by Laura Greene, Creator, Grow. Eat. Share. groweatshare.com
Ingredients: - whole wheat pizza crust mix (or ready made wheat pizza crust) - 4 cups fresh basil leaves - ½ cup olive oil - 1/3 cup pine nuts - 2 garlic cloves - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese - Less than 1 teaspoon sea salt or coarse kosher salt - Fresh Mozzarella to taste - veggies to top the pizza (Let them go “grocery shopping” in the garden or at the supermarket) - Italian seasoning: oregano, basil, thyme & rosemary
To make the crust:
To save time in class, we purchased a pizza crust from the store. I recommend whole wheat. We didn’t have time to make the crust from scratch (or even make a store-bought mix), but if you can, make the crust (either from scratch or from a mix) because it's the mixing & rolling kids love. It’s also fun to choose the shape of the pizza (mini pizzas, square, circle, etc.).
To make the pesto:
Separate the basil leaves from the stem & put the leaves in a large bowl. To wash the basil, it’s easiest to place the leaves in a big bowl, fill it up with water & gently swish the leaves around. Then drain the water out (while holding the leaves in).
Combine basil, olive oil, pine nuts & garlic in blender or food processor. Blend until it becomes a paste. You may have to stop to push down the leaves. Then add the cheese & salt until it’s smooth.
DO NOT MAKE MORE THAN ONE DAY AHEAD. Pesto doesn't keep too long. If you want to store it for one day, place it in an air tight container & top with a layer of olive oil. If it will be more than one day, I would try freezing it; otherwise it goes bad quickly.
Putting the pizza together:
Prepare the veggies by slicing & dicing them into different sizes and shapes. Spoon the pesto in the middle of the rolled out pizza dough. Spread it around. Sprinkle with mozzarella to taste. Breaking it up & sprinkling it – rather than in thick slices like it tends to come when fresh – helps it not be too oozy. Lastly, decorate with veggies...at least 3 or 4 varieties each!
As for baking, I put the pizza in at the temperature indicated on the crust pkg (375 degrees). Then I just kept an eye on it & took it out when it was golden brown on the edges & the cheese was melted. Clean up while you wait for your pizza to cook.
2. Garden Salsa by Laura Greene of Grow. Eat. Share.
5 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 fresh cobs of corn 1 jalapeño 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 peblano pepper 1 cup cilantro, leaves only 2 limes, juiced 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed 1 bag organic blue corn tortillas
- Cut limes in half & squeeze juice into large bowl. - Carefully cut corn off cob; add to bowl. - Add finely chopped tomatoes, onions and peppers. - Add rinsed/drained black beans. - Add cilantro leaves - Mix it up & serve
Make extra & freeze small portions for future quick snacks. Use your salsa on homemade tacos, burritos, etc. - not just for snacking. Remember: even these “healthy” chips are a “sometimes” food. This definitely shouldn’t substitute for a meal. Don’t go overboard when having this tasty snack.
3. Smoky Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Soup adapted by Laura Greene of Grow. Eat. Share. from Whole Living (by Jacquelyn Scoggin)
4 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced 4 carrots, diced 2 teaspoons cumin 4 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons fresh oregano 8 cups organic vegetable broth 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes 1 cup quinoa 2 jalapeños, diced 2 cans cooked black beans, drained & rinced salt to taste 1 bunch cilantro
To make the soup:
To save time in class, we used two pots: one to heat the broth while we cooked the onions, etc. At home you can get away with using one big soup pot.
- Soak quinoa in 2 cups water, set aside (ideally for several hours, but a little bit helps them start to sprout). - Chop all of the veggies & set aside. - In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. - Stir in onion. - Cook, stirring occasionally until onion softens, about 5 minutes. - Stir in the garlic and carrots, cook another 3 minutes. - Add in the cumin, chili powder, and oregano and stir to coat. - Pour the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and jalepenos in the pot. - Drain the quinoa & add to pot. - Bring everything to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. - Once the quinoa is cooked, you should see the familiar little quinoa tails (i.e. sprouts). - Stir in the black beans and salt to taste. - Heat until everything is cooked through. - Serve topped with a big pile of cilantro.
You can freeze portions of a big batch in small containers (like baggies or the containers you can buy from the deli for 5-10 cents). When you want a quick meal, simply thaw & re-heat on stove-top. Even frozen, your homemade soup is so much better than the preservative-packed store-bought varieties.
