Classes that have participated in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program so far this year have been extremely productive completing tasks such as harvesting, mulching, weeding, seed saving, seed sowing, planting out seedlings, preparing garden beds, building structures for climbing plants, making signs, exploring, looking at seasonal changes and being garden detectives.

Our MasterChef’s have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen using beautiful fresh seasonal produce from the garden. Some of the student’s favourite dishes so far have been, leek, lemon, pea and herb risotto, tomato and basil bruschetta, basil pesto and pasta, zucchini risoni salad, salt bush chips, coconut and lime cupcakes, lavender lemonade and mint limeade. Students are looking forward to making apple and cinnamon pinwheels, DIY pizzas, kale and parsley dip and pasta with sage and burnt butter sauce (just to name a few) over the coming weeks.

Many changes have been happening in the garden such as new varieties of bush tucker plants planted in the Indigenous Garden one of those is Karkalla, an edible variety of pig face also known as sea fig or beach banana. I am very excited to research and trial some recipes using this edible Indigenous ingredient!

The garden has had many successful crops so far with enough produce to continually sustain our cooking lessons throughout the year as well as having enough produce to stew/prepare and freeze for the cooler months. Our most success crop has been this seasons apple harvest of 14 kilograms of Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Royal Gala apples!!

Earlier this year we also had an abundance of limes, apricots, chillies, tomatoes, eggplants, silver beet, warrigal greens and green beans as well as many varieties of lovely fresh herbs and our very first oranges. On an unfortunate note the garden was vandalised on two separate occasions earlier in the year therefore, sadly no pumpkins made it to the kitchen. Apples, chillies, peaches and eggplant crops were also affected by the vandalism.

A big thank you to all the students, staff and volunteers who have assisted so far this year to help make our garden such a beautiful yet productive space. I would also like to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who have given up their time to assist us with our cooking lessons.

We are always looking for helpers in both the kitchen and the garden. If you have completed the new RRHAN-EC Training for volunteers, have been double vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a current DHS Working with Children Check we would love your help!

We cannot run the program without the valuable assistance of volunteers. You do not need to have a green thumb or be a master chef, just enjoy working with children.

If you would like to obtain a DHS Working with Children Check or check your validity please see the Administration Office staff. Department for Education is now offering the new online RRHAN-EC training for volunteers, please see the Department for Education website for the link or speak to the Administration Office staff for more information.

If you are able to help with our cooking or gardening lessons please ring or message me your availability. If you have any questions at all regarding the program please don’t hesitate to contact me or pop in and see me in either the Stephanie Alexander kitchen or school vegetable garden.

Michele Smith

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program Coordinator

Volunteer Mobile 0408637850