Lettuce Explore! A Lettuce Taste Test

In this activity, kids (and adults) can explore the flavours, textures, and appearance of lettuce and greens. Taking some time to appreciate the qualities of the simple foods we grow and eat can be a great sensory and learning experience. You might even be surprised to find out how much beauty and flavour can be packed into a humble lettuce leaf! 

You Will Need:

• Three or four varieties of lettuce or salad greens (from your garden, farmers market or grocery store)

• White paper, pencil, and felts/crayons/coloured pencils

Instructions:

1. Select 3 or 4 varieties of lettuce.

2. Wash and arrange a few leaves of each lettuce on a plate.

3. Ask all tasters to wash their hands.

4. Pick one variety of lettuce to start. 

5. Use your sense of sight to observe what the lettuce looks like. Look at the back, front, and side of the leaf. Draw or trace the lettuce leaf on a piece of paper, add details and colour if you like.

6. Taste the lettuce. As you chew the lettuce think about the texture of the lettuce in your mouth. Add some words that describe the texture to your drawing. Next, think about how the lettuce tastes. Add some descriptive words to your drawing. Do all the parts of the lettuce have the same taste and texture? If you need help thinking of descriptive words we have included a few in a list below.  

7. Draw and taste the other varieties of lettuce.

8. Vote on the lettuce you like the best.

Taste & Texture Descriptive Words

Lettuce Fun Facts:

• Historians believe lettuce was first cultivated in ancient Egypt.

• Lettuce is often eaten raw but it is also delicious to eat steamed, in a stir fry or grilled on the barbecue. Have you ever tried barbecued lettuce?

• In 2015, the astronauts on the International Space Station grew and ate red romaine lettuce called “Outredgeous” lettuce.

• Lettuce is part of the Asteraceae family. This family also includes the daisy and sunflower. 

• There are four main types of Lettuce: butterhead, crisphead, loose leaf, and romaine.

Getting Back to our Roots with Food Traditions: Part 4

We hope you enjoy this food tradition from the home of Amanda, our Program Manager.

Every year for the past 5 years, during the first week of January, my partner and I have hosted a large Ukrainian Christmas Dinner for as many of our friends as we are physically able to fit in our little home. It has become quite the event, not just for us but for those of our guests who look forward to it and come each year. We spend two days preparing everything using the knowledge and skills my Mom and my Grandma taught me and from my exploring of a cookbook I have inherited from my Grandma with traditional Ukranian recipes, in which she has of course, added her own notes and corrections in the margins. There is only one rule for guests that are attending this feast, no one is allowed to bring anything but their appetites- it is a full meal prepared and cooked by us for them and there is no shortage of food or drink to go around. 

The menu keeps expanding as I explore more traditional Ukrainian foods and recipes but every year the meal always includes:

Kutia - a sweet wheat dish that is central to a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner

Borsch - a bright red beet soup 

Varenyky (pierogies) - a Ukrainian dumpling filled with either potato, cottage cheese, plum, sauerkraut, poppy seeds, berries, or raisins (we typically make a cheese, caramelized onion and potato filling)

Holubtsi (cabbage rolls) - Boiled cabbage leaves filled with rice or beans, mushrooms, and onions. My family usually added ground beef or pork when I was growing up but traditionally these were vegetarian at least for Christmas Eve dinner when no meat was to be eaten.

Nalysnyky - a sweet crepe filled with cottage cheese and dill ( and one of my favourite dishes!)

Kolach - a beautiful braided sweet bread with a crispy crust

Pickled vegetables

Sauerkraut

This is a new tradition that we have started and made as our own. It’s been a way for me to explore more of my Ukrainian heritage through food and hosting the meal really comes from the tradition I grew up with of feeding others and, of course, a love and appreciation of handmade, from-scratch Ukrainian food. Growing up, pierogies and cabbage rolls were always an inclusion at every holiday dinner. Christmas. Easter. Thanksgiving. It didn’t matter if there was a turkey or a ham (or both), it didn't matter how many sides were a part of the meal, there were always pierogies and cabbage rolls somewhere on the table and it was usually one of the first dishes of the meal that was eaten.  

There is something very special about feeding others and it was always something my family was always happy to do. My Grandma always had a fresh made pot of borsch for me whenever I visited. It was about a six hour drive to where she lived and no matter what time I got in at, there was always food that she had made just for me waiting. As soon as I got in the door I could smell the sweet beet aroma from the pot on the stove and after hugs and general greetings she would usher me to the table (usually commenting I was too skinny and needed to eat more) and put a full steaming hot bowl of her borsch down in front of me. This feeding others and hosting friends was a tradition in my home growing up as well. My sister and I were always able to invite friends to join for dinners, especially during holidays when I was in university and many of my friends were far from their own families. They were always invited and welcome at our table.   

