Table Of Contents Introduction
About the Garden 2024-2025 Recipes 2023-2024 Recipes
DEDICATED TO MR. GARY DEMOSS WHO HELPED BRING THE GARDEN TO LIFE.
Introduction
Is there anything more delicious than fruits and vegetables picked fresh from the garden? If you haven’t had the chance to taste produce straight from the plant, you're in for a treat. This cookbook is a collection of recipes created and tested by middle school students in the ACDS Edible Garden Elective.
Throughout the semester, students spent time outside getting their hands dirty—planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting. Then, they brought their harvest into the kitchen to experiment, taste, and refine their recipes. The result? A flavorful mix of dishes that celebrate fresh, seasonal ingredients and the joy of growing your own food.
We hope these recipes inspire you to dig in—both in the kitchen and in the garden!
Edible Garden
Born from a vision and elbow grease in 2021, the Edible Garden was incepted to be an outdoor classroom dedicated to students learning about horticulture, plant science, ecosystems, life cycles, to engage their senses, and deepen their appreciation of plants, food, and pollinators.
2024-2025 Recipes
Recipes created by the Middle School students in the Edible Garden elective in 2024-2025 school year, taught by Mr. Gary DeMoss, using primarily ingredients available seasonally in the garden.
5 MIN
Bursting Cherry Tomato Pasta
This recipe is amazing. With bursting tomatoes, the perfect al dente pasta, and just the right amount of basil, this dish is to die for.
- 1 box of pasta - Parmesan cheese - Basil 1 loose cup - 2 cups sliced in half cherry tomatoes - 2 cloves garlic - 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt - ¼ cup olive oil - ½ teaspoon of pepper.
First get water and bring it to a boil, then add your noodles.
Then heat your oil until shimmering, and then add thinly sliced garlic, salt, pepper, and the tomatoes.
About 5-7 minutes later, or when the tomatoes start bursting, remove the pan from the heat.
Chop or tear your basil leaves.
Once your pasta is ready, drain the water and add your tomatoes and basil.
Then serve, add parmesan on top and enjoy.
Recipe curated and tested by: Alana C (‘27) and Cara H (‘27)
Celery with Honey Orange Zest & Lemon Vinaigrette
11 MIN
25-30
4 MIN
Honey orange zest: I like that it’s very unique and it tastes good. We started with half an orange of orange zest, but it was too little, so we put a full orange of orange zest. Lemon vinaigrette: I like that it's sour, but the first time it was too sour, so we added more olive oil to make it thicker and sweeter.
1 bunch of celery
Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3/4 cup of olive oil
Put salt and pepper to your taste
Orange Honey Sauce:
One whole orange zested
4 tablespoons honey
1. 2. 3.
Pick/buy celery
Cut it into small sticks
Wash and chill the celery
Orange Honey Sauce 4 5 6 7. Zest an orange
Put zest in a bowl
Add honey
Mix/whisk together
Lemon Vinaigrette
8. 9. 10.
Ser ving
Add lemon juice into a small jar
Add olive oil to the same jar as the lemon
Make sure the cap is secure, then shake it
11 12 Plate celery or put it in cups
Drizzle the sauces on separate pieces
Recipe curated and tested by: AJ W (‘27) and Max P (‘27)
10 MIN
Fresh Tomato Salsa, ACDS Style
What is better than fresh salsa? The ACDS version is made with lemon as the citrus and without any spiciness. If you can stand to let it sit after mixing for a couple of hours, it really improves the flavor. Serve it with chips and watch the kids eat it up!
3 cups cherry tomatoes
½ cup chopped white or
4 green onions, green and white parts chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup chopped cilantro
Quarter the cherry tomato and put them into a bowl
Add chopped onions
Mince the garlic and add it
Add the pepper and salt
Add the lemon juice
Add the cilantro
Mix all the ingredients with a spoon
Cover and let sit for 30 minutes or more
Recipe curated and tested by: Gary D (‘07)
10 minutes
Lemon Balsamic Dressing
5 minutes
The flavor was exquisite, with a perfectly balanced ratio salad to dressing that elevated the entire dish
8 -10
3 tablespoons balsamic vineg ar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Give it a whisk.
While still whisking, slowly add in the extra-virgin olive oil and continue whisking until fully incorporated and smooth.
Transfer it to a bottle or jar with a fitted lid. Be sure to give it a good shake before using.
Recipe curated and tested by: Cooper RB. (‘25) and Elizabeth H. (‘27)
5 MIN
Swiss Chard Pesto
MIN
This recipe is a nut-free version of Swiss Chard pesto. The combination of basil and Swiss chard make for a unique twist on a regular pesto. Enjoy this recipe as a snack, or a full meal depending on how you serve it.
