Farm to School Month Extended at Marquez Charter

Our Farm to School Month activities are extending into November and probably into December as we're still scheduling guest chefs.

We are so grateful to local businesses and chefs that are working with our students. To date:

October
- Chef Sam Minin from Tratto
- Chef Saw Naing from Tallula's
- Laurel Gallucci from Sweet Laurel
- Executive Chef Doug Silberberg
- Natasha Mmonatau from 1 Gun Ranch
- Harry's Berries
- Frecker Farm
- G Farm
- John Givens' Farm

November/December
- Chef Makani from Pono Burger-in November
- Sweet Rose Creamery
- CC Consalvo, Wellness Coach and Holistic Chef
-  Chef Kirstin Uhrenholdt- co-author with Laurie David of The Family Cooks 
- Jessica Siegel, Registered Dietician, Gelson's Markets
- The Draycott

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