We’re always working on new ideas for dishes to serve at Farm School. Our meals need to be simple, full of flavor, and often are full of healthy fats. We cook in large quantities and often don’t use recipes. We make our own nutrient-dense bone broth, cook with grass fed butter and use non-GMO grains. It’s a labor of love and it brings me incredible joy to cook hearty meals for our kiddos at the farm! We have many kids that are developing great knife skills chopping and slicing. Our kinder/first children grind grain each week to be used with our baking flour for bread making. We almost always have something simmering on the stove early in the morning in preparation for our big meal of the day. The kitchen is the heart of our school.
I have had requests for recipes over the past few weeks, so I will try to provide a general recipe for a few of the dishes that have been a big hit.
Homemade Spinach Pesto–
This is fast, flavorful and a great way to get greens in your diet! Toss with hot pasta and it melts into a beautiful dish. You can add in a protein–grilled or roasted chicken, grilled fish [Leslie will laugh at this recommendation, as I don’t get along well with seafood!] or for a vegetarian option, you could throw in some crumbled feta, parmesan or other cheese. The kids ate this really well with fresh raw milk mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top!
Spinach Pesto
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, well-washed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
The next recipe is pretty basic, as well. You can save time by using canned, organic black beans. This is full of good fats, fiber and protein. The kids like to scoop the bean dip with organic tortilla chips! We had this today with tortilla chips and fresh avocado. Today’s dip was a mix of organic black beans and orange lentils.
2 cups cooked black beans
1 [8 oz] container of sour cream
1 teas chili powder
1 teas cumin
1 teas garlic powder or two cloves minced fresh garlic
salt to taste
Place all ingredients in a food processor and gently process until the beans are well mashed and you have a thick consistency. Once well mixed, place in the refrigerator and chill for an hour or longer. You may wish to top the bean dip with some fresh pico de gallo or cilantro!
As we move towards the fall, my menu inspirations will change a bit. We try to use seasonal/regional ingredients. Look for a tasty dish of roasted butternut squash, savory crumbled breakfast sausage with sage and butter tossed with fresh pasta! This is a hearty dish that we have served in the past, featured as a family meal at Good Earth Farmers Market and is personally one of my all-time favorites! The market affords me the opportunity to cook with the best possible ingredients! I love that the delivery trucks that pull in to our parking lot aren’t unloading steak fingers! I’m incredibly proud of the food we serve at Good Earth! I hope you take time to get in the kitchen with your little ones and share the experience of cooking! They love to be involved and often are open to trying new foods, textures and flavors if they have had a part in preparing the food!
-Janie
