Chef Saw from Tallula's Cooks in Ms. Palo's 4th Grade

Today Executive Chef Saw Naing from Tallula's cooked with the 4th graders in Ms. Palo's class. Tallula's, a Mexican restaurant, is part of the Rustic Canyon Restaurant Group and is located in Santa Monica Canyon.  They are known for using fresh organic ingredients from local farmers' markets.

Saw learned to cook from his grandparents.

The students made their own tortillas from the masa dough that Chef Saw had made.  He brought blue corn and white corn dough. The students rolled the dough into golf ball sized balls, and then put the balls into a tortilla press. The flattened tortilla was then cooked on a griddle. Elise cooked the tortillas and the kids added cheese before the tortillas were folded.

The students also made guacamole and cut peppers to add to the quesadillas.  They were delicious!

Chef Silberberg Cooks in Ms. Conn's Class

Last week Chef Doug Silberberg cooked with the 5th graders in Ms. Conn's class as part of the Visiting Chef's Program of Farm to School Month.


They made quinoa with vegetables.  It was delicious!

Laurel Gallucci of Sweet Laurel Cooks with Ms. Chaides' 4th Graders

This week Laurel Gallucci of Sweet Laurel made pumpkin muffins with Ms. Chaides' 4th graders.  Sweet Laurel is one of the new businesses in Pacific Palisades.  The muffins were delicious!

Pumpkin Muffins

3/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cardamon

3/4 cup 100% maple syrup

3/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

6 eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin

*Pepitas for optional sprinkle

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare a muffin pan by lining with muffin tins. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamon. Set bowl aside.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and pumpkin. Slowly add in dry ingredients, then using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins. Fill batter to nearly the top of each muffin liner, as muffins will rise.

Sprinkle optional pepitas on top of each muffin and bake for about 24 minutes.

Allow to cool and enjoy!

This recipe is by Laurel Gallucci Sweet Laurel and is paleo, and completely gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, dairy free and nut free!

Week Two of Farm to School Month

During the 2nd week of Marquez Charter's celebration of Farm to School Month we had a visiting farmer, Natasha Mmonatau, from 1 Gun Ranch in Malibu who spoke to Ms. Yoshida's class and Ms. Gardner's class. We also had two visiting chefs: Chef Sam Minin from the new Italian restaurant in the Palisades, Tratto, and another chef, Doug Silberberg, a parent at the school.  In addition, several classes planted in their class garden beds!

Chef Sam from Tratto and Tabbitha 

Natasha from 1 Gun Ranch

These classes planted in their beds: Ms. Yoshida's 2nd graders, Ms. Bazan's kindergarteners and Ms. Hain's kindergarteners. Ms. Yoshida's students planted tennis ball lettuce, purple radishes and purple carrots.  The seeds were donated by Seed Savers Exchange. Ms. Bazan's and Ms. Hain's students planted sensory gardens with lemon verbena, scented geraniums, lambs' ear and white sage.

Ms. Bazan's students planting

Ms. Hain's students planting

Ms. Yoshida's students planted veggies and composted

Chef Sam from Tratto Makes Ratatouille In Mrs. Farrell's 3rd Grade Class

On October 11 Chef Sam Minin from Tratto Italian restaurant visited Mrs. Farrell's class as part of the celebration of National Farm to School Month. He, along with his Tabitha Kenney, explained how to make ratatouille. He also talked about how he became a chef and growing up in Italy. Chef Sam cooked a lot with his grandma when he was a child.

The ingredients in this recipe are yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, thyme, basil and oregano. Chef first showed the children each ingredient and then each child got a piece and cut it into smaller pieces.  He showed them how he held the zucchini when cutting with his big chef's knives.

Cutting eggplant

The ingredients

Chef showed the children how to take the small pieces of thyme off of the stem. They also tore small bits from the basil and oregano.  The children added the contents of their plates to the skillet and Chef cooked the mixture with olive oil before adding a can of organic tomatoes that he had mixed with an immersion blender. He explained that he uses the canned variety for such a recipe.

 Each child got a spoonful of the ratatouille with parmesan cheese. The ratatouille was delicious!

Thanks to Harry's Berries, John Givens, G-Farms and Frecker Farms

The students and parents of Marquez appreciated the before school tastings courtesy of the following local farmers from Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades Farmers Markets. Please support them!

Harry's Berries of Oxnard donated a flat of cherry tomatoes today! Yum!! We'll use some in cooking and some on Friday for the before-school tastings!

Cherry tomatoes from Harry's Berries of Santa Monica Farmers Market

Donation from John Givens of Pacific Palisades Farmers Market

Donation from John Givens

G- Farms of Pacific Palisades Farmers Market donated apples, stone fruit and grapes

Frecker Farms of Pacific Palisades Farmers Market donated carrots and cucumbers

Day 3 of Farm to School Month at Marquez Charter

Today we celebrated National Kale Day by distributing kale smoothies and kale chips. We handed out more than 200 smoothies before school. That's at least 14 batches of the recipe.
Thanks to the many helpers: Leaf, River and Winter Armm; Kristiana Tarnuzzer; Sabrina Valensi; Sophia and Veronica Kissane, Logan, QZ and her daughter.

Thanks to Gelson's for donating the ingredients! We appreciate their generous gift card!

Kale Smoothie Recipe

8 oz liquid ( orange juice, almond milk, rice milk, orange juice/water combo)
1 cup kale leaves torn in small pieces with spine removed
1/4-1/2 c. frozen mango or other frozen fruit
1/2  banana

We used a combo of orange juice and water for the liquid.

Kale Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash kale and tear into small pieces.
Place in a bowl and mix in small amount of olive oil. Add small amount of sea salt if desired.
Prepare sheet pan with parchment.
Put kale on it.
Cook 10-15 minutes until just brown at edges.

Day 2 of National Farm to School Month

Day 2 of Marquez's celebration of National Farm to School Month involved tasting cucumbers, apples, carrots and strawberry guavas. The cucumbers, apples and carrots are from John Givens Farms, Frecker Farms and G-Farms all of which are vendors at the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market.

The strawberry guavas are from our very own Marquez Edible Garden.

All of the fruit and vegetables are organically farmed!

Thanks to the parents and students who helped to pass out the food before school.

Fruit Give-aways Before School

Today before school we gave away fruit that was donated by G-Farms of Exeter, CA, a vendor at the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market.   The students and their parents enjoyed plums, peaches, grapes and watermelon. Thanks to Lara for washing and picking up the fruit and to the parents and students who helped pass out the fruit!