7 medium leaves of Swiss Chard (adjust by size)
1 cup of Basil leaves
½ cup of Olive Oil
4 cloves of Garlic
½ cup of Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
~½ tsp salt (to taste)
~¼ tsp pepper (to taste)
Chop swiss chard and basil leaves into smaller pieces
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and garlic in a pan over medium heat. Cook swiss chard until leaves have wilted In a food processor, add basil, remaining olive oil, and parmesan cheese and blend until it is smooth. Add swiss chard and garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and continue processing. Serve on pasta, crackers, or anywhere else you would use pesto.
Recipe curated and tested by: Joseph N. (‘25) and Adrian P. (‘27)
32 MIN
Seasoned Sliced Potatoes
11 MINS
15
Cooking it is simple and enjoyable, but eating it is the best part! Stirring the potatoes turns them into a smooth mash, while rosemary oil adds richness and herbs deepen the flavor.
- 2 lbs. Potatoes
- ½ Tablespoon Salt
- ¼ Tablespoon Pepper
- Roughly 17 Stalks Green Onion
- Roughly 3 Stalks Garlic Chives
- ½ Cup Rosemary Oil
Rinse potatoes in a restrainer using water. Cut the potatoes into thick slices with a knife. Place pot on stove with enough water to cover potatoes, then sprinkle ½ tablespoon of salt into pot. Place sliced potatoes into boiling water and let it cook for roughly 10 minutes. Pour out water & potatoes into a strainer. Set sliced potatoes aside to cool off after sprinkling ¼ tablespoon of pepper onto it.
Begin to cut green onions and garlic chai with knife. Place the freshly cut green onions and garlic chai into pot with potatoes and mix.
Drizzle ½ cup of rosemary oil into pot. Stir well.
Recipe curated and tested by: Luca P. (‘27) and Cassiopeia F. (‘25)
Strawberry Sauce with Lemon and Tarragon
Description : This is a quick and easy recipe that takes less than half an hour to make, and is very bussin!!!
–1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
–2 cups strawberries (finely chopped)
–2 tablespoons lemon juice
–1 tablespoon maple syrup
–1 tablespoon tarragon (finely chopped fresh)
1. Heat oil over medium high heat in a pan.
2. Add sliced strawberries, lemon juice, maple syrup, and tarragon. Stir ingredients together in a pan until mixture thickens {about 5 minutes}.
3. Remove sauce from pan and serve warm, or place in refrigerator to chill for serving cold.
Recipe curated and tested by: Meghan C. (‘27) and Miles S. (‘27)
- 2 cups of chopped apple
- 2 cups of chopped peach
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 2 cups of chopped strawberries
- ⅔ cup of orange juice
- ⅓ cup of lemon juice
- ⅓ cup of packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon of orange zest
- ½ teaspoon of lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon of of vanilla extract
1. Gather the ingredients.
2. To make the sauce: Bring orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon zest to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
4. Put cut-up peaches, apples, blueberries, and strawberries in a bowl.
5. Put the sauce on the fruit in the bowl and stir to cover.
Recipe curated and tested by: Miles S (‘28) and Anthony W (‘28)
2023-2024 Recipes
Recipes created by the Middle School students in the Edible Garden elective in 2023-2024 school year, taught by Mr. Gary DeMoss, using seasonal ingredients primarily grown in the Edible Garden.
25 MIN
Radish Flatbread
0 min
The lemon zest on top adds a nice zing. We added the lemon zest, sage and decided to mix the butter and salt. 12-24
2 tsp softened unsalted butter
1 large pieces of flatbread
2 tsp chives and sage
5 large radishes Salt
Some lemon zest (optional)
Slice radishes into thin slices Mash the butter, salt, and herbs together. Spread the butter on the flat bread, then cover with the sliced radish, add lemon zest if you want!
Enjoy!
Recipe curated and tested by: Casey O. (‘26) & Corrine S. (‘26)
Kale Parmesan Garlic Pasta
15 MIN
25 MIN 8
This rich, flavourful Kale Garlic Pasta will be a hit at any gathering. The bold garlic and parmesan complement the earthy flavor of the kale perfectly. You can spice it up with a pinch of red pepper, or add in fresh kale as a garnish.
2 bunches kale, ½ lb each
1 lb angel hair pasta
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
0.5 cup grated Parmesan
Pinch salt and pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pull the kale leaves from the woody stems and tear them into small 1 to 2-inch pieces Rinse the torn kale well in a colander under cool, running water and allow it to drain Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break the pasta in half, add it to the boiling water, and cook until al dente (about 7 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic to another large pot or skillet Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant Add the kale and continue to sauté until the kale has wilted and has turned a deep green color (about 5-7 minutes). Turn the heat off. Add the drained pasta to the pot with the sautéed kale Toss the pasta and kale together Allow them to cool to the point that steam is no longer rising from the pot You want the pasta warm, but not hot enough to melt the Parmesan Season the pasta and kale with salt and freshly cracked pepper to your liking. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes over top if desired
Recipe curated and tested by: Myles P. (‘26) and Olivia C. (‘24)
Spinach Leek Soup
30 MIN
MIN
This hearty, oniony tasting soup will be a great meal to add to your book of recipes. With lots of extra leeks and potatoes, it’s perfect for a lunch on the go, especially when sprinkled with oyster crackers or scooped with corn chips.
