Week One:Cooking and Eating Locally Grown Food
- Importance of food, family and celebrations.
- Seasonal and local vs "Food Miles".
- Our New England Food Heritage & connection to the land.
- Steps involved in planning Dinner Celebration for 100.
- Cooking with local ingredients: handmade butternut squash or spinach ravioli.
Week Two:A Field Trip to the Lexington Farmers’ Market or to a Local Farm
- Introduce terms: Local & Organic.
- Picnic table lessons with farmers.
- Taste a variety of local products-noting rainbow of COLORS.
- See, feel and taste seasonal fruits & vegetables while shopping for a local snack.
Week Three:Designing Menu and Nutrition
- Analyze a typical day's meals for nutrients and balanced eating.
- Design a menu for 100 guests/Dinner Celebration using local ingredients.
- Learn and practice knife handling skills & safety while preparing snack.
- Cooking with local ingredients: Fruit Smoothie Competition.
Week Four:
Cook
Celebratory Harvest Meal for Family and Friends
Cook
Celebratory Harvest Meal for Family and Friends- Learn to follow a recipe, kitchen safety and sanitation.
- Work in small groups, with local chefs, to prepare meal for 100 guests.
- Cook, present and enjoy Celebratory Meal, with family and friends.
- Complete a multi-week, detailed project.
- Compost all food scraps to return to school garden. Clean up.
Week Five:Review and Conclusions
- Review what has been learned. What was enjoyable about the program?
- Creative piece to review class with guidance of a teacher.
- Cooking with local ingredients: Prepare
a dessert, such as multigrain crepes with fresh fruit.