4. Blueberry & White Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies adapted by Laura Greene of Grow. Eat. Share. from EatingWell: Dec 06
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup wheat germ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 large farm fresh egg (or cage-free organic) 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup safflower oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or try almond as a delicious variation) 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1/3 cup (heaping!) white chocolate chips (or chopped chunks) 1/3 cup dried blueberries (home dried, but store bought is good too, just look for no added sugar) 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger (chopped/crushed)* 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root (peeled)*
*or leave out crystallized ginger & replace with 4 tablespoons fresh ginger (or vice versa)
- Preheat oven to 375. - In class we used store-bought berries (no added sugar). If you’re drying your own blueberries: Use a food dehydrator for even drying. Buy or pick fresh blueberries a couple days before you plan to make the cookies. Boil water in a medium pan, that you can dunk a fine mesh metal strainer into. Once water is boiling, place blueberries in strainer. Blanch the berries under the boiling water for 30 seconds (to removes the natural waxy coating), that will prevent the berries from drying well (and helps them keep their nutrition). Place the berries (not touching) on food dehydrator trays. The length of time it takes to dry depends on the blueberries, the humidity, the dehydrator itself, etc., so it’s hard to say how long it will take. Check on them often, after the first couple hours, taking out the ones that have lost moisture, but are not crunchy. You want them to feel like squishy raisins, but not juicy or crunchy. - Whisk flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and ground ginger in small bowl. - Whisk egg, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir to combine. - Add oats, chocolate, dried blueberries, and crystallized and/or grated ginger. - Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. - Bake cookies until (slightly) puffed and barely golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes IMPORTANT: DO NOT OVERCOOK. Be aware ovens may vary, as my new oven is much hotter than I’m used to. With the first batch, I left them in only 8 minutes & they were golden all the way through, which made them way too crunchy. You want them to be very soft. Cool on pans for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack or wax paper to cool completely.
5. Garden Pickles
You will need:
Cucumbers
Dill
Onions
Garlic
Hot/mild peppers
Coarse Kosher Salt
Apple Cider Vinegar (Bragg’s brand, or another raw alternative)
Alum
Pickling spice
Red pepper flakes
Labels (optional)
Jars
Lids
Bands
Sanitize the jars, lids and bands by boiling them in hot water.
Harvest what you can from a garden!
Wash all the veggies. Be sure to scrub off all the prickles from your cucumbers.
Slice up all your veggies in the shapes and sizes you’ll need for your jars. The most common slices are spears and small round circles. Be sure to slice off the blossom end of your cucumbers (helps prevent mushy pickles).
Place clean jars on a clean kitchen towel on your counter or table. In the jar, place a half of a garlic clove, an onion slice, a dill head, hot/mild peppers to taste, and red pepper flakes to taste.
Pack loosely with cucumbers.
On the top, add another half garlic clove, onion slice, dill head, hot/mild pepper slice (to taste), and red pepper flakes (to taste).
Do not pack the jars too tight or too close to the top.
To make the brine: *makes about 6 quarts*
4 cups vinegar (2 pints, 1 quart)
8 cups water (4 pints, 2 quarts)
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons pickling spice
⅛ - ¼ teaspoon alum
Bring brine to a boil. Pour in your jar, leaving ¼ - ⅛ inch of space on top. Put lid and band on top, and set jar on counter to let seal. You may hear a pop when the jars tighten and seal on your counter. Leave the jars on your counter (undisturbed) for about one day. Move them into the fridge for 3-7 days. After that, you can open the pickles. Once open, keep refrigerated and eat within 7 days.
6. Smoothies (not cereal) for breakfast by Laura Greene of Grow. Eat. Share. & the ‘11 Inver Grove Natural Chefs
Crazy Kiapplanna by K.A.M. ⅓ cup kale, blended or finely chopped apples kiwi banana ½ cup oats ½ cup plain almond milk 1 cup plain greek yogurt
Mangberry by J.A. ⅓ cup kale, blended or finely chopped 2 pears ½ mango 1 banana ⅔ cup oats ⅔ cup vanilla almond milk 1 tablespoon honey ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
Starberryana by G.S. ⅓ cup kale, blended or finely chopped ½ starfruit 2 bananas 6 strawberries 1 cup plain greek yogurt 2 tablespoons honey ½ cup plain almond milk ¼ cup oats
Strawberry Banana Licious by M.P. ⅓ cup kale, blended or finely chopped strawberry banana 1 cup plain greek yogurt 1 cup plain almond milk
Strawiki by S.N.E. ⅓ cup kale, blended or finely chopped bananas strawberries kiwi 2 ice cubes ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt ½ cup vanilla almond milk ⅓ cup oats
Strawpeananna Blast by J.A.A. ⅓ cup kale, blended or finely chopped peaches strawberry banana ⅔ cup oats ⅔ cup plain almond milk ⅔ cup plain greek yogurt
You can make these the night before for a quick breakfast, on a Sat. morning for the whole family, or after school for a healthy snack. I encourage you to continue to adapt & add. Now that you have the framework; the possibilities are endless.