Sowing, Growing, Savoring: A Cookbook

Sarah Platt ’14 spent much of this past summer on campus, working on her own in the Country School garden. She hadn’t intended to work alone. Rather the garden – and what she calls her Sow, Grow, Savor initiative – was designed to promote the long-term health and well-being of Madison residents through collaborative gardening and cooking explorations with multigenerational participants.

But along came COVID, and so Sarah (and Sow, Grow, Savor) had to pivot. Rather than bringing people of different ages together to collaborate in the garden and the kitchen, Sarah ended up growing the produce herself and delivering it to people who had signed up. She documented her growing season through her website, https://sowgrowsavor.dining.uconn.edu and eliminated face-to-face intergenerational contact to protect participants, offering cooking demonstrations online. But she continued to hold on to a hope she had at the outset of her project – the creation of a Sow, Grow, Savor project.

At the end of the summer, prospects weren’t looking good for that portion of the endeavor. A junior Pre-Med student at UConn, whose Sow, Grow, Savor project was funded, in part, by a UConn IDEA grant, Sarah had to head back to school before all the produce was ready to be harvested. Fortunately, she and Stephanie Johnson, her former Country School science teachers and a stalwart Country School garden caregiver, were able to come up with a plan. Mrs. Johnson would distribute the produce to her current 4th Grade science students. The students would then take the produce home and come up with a recipe they could cook, using Country School garden produce as the main ingredient. After helping to create and serve the dish, students were asked to sit down with their family members for a special, home-cooked meal. They were also asked to photograph their efforts. In effect, it was everything the IDEA grant was supporting from the outset: opportunities for different generations to come together, as fresh-grown produce is turned into healthy meals, simultaneously fostering long-term health, well-being, and community.

This Sow, Grow, Savor/4th Grade Collaborative Cookbook is the result. Thank you, Sarah, for opening your project to The Country School community. Thank you, Mrs. Johnson, for harvesting Sarah’s produce and ensuring that it was delivered to students and their families. And thank you, 4th Grade families, for these mouth-watering dishes that show is what it means to sow, grow, and savor.

A Message from Sarah Platt ’14: Dear 4th graders, I am so impressed by your creativity and inspired by the enthusiasm with which you’ve incorporated fresh garden produce into your recipes! I hope that this project has helped you develop a greater sense of confidence and responsibility to live well and care for those around you!

A Message from Stephanie Johnson P ’08, ’10, ’18, TCS Science teacher: Thank you, 4th Graders and Families! Your positive energy, ideas, collaboration, and commitment to health and wellness are so appreciated and inspiring! Thank you for being willing to dive into this adventure with Sarah and me. Here’s to more growing, savoring and connecting ahead!

Nora's Squashilicious Quesadilla and California Spiced Yellow Squash Entrée: Squashilicious Quesadillas • • • • • •

1 Pound Ground Bison 1 Packet Taco Seasoning Whole Wheat Tortilla Shells Shredded Cheddar Cheese Raw, Diced Yellow Squash Butter

1. Prepare the bison with taco seasoning following instructions to prepare meat.

2. Put to the side, warm.

3. In a skillet, melt a pinch of butter into a pan on low-medium heat.

4. Lay tortilla shell flat and add shredded cheese, taco meat, and raw squash.

5. Prepare as a quesadilla.

Side: California Spiced Yellow Squash

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Sliced Yellow Squash California Spice Blend (The Spice & Tea Exchange, Guilford) Butter

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Melt butter in a pan.

Add sliced squash.

Sprinkle with California Spice Blend.

Cook until slightly browned.

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A Message from Nora’s Mother, Mary Thank you for inviting our family to create a unique recipe from the harvest of The Country School garden!

Thank you also, Sarah, for your creativity, energy, thoughtfulness, generosity, and consistent efforts through the Sow, Grow, and Savor Garden. I always enjoy walking by the school garden and smile as I have noticed small sprouts, as well as ready-to-enjoy gifts of the garden. This initiative that you have honored your Country School with will be enjoyed by generations to come, including this year's 4th graders.

Our family wishes you the best as you continue on through your studies at UCONN. We can only imagine how your passion for nutrition and medicine will benefit those who will be within your care for years to come! Thank you again for everything, Sarah.

A Message from Sarah and Mrs. Johnson Thank you, Mary and Nora, and everyone for participating and reminding us that we are so lucky to be part of the TCS community!!

Lillian’s Butternut Squash Soup

Frankie’s Bell Pepper, Eggplant and Onion Rings (try serving with grilled steak and roasted potatoes!)