Hosting a gathering of our friends and providing them with a hearty meal is how I have chosen to carry on these traditions and making it entirely out of those Ukrainian dishes I grew up with is my own way of exploring and staying connected to my family’s heritage. It isn’t necessarily difficult food to make, but it is time and labour-intensive with many steps involved, and the making of pierogies and cabbage rolls in particular is always a collaborative effort. I still like to help my mom fill and roll the cabbage leaves whenever I am home and she is making them. 

For me, food is meant to be shared with others, including the experience of making it. This is a tradition my partner and I carry on as we set aside a weekend to spend together preparing these dishes to host our annual dinner, stock our freezer, or prepare the dishes to deliver to friends. Even after a few years of making them, we continue to refine our pierogi pinching and cabbage rolling skills, I still do not know how my Grandma got her cabbage rolls so neatly and tightly wrapped. We like to play around a little with the filling recipes, but I definitely stick pretty close to the recipes from my Grandma, as being able to make these foods helps me continue to feel connected to her since her passing.

Ten “School Skills” Kids Can Learn at Home While Cooking

10 “School Skills” Kids Can Learn at Home While Cooking

 “Mom, I’m doubling this recipe” my almost 8 year old kid says as she mixes pancake mix with water, oil and eggs. “Great, go for it!” I say nonchalantly. Inside my head I’m doing a little happy dance. She read the directions on the box (language), gathered the items that she needed (following directions), measured ingredients (math) and doubled the recipe (more math). All of this is happening with a big smile on her face - she doesn’t know it, but she is learning. 

As we enter the eighth week of at-home learning in BC, we are using some of our time to learn in the kitchen. We don’t have a lesson plan, but we are taking the time to talk more about concepts when they come up (what does a 1/3 of a cup really mean? How does baking soda work?) and exploring some food questions we don’t normally take the time to consider (where does the name ‘caesar salad’ come from?). We are eagerly anticipating the return of school (as early as next week for some schools), but for now we are busy doing some hands-on learning at home and producing some tasty results.

Cooking can teach children (and adults too!) so many great skills. Here are a few examples:

LANGUAGE

• Reading, writing, and verbal communication through recipes.

• Increasing vocabulary and introducing children to other languages (sauté is French, bagel is Yiddish, etc.).

GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE

• Exploring where different types of foods are from and the diets of different cultures.

• Mapping the food miles of a meal, and the path food must travel to our plate.

AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY

• Learning about how and where different foods grow.

• Discussing food miles.

• Understanding how to reduce waste (both packaging and food waste).

MATH

• Following a recipe includes counting, fractions, and measuring.

• Many kitchen skills relate to shapes and spatial reasoning (cutting, plating).

• Opportunities to introduce budgeting.

SCIENCE

• Learning about parts of the plant and parts of an animal (cuts of meat).

• Making observations and exploring food using our five senses.

• Opportunities for experimenting and making predictions.

• Chemistry: physical and chemical reactions in the kitchen (bread rising, bread to toast, emulsification, etc.). 

HISTORY

• Learning what people ate in the past and why.

• Opportunities to explore different food preparation methods and tools, and how this has impacted our diet.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Understanding nutrition, food safety, and cleanliness.

CREATIVITY

• Exploring new foods.

• Creating recipes.

• Using food as art (plating). 

SOCIAL SKILLS

• Learning responsibility, cooperation, sharing, self-esteem, and patience.

AND, CONFIDENCE!

Getting Back to Our Roots with Food Traditions: Part 3

Our staff and board have been sharing our food traditions from home with you this month. This week’s features are Kitchari, Broccoli Trees, and Meatballs. 

Farah - Growing Chefs! Fundraising and Operations Assistant: My family is from Kenya and Uganda, and my ancestors from India. Kitchari, a porridge-like dish made of split mung beans and rice, was a staple in our house growing up. Although traditionally cooked as is  (and eaten with a side of vegetable curry),  there is also the option to add vegetables, oils, spices, and garnishes to the mix. This dish is super easy to make, satiating, nutrient-dense, and very affordable. In Ayurveda, kitchari is used as a cleanse for removing toxins and aiding digestion.

Cayley - Growing Chefs! Program and Operations Assistant: When we were young, my brother and I didn’t share my Mom’s love of vegetables (unless they were fresh from the garden!). Being the veggie advocate she is, she would pose us challenges like “nobody’s leaving this table until you each eat 11 carrot sticks!” or “everybody must eat 6 broccoli trees!”. While this is likely a common story in many households, Mom continued this into our adult years, including our friends, houseguests, and anybody else we shared meals with - long after we’d developed our own love for vegetables. It’s been a couple decades since this began, but I still get to enjoy fond memories of childhood meals when I sit down to eat with my partner or long-time friends, and they tell me “you must eat 13 grapes!”.

