallo with blue corn chips.

Garden Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

*4 baskets of cherry tomatoes

*1 lbs of whole-wheat pasta cooked

*12 large basil leaves

*2 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced

*1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

*1/4 cup diced onion

*1 teaspoon of salt to taste

*Parmesan cheese to taste

Preparation

1. Wash basil and tomatoes.

2. Heat oil in the skillet over medium heat.  Add in garlic and onion.  Cook for 3 minutes.

3. Remove tops of tomatoes and chop cherry tomatoes

4. Rip basil into small pieces.

5. Add in tomatoes and basil and cook for 8 minutes or until tomatoes become saucey.

6. Serve sauce over warm pasta.

7. Shred fresh Parmesan cheese on top of pasta to taste.

Chopped tomatoes and ripped basil.

Tomato sauce cooking.

The finished product!

Kabobs and Wraps

For the past two weeks in Nutrition, students have investigated My Plate, the new guide for healthy eating.  Students played a fun game to learn the food groups represented in My Plate and made snacks including all the food groups.  2^nd-4^th graders made pretzel kabobs with fruits and vegetables.  5^th graders made veggie bean wraps with a mango salsa.  Below are the recipes.

Pretzel Kabobs

(Adapted from Champions for Change)

Ingredients:

*12 long whole grain pretzel sticks

*1 avocado, seeded peeled and cut into 12 pieces

*12 cherry tomatoes

*1 large red bell pepper cut into 12 pieces

*1 banana cut into 12 pieces

*1 cucumber cut into 12 pieces

*1 ½ ounces Cheese cut into 12 pieces

*2 red apples, cord and cut into 12 chunks.

*Ranch for dipping

Preparation:

1. Use a wooden skewer to poke holes in the center of each ingredient.
2. Thread pieces of fruit, vegetable and cheese onto pretzel stick through the holes made with the skewer.
3. Repeat step 2 with all the ingredients.
4. Dip kabobs in ranch if desired.

Ingredients for kabobs

Student assembling the kabob

Bean Wrap with Mango Salsa

(Adapted from Champions for Change)

Ingredients:

*2 red bell peppers seeded and chopped

*1 onion peeled and sliced

*1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

*2 mango chopped

*2 avocado, seeded, peeled and diced

*1 limed juiced

*1/2 cup fresh cilantro minced

*1/2 cup grated cheese.

*4 whole wheat flour tortillas

1. In a nonstick pan, sauté bell peppers and onion for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add beans and stir.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. In small bow, combine mangos, lime juice, cilantro, and avocado. 
3. Fill warmed tortillas with ¼ bean mixture, ¼ mango mixture and ¼ grated cheese.
4. Fold ends of the tortillas over.  Roll up end to make wraps.

Students chopping mangoes

Student enjoying the wraps