1 leek (three garden leeks), minced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon celery salt (optional)
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups potatoes, peeled, diced (about three potatoes)
4 cups spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Mince leeks, dice potatoes, slice spinach, and chop garlic
In a saucepan, add olive oil, garlic and leeks, stirring until softened
Add the potatoes and chicken stock into the saucepan with celery salt, salt and pepper to taste
Let ingredients in saucepan start to boil, bring down temperature and simmer for 15 minutes, until potatoes are soft
Add spinach into the saucepan and cook for one more minute
Pour the soup from the saucepan into a blender* and blend until smooth.
*you could also use an immersion blender with the soup in the saucepan
Crackers Recipe curated and tested by: Julia L. (‘26) and Olivia C. (‘24)
25 MIN
Lemonade Soda
5 MIN 5-6
3 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 cups lemon juice (about 16 lemons)
2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Carbonated water (from a Soda Stream or bottled) Ice
Start by dissolving 3 cups sugar in boiling water.
Wait for it to cool and add 3 cups lemon juice and add 2 tablespoons of lemon zest.
Combine 3 cups of carbonated water and 1 ½ cups of the syrup. Add ice and enjoy.
Recipe curated and tested by: Jacob G. (‘26) and Lila D. (‘26)
5 MIN
Lemon Thyme Salad Dressing
5 MIN
We served this with chard, kale, radishes, and carrots, but you can serve it on whatever you like! This is the dressing that we make for the salad at the Thanksgiving Feast. ~10 servings
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground
pe pper
Salt to taste
Prepare by combining the ingredients mentioned for dressing in a jar.
Shake well.
Recipe curated and tested by: Myles P. (‘26) & Lila D. (‘26)
Strawberry and Basil with Whipped Ricotta
30 MIN
MIN
This would be great if you have the ingredients and it's pretty simple to make. And the sauce is refreshing.
2 boxes of strawberries
1 Tb. granulated sugar
1 Tb. balsamic vinegar
2 Tb. Vinegar
Several grinds fresh black pepper
6-8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 c. whole milk ricotta
3 tsp lemon zest
4 tsp honey
1 Tb. heavy cream
Pinch kosher salt
About 30 minutes prior to serving, rinse, pat dry and hull the berries then slice or cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a medium mixing bowl; cover and set aside Prepare whipped ricotta by placing all ingredients into a mixer or blender and mixing on high until well combined and 'fluffy' Refrigerate until ready to serve About 15 minutes before serving, add sugar to berries and stir. Allow to sit at room temperature about 10 minutes, then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and mix to combine. Just before serving, mix in black pepper and basil and top with Whipped Ricotta.
Recipe curated and tested by: Griffin.T. (‘26) and Zach M. (‘25)
Ricotta
Strawberries
10 MIN
Spinach Pesto Pasta
MIN
I liked how easy it was to make, and how tasty it was. Next time, we will add more lemon, cheese, remove some of the salt, and serve the pesto over pasta.
10oz. pasta
4 cups packed spinach leaves
1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice `
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄3 cup olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Save 1⁄2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
Meanwhile, place spinach, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a food processor Blend for 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed
Slowly stream in olive oil while the machine is running
Process until smooth
Add tomatoes and pesto to cooked pasta; toss, adding reserved pasta water to coat pasta, if necessary. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
Recipe curated and tested by: Casey O. (‘26) and Malcolm A. (‘26)
5minutes
Sautéed Swiss Chard
5minutes 14
This recipe has the perfect blend of sweet, sour, and saltiness. It was very fun making it, and most people liked it. It was also pretty easy to make.
2 bunches Swiss chard 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium leek, chopped and washed 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste Lemon wedge, for squeezing Freshly ground black pepper
Slice the stems off the chard leaves and chop the stems into 1/4-inch slices Coarsely chop the leaves
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat Add the chard stems and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the chard leaves, leek, salt, and several grinds of pepper, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted.
Turn off the heat, squeeze a little lemon juice over the chard, and toss Season to taste and serve
Recipe curated by Malcolm A. (‘26) and Julia L. (‘26)
20 MIN
Lemon Sorbet
20 MIN + overnight freezing
~10 small servings
Jake G. (‘26) says, “[The sorbet] has a nice lemony aftertaste which made it nice and sour. I also loved how it tasted like my amazing lemonade, just frozen”
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 cup lemon juice
About ¾ a tbsp lemon zest
Mint for garnish (optional)
Heat the water and the sugar in a pan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. (It helps if you stir.)
Cool water until cold and mix in zest and lemon juice.
Pour liquid into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Take the trays out of the freezer and let thaw for about five minutes.
Take the cubes out and blend in a blender or food processor until the consistency is somewhere between shaved ice and ice cream.
Serve in a cup with mint in top. Don’t forget to use a spoon. It is very sticky.
Recipe curated and tested by: Zach M. (‘25) and Corinne S. (‘26)