Afton - Growing Chefs! Program Liaison:  When I go visit my mom I often request my favourite dish from my childhood, “Porcupine Meatballs”. To make Porcupine Meatballs you mix uncooked rice with ground meat and seasoning, form meatballs and then bake in tomato sauce. The cooked rice pokes out of the meatballs so that they look a bit like little porcupines taking a bath in tomato sauce. While this dish doesn’t go back generations (and lacks vegetables), it is really yummy and reminds me of my childhood. I’m not sure why this dish sticks in my brain, I don’t recall if we ate it often and it wasn’t something we ate on special occasions, but I remember eating it and it reminds me of my mom. I don’t think I have ever cooked Porcupine meatballs for my family, but now that I think about it, it sounds like a great thing to have for dinner!

Getting Back to Our Roots with Food Traditions: Part 2

We have more food traditions to share from our staff and board. This week we are talking about kale, latkes, and homegrown vegetables.

Chef Selma - Growing Chefs! Chef Educator: In Holland, we ate kale way before it was cool. The name for kale in Dutch translates to “farmers cabbage”. We call it that because traditionally it was the crop that farmers could, and would, keep for themselves and eat all season round right off their land. Kale always tastes better after the first frost, because it forces the plant to turn some of its starches into sugar. My dad taught me these things when I was little, while crouching next to me beside the car, pointing at a field full of it on what I remember as many, many wet and windy autumn days, before driving past a Brussels sprouts field and doing the same thing there. While not native to the Netherlands, to most people there the word boerenkool (farmers cabbage) signifies the one dish most connected to our national identity. You’d almost think we’ve been making it since time began (or at least since the 17th century). As culinary tradition in my country dictates: it shall be mixed with mashed potatoes, and served with sausage. For a recipe of my favourite nostalgic comfort food, please click here.

Jaydeen - Growing Chefs! Development and Communications Director: My wife is Jewish so in recent years I’ve been introduced to the wonderful world of Jewish food traditions. My favourite is latkes during Hanukkah. We eat them hot and top them with sour cream and homemade applesauce. At first I thought the combination was crazy (and I embarrassingly ate them like hashbrowns with hot sauce or ketchup) but now I love the dish served the same way as her family. Oftentimes we will use the leftover latkes for brunch. Latke bennys! 

Amrit - Growing Chefs! Board Member: My grandma used to live down the street from us in Prince George. The summers are short there but she had a huge garden in her backyard and would always plant a wide variety of vegetables including peas, carrots, zucchini, and cauliflower. My brother and I would go there every week to “help in the garden” but most of the time we’d end up eating whatever we pulled. She would have us help her cook different dishes and while we didn’t realize it at the time, we both developed an appreciation of fresh vegetables and a life-long love of cooking that we hope one day to pass on to our kids!

Do you have any food traditions in your home? We would love to hear about them!

Getting Back to Our Roots With Food Traditions

Every culture has food traditions. Food is part of how we celebrate, comfort, make friends, communicate and so much more. Over the next few months the Growing Chefs! Staff and Board will be sharing the food traditions that we have at home. The first tradition we would like to share is from our Executive Director, Helen Stortini. 

Helen Stortini - Growing Chefs! Executive Director: For my family, every Saturday night is pasta night. No one’s sure exactly when the tradition began, but my dad, John, recalls it starting with his three of his older sisters, Rita, Mary, and Valeria back in the 1950s in Northern Ontario. As the youngest of seven siblings, my dad’s sisters were much older and had families of their own by the time he was a school-aged boy. By then, it was just my dad and my poppa Giovanni at home—my grandmother Anna passed away when my father was very young. My poppa often worked nights so Saturday evenings found my dad crashing dinner at my one of my Auntie’s homes. Each of his sisters had their own (delicious) variation of a red sauce and meatballs. My mom, although not Italian, learned to make her own version of this sauce after my parents married and, in my entirely unbiased opinion, she makes the best, softest, most delicious meatballs I’ve ever eaten. Saturday night pasta carried on through my childhood, my teens, and continues to this day for my parents back in Sault Ste. Marie. Every Saturday morning, my mom gets up early, puts on a pot of sauce, makes those special meatballs, and then with my dad’s help, rolls out fresh pasta. 

The Stortini siblings, circa 1971

In the last month, as my family has tried to connect more often with video calls during these isolating times (and are so grateful to have the privilege to do so), nearly seventy years after the Stortini Sister’s Family Pasta Night started, we’ve forged a new tradition and taken our family Pasta Night online. Every week, my mom and dad in the Soo, my sister, brother-in-law, and niece in Austin, and my son and husband here in Vancouver, gather around our tables and log online to dine. The menu in each home varies as we incorporate local and seasonal fare from our respective regions. Past menus include lasagna, tagliatelle with mushrooms, spaghetti with clams, and of course, red sauce and meatballs. But it’s always pasta. In these uncertain times, we may feel farther apart than ever, but we also feel closer than we’ve been in ages.

John with sisters Rita, Mary, Nita, and Val, circa 1999

Fun Fact: Stortini is actually a pasta shape and translates to “little crooked ones”. They are wee elbow shaped noodles that look like a tiny macaroni.  

We would love to learn about the food traditions you have in your home (especially traditions that involve vegetables!). We hope you will comment below and tell us all about it.