Garden to Plates
Over the past couple of years a focus on 'healthy food choices’ for students has grown at Kidston Elementary School. With the passion and support from Kidston's Garden to Plate Lead; Dawn (aka. Gramma D) along with the PAC Hot Lunch Program a mission was developed to ‘provide a nutritious and appealing lunch program that educates and encourages children to enjoy healthy food choices in a sustainable, renewable environment'.
Inspired by the dream of a school garden and partnerships created with local farms, this focus to have children become interested and inspired by healthy foods began with colourful and nutritious initiatives such as delicious smoothies and rainbow salad bar lunches. The recent and very exciting introduction of our Kidston Garden fuelled and expanded these programs with the most recent being Gramma D's hearty home-grown-home-made soups and the very popular Purple Potato Baked Fries. By allowing the students to help with the preparation, so many students are amazed that something so simple could taste SO good.
Gramma D shares about the origin of the extremely famous Purple Potato Baked Fries:
“With the last garden cleanup of the fall, students from Mrs. O’Brien’s grade 5/6 class found a bucket full of potatoes (pretty purple ones actually). So, the idea came to us to try ‘baked’ purple fries. Students helped by scrubbing, preparing and serving to their classmates. They ended up being the "best fries ever" (students’ words!). The best part of this experience is seeing how proud the students are doing this; to be able to make something that tastes so good and share this with their classmates really sparked excitement throughout the school. So, how can I stop at one class? With potatoes provided through a Creighton Valley fundraiser, I’ve been able to provide this experience for other classrooms. It's become a wonderful opportunity for students to try their hand at some culinary experience and motivate some to try this at home”.
To make this tasty and simple recipe at home, find Gramma D's Baked Fries recipe below. Be sure to have your children show you their skills!
Gramma D’s Baked Fries
Cut potatoes to whatever size you’d like or if you have one, chuck potatoes in the fry cutter
Drizzle some olive oil and salt and bake a single layer on a cookie sheet. (If they are piled up on sheet they don’t crisp up as well).
I recommend parchment paper on the tray for easy wash-up but not necessary.
Bake on high heat at 450 F until they start to brown and crisp. Stir a couple times to distribute the browned edges.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
We sure feel so fortunate to know Gramma D’s dedication, green thumb passion and healthy food fun will continue to spread to the students at Kidston Elementary School.