Ingredients • •

nonstick cooking spray, optional 3 bell peppers plus eggplants and onions if available

Breading • • • • • • • • • • •

1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs, or panko breadcrumbs (50 g) ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup all-purpose flour dipping sauce, of your choice, optional

Preparation for Frankie’s Bell Pepper, Eggplant, and Onion Rings •

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Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.

Cut the bell peppers carefully around the stem and remove the stem and seeds. Cut the peppers crosswise into ½-inch (1 cm) slices.

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the eggs to a separate bowl and whisk. Add the flour to a third bowl.

Dredge the bell pepper rings in the flour, then the eggs, then finally in the bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat all sides.

Arrange the bell pepper rings on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown on both sides.

Kieran and Family’s Spaghetti Squash with Kale or Spinach This easy spaghetti squash with kale is a great healthy weeknight dinner!

Flavored with rosemary, lemon, and sun-dried tomatoes, it's a delicious vegan and gluten-free dish.

Author: Jeanine Donofrio Recipe Type: Main Dish Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 spaghetti squash 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 shallot, sliced thinly 1 whole garlic clove ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary Pinch of chile flakes ½ cup chickpeas, cooked drained and rinsed (or roasted) 2 (packed) cups chopped kale leaves 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (or capers or olives) ¼ cup toasted pine nuts Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 2. Prepare your squash following the directions in this post.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan, then add the shallots, the whole garlic clove (we’ll remove it later), rosemary, chile flakes, and pinches of salt and pepper.

4. Once the shallot starts to soften add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes until lightly golden brown. If you’re using roasted chickpeas, add them at the end of the recipe instead. Remove the garlic clove, add the kale and lemon juice, and stir.

5. Once the kale is partially wilted, add the squash strands, the sun-dried tomatoes, a little grated Parmesan, and more salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to incorporate. Remove from heat and top with toasted pine nuts and extra grated cheese.

Notes Vegan option - skip the cheese

Sang’s Eggplants in Teriyaki

Eggplant in Teriyaki Sauce (adaptation from Jacques Pepin's Eggplant Chinois)

Eggplant Teriyaki Ingredients: 2 eggplants (slice eggplant crosswise 1 1/2 inches thick, soak them in salted water) 2 peppers (red/green) 1 tbsp dark Soy Sauce 1 tbsp honey or sugar or mirin 1 tbsp sesame seeds slice pork - optional for meat lover :P Directions: 1. Mix soy sauce, honey and set aside 2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add pork to skillet and flip over until brown on one side.

3. Add the eggplants (pet dry, no water please). Saute in high heat and covered for about 7 minutes or until soft.

3. Add the sauce and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Levi’s Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles Adapted from kirbycravings.com

And Vegan Zucchini Bread!

Adapted from coinoisseurusveg.com

Bonnie’s Romanian Eggplant Salad “I regularly make a dish similar to babaganoush (but without the tahini) that is popular in the more southern parts of Eastern Europe (just north of the Middle East) ─ somewhat a staple among Romanian Ashkenazi Jews. It gets eaten on top of unflavored crackers or mixed in with a salad of finely diced cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and scallions.” ─ Bonnie

ROMANIAN EGGPLANT SALAD 1) Leave eggplants at room temperature x 24 hrs.

2) Take a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil (makes cleaning up easier) 3) Place eggplants on the sheet and put in the oven at High Broil.

4) Watch the surface of the eggplants (time varies according to shape of the eggplant). When the surface gets black, take out of the oven and flip over using spoons as not to puncture the eggplants. For larger eggplants, rotations to the sides may be necessary.

5) When all sides are crispy, take the tray out of the oven and transfer each eggplant to the sink with running cold water (you will need to touch the eggplants so the cold water makes this possible).

6) Cut off the stems.

7) Remove the skin; scoop out all of the eggplant meat into a strainer that drains into a bowl. Leave draining for 3-4 hours.

8) Place the drained eggplant on a cutting board and chop with a sharp knife until the eggplant is a fine purÊe. Don’t put in a food processor.

9) Add olive oil (1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how many eggplants used) and salt to taste.

10) Finely chop green peppers, tomatoes, scallions and cucumbers.

11) Mix the vegetables in with a portion of eggplant for a tasty salad.

12) The eggplant can also be served by itself on top of a cracker!

Enjoy!

Some of the steps (in photos) for

Romanian Eggplant Salad

Mia’s Salsa Verde and Bok Choy Sautée

Selma and Laila’s Zucchini Casserole (Recipe from Selma’s Mom)

Mom’s Zucchini Casserole This is truly my mom’s recipe and when I was asked to write a recipe, I thought ‘what?’. So here is the ‘recipe’ which is very adaptable to your preferences…. If you like more or less zucchini, or carrots, or bechamel sauce…go for it!

