This week the theme is gardening. The children will have a lot of fun activities and crafts to do. Why not spread the learning at hoe and make some food together. Here are some recipes that look tasty and easy to do.
Vegetable Humus Garden
Ingredients
Broccoli
Carrots with stems
Green beans
Cucumber
Sweet mini peppers
Button Mushrooms
2 cups (or more) hummus
Pumpernickel bread
Instructions
Wash and prepare your vegetables. Peel your carrots but leave the stems attached. Cut the stems down leaving an inch or two at the top. Spread hummus about an inch and a half deep into a serving dish. You may need to cut down the height of your veggies to make sure that they stand up straight in the garden. Put 2-3 slices of pumpernickel bread into a food processor and blend to make crumbs. Shake the breadcrumbs across the hummus and arrange the vegetables how you like. Serve your hummus garden with the additional pumpernickel bread.
Strawberry Carrots
Ingredients
3/4 cup of orange candy melts (or white chocolate with gel food coloring)
10 Fudge-o cookies
Pint of strawberries with the tops on
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Melt the candy melts in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Melt for another 30 seconds. Dip clean strawberries in the melts and place them on the baking sheet to cool. Reheat the candy melts and add them to a piping bag. Drizzle across the berries and set aside to cool.
Place the cookies in a Ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Arrange the cookie crumbs on your serving dish to look like dirt. and lay the berries on top.
Zucchini Rose Tartlets
Ingredients
Deselect All 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (about 8 ounces) All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 1 small summer squash (about 6 ounces), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally 1 small zucchini (about 6 ounces), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally Nonstick cooking spray
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the puff pastry out to a 12-inch square on a floured work surface. Brush lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the cheese, thyme and lemon zest. Cut into 6 even strips.
Shingle alternating yellow and green slices of squash and zucchini along the length of each strip of dough making sure to leave half the dough strip uncovered and allowing the green and yellow skins to hang over one edge slightly. Fold the uncovered dough over the squash and pinch together at the two ends. Starting at one end, roll each strip into a spiral. Lightly press the rolled tarts into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake until the crusts are browned and crisp on the bottom, the top is dry and crisp and the squash is tender and browned on the edges, about 40 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Garden Cake
INGREDIENTS
For the pudding layer: 1 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 1/2 cups granulated cane sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 8 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the "dirt" layer: 27 chocolate sandwich cookies, filling removed 1/4 cup vanilla almond granola 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the "carrots": 8 large strawberries 1 1/2 cups orange candy melts, melted
For the "turnips": 4 large strawberries 1 cup white candy melts, melted 1/2 cup purple candy melts
For the "cauliflower" and "broccoli": 12 raspberries 1 cup green candy melts, melted 12 blackberries 1 cup white candy melts, melted Vegetable oil for thinning candy melts
For garnish: Mint leaves Basil leaves Edible flowers Mini pretzel sticks
DIRECTIONS
To make the pudding layer: Whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a large heavy-bottom dutch oven or 4-quart stock pot. Whisk in milk and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and the pudding becomes rich and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and butter.
Transfer the pudding to a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking dish and apply plastic wrap directly to the surface. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. If making individual cups: Transfer pudding to individual cups, apply plastic wrap to the tops and refrigerate.
To make the "dirt" layer: Meanwhile, add the chocolate cookies, granola, and salt to the jug of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a sand- or dirt-like texture.
Once the pudding has chilled, evenly sprinkle the crushed cookie mixture over the top and create 5 or 6 rows to look like a garden bed. Set aside.
To make the "carrots": Carefully pull back the strawberry stem and dip each strawberry into the melted orange candy melts until it reaches the base of each stem. Coat all 8 strawberries and set aside on parchment paper. If the candy melts are too thick, add a few drops of vegetable oil to thin the mixture.
To make the "turnips": Carefully pull back the strawberry stem and dip each strawberry into the melted white candy melts, coating it 3/4 of the way up. Next using an offset spatula or spoon to create their purple tops. Coat all 8 strawberries and set aside on parchment paper.
To make the "cauliflower" and "broccoli": Use a toothpick to dip the raspberries into the white candy melts and the blackberries into the green candy melts. Coat all berries and set aside on parchment.
To assemble: Once the vegetables cool, add texture using a toothpick and score lines into the root veggies for an extra-realistic-looking garden! Next, arrange the "veggies" in rows in the cookie dirt and garnish with mint, basil leaves, edible flowers, and pretzel sticks. Enjoy right away or keep refrigerated until serving.
To assemble the cups: Sprinkle the cookie mixture on top of each cup and garnish with one fruit "veggie" and some herbs and flowers.
EDIBLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE GARDENS
Yields: 6-8 small mason jars
INGREDIENTS
1¾ cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon flavorless, granulated gelatin
12 ounces high-quality chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli milk-chocolate)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum
8 Oreo cookies
Novelty candies such as gummy worms and rock-shaped chocolate pieces
PREPARATION
Place the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric mixer in the freezer to chill before beginning.
In a medium heat-proof bowl, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup of whipping cream. Set aside and allow gelatin to bloom for ten minutes.
In a second heat-proof bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and and stir in vanilla extract and rum. Set aside to cool.
Once bloomed, gently heat bowl of whipping cream and gelatin over the double boiler until just warmed, not boiling. Remove from heat and gently stir into melted chocolate.
Beat remaining 1½ cups heavy whipping cream in the chilled bowl of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Fold approximately one-third of the whipped cream into your chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold together the chocolate and remaining whipped cream until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
Divide mousse into desired number of servings and chill, uncovered, for at least an hour.
Place Oreos in a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin until a soil-like consistency is achieved.
Top chilled mousse with crushed cookies and candies, cover, and return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Mason Jars are an ideal container as they show off the layers while also providing a lid for sealing.
Sprigs of mint can also add an element of edible plants to your garden.
Hope some of these recipes will inspire you and the kids to make some garden themed food.
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