Ingredients: 1 lb. minced beef Salt & pepper to taste 1 cup tomato sauce 2 large zucchinis (cut each lengthwise and then into ½ inch slices) An equal amount of chopped carrots 11/2 cup of bechamel sauce (add parmesan cheese, if you like) **Bakeware…we love to use an enameled cast iron oven baker (or braiser… …something shallow like 2”, not deep)** Directions: Preheat oven to 375F •

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Brown minced meat with olive oil (or however you normally like to cook this!).

Add salt/pepper to taste.

Add tomato sauce.

Add chopped zucchini & carrots, gently mix evenly in your bakeware.

Spoon bechamel sauce on top (add more or less…as you prefer…we like to cover the top) Bake for 30 minutes covered.

Uncover for an additional 15 minutes (or until the top is browned to your liking).

Serve with salad, rice, fresh bread or all 3!

Enjoy!

Bonus Zucchini Bread!

Photos of other delicious-looking student creations made with Country School Garden produce

Anna’s Stuffed Peppers

Lucy’s Braised Tarragon Chicken with Leeks

Jacob and Bonnie’s Jalapeno Salmon Ceviche

Maribel’s Salad with Fresh Cucs and Tomatoes

Theodora’s experiments with cucumber carving: porcupine (top) and musk ox (bottom)

From Caroline’s Garden: Caroline’s Artistic and Nutritious Mandala Garden Harvest Salad

Sydney-Ann’s “Cucumbers Rock” Snack Platter

Maile’s Green Beans

From a Teacher…

Amy Peters’ Butternut Squash Cake (presented on the same cake stand she typically shares her delicious cakes weekly in the faculty room – when we’re not in a pandemic!)

And here’s Sarah Platt’s favorite recipe from her summer of Sow, Grow, Savor….

What to Do with Your Pesto (from a July 6, 2020 post) After a busy summer day of working remotely, running, swimming, and gardening, my brother and I were just about spent. We’d picked up some atomic grape tomatoes from Starlight Garden’s farm stand in Madison earlier that day and weren’t quite sure what to do with them. Per usual, I was thinking of ways we could use what we had kicking around in the fridge while my brother was thinking of some NYTC recipe he’d read which called for a bunch of ingredients we didn’t have.

We were too tired to argue much, so I peeked in the fridge and exclaimed, “I’m going to make a whipped cream cheese pesto spread!” He seemed unconvinced by this idea, but instead of protesting, he got straight to work caramelizing an onion in balsamic vinegar.

I didn’t question him. He’s an onion cooking expert! By the time we both finished our little cooking projects, we had wonderfully toasted sourdough slices, a rainbow of sliced tomatoes, deeply caramelized balsamic onions, and a fluffy pesto spread, all ready to assemble. From there, we dolloped the spread on top of each slice, layered on the onions, and topped it with fresh tomatoes and a crack of peppercorn.

We really had no idea how it was going to turn out, but our leap of faith proved worthwhile when we took our first bites. A seriously good and simple dish was born from our hungry stomachs and sun-beat brains.

Moral of the story: Be inventive in the kitchen and you may discover many unexpectedly delicious flavor combos you’d have never experienced from reading from a professional chef’s blog.

Ingredients 8 toasted slices of sourdough bread 2 oz organic cream cheese 4-5 tbsp homemade pesto 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil dash of salt and cracked peppercorn 10 oz atomic grape tomatoes Instructions With an electric mixer set on medium speed, whip together cream cheese and pesto until smooth and fluffy, and set aside in the fridge.

Add olive oil to a small frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onions, salt, and pepper and stir occasionally until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, stirring less frequently, let onions brown until moderately caramelized. Add in your balsamic vinegar, turn heat to medium-low, and continue to carmelize for about 10 minutes.

Thickly slice tomatoes lengthwise.

To assemble, toast slices of sourdough and generously spread your whipped pesto on top. Add a layer of balsamic onions and top with tomato slices.

Crack peppercorn and sprinkle sea salt on top.

Thanks again for all your efforts, everyone! Please keep sending ideas, recipes, stories and pictures our way!

We hope you enjoyed growing, cooking, and eating together, and we can’t wait to savor the harvests from our special TCS garden and get our greater community together soon! ─ Sarah Platt and Stephanie Johnson Sarah Platt in the Country School garden this summer.