Thanks, Diana!

We'd like to send out a huge thank you to Diana at Bickliegh Vale Nursery for the donation of a vast array of seedlings for our garden.
We will surely take great care of these and hope that we can share our produce with you at some stage! Thanks Heaps!!!!
Bickliegh Vale's wonderul, healthy and vibrant seedlings and produced can be found each week at the Willunga Farmer's Market, right next to Office and Image, adjacent the market square,

Happy Birthday Willunga Farmer's Market

Last Saturday, the Willunga Market celebrated it's 10th birthday. It was a wonderful occassion that marked a special day for the many organisers, stall holders and customers that have seen the market grow from humble beginnings in a hotel carpark, to a National Award winning promoter and source of quality, locally sourced food.
Guests and speakers included Minister for Health John Hill, federal member Amanda Rishworth, Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenber, local food icon Zannie Flannegan and Market Patron and world renowned chef Cheong Lieu. the celebrations also acknowldged to huge work done by Blue Cottage Almonds proprietor, Jude McBain, over the last ten years. Jude has also been a strong advocate for and important sponsor of our program at Aldinga Beach R-7 School.
So Happy Birthday Willunga Farmer's Market and many happy returns!

Welcome Fruit Loopz Aldinga

From everyone in the Kitchen Garden Team at Aldinga Beach R-7, to the team at Fruit Loopz Aldinga, WELCOME!

We are really pleased to acknowledge the support we have received this year so far from Dan at Fruit Loopz, the fresh fruit and vegetable shop within Aldinga Central Shopping Complex. They have been very generous with their contributions of surplus produce to our program, which has been happily transformed into tasty dishes by the students and volunteers in the program. We have also been able to make up some tasty jam from some of the excess fruit that has been donated so we can keep our fundraising going. So support the local businesses that support us and thanks Fruit Loopz!

Spring Vegetable Soup - Recipe of the Month

Serves:  30 tastes in the classroom

From the garden:  garlic, leeks, celery, zucchini, potatoes, parlsey, mint, chives

From the Pantry:  Olive oil, salt and pepper, frozen peas

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 leek

3 stick celery

2 Zucchini

2 large Potatoes

2 litres Vegetable Stock

2 cups Frozen Peas

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup Parsley

4 Mint leaves

approx 15 Chives

Equipment:

Knives

Chopping boards

Measuring cups

Bowls

Mezaluna

Stock pot

Method:

Wash all the vegetables carefully for preparation

Peel and crush the garlic and set aside

Slice the leek in half lengthways and thinly slice into half rounds and place in a bowl

Finely slice the celery and add to the bowl with the leek

Slice the zucchini in half lengthways and then half again, into quarter rounds and dice

Peel and dice the potatoes and combine with the zucchini in a bowl along with the 2 cups of frozen peas

Place a stock pot on to the stove and add the olive oil and garlic

Add the leek and celery and cook until they both soften

Add the potato , zucchini and peas and cook for 2 minutes

Add the stock and bring the soup to a boil

Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables soften

Check the soup for flavour and add salt or pepper where necessary

Meanwhile, finely chop the herbs using the mezaluna to garnish the soup

SA COMPOSTERS JOIN ALDINGA KITCHEN GARDEN

The Kitchen Garden Team is delighted to Welcome Matt and the SA COMPOSTERS Crew to the Aldinga Beach R-7 Kitchen Garden Program.

SA Composters have been supplying South Australia with rich living soils, compost, mulch and other garden products for over twenty years and are regular stall holders at the Willunga Farmer's Market, another of our supporters. Matt has kindly supplied a huge quantity of compost and mulch at hugely discounted prices to help get our orchard underway and looking beautiful. So thanks SA COMPOSTERS and don't forget to support them if you can and go to the Friends of the Kitchen Garden Program to find a link to their website.

Spring Fever in the Garden!

Spring fever has hit Aldinga and we are really excited with our latest developments, including the reycling of old form work into new raised garden beds, the installation of the chook shed and paving and the awesome hothouse! We were lucky enough to have a bunch of hardworking volunteers join the Garden crew last weekend and the hothouse area was paved and the structure assembled and erected. The hothouse is now going great guns, giving our seedlings a huge boost in the right direction. The weather has been mixed in Aldinga lately, with some cold nights, chilly mornings, cloudy and sunny days and some rain getting sprinkled around too!
Helen McGrice and Mick Fishlock have nearly completed the rendering on the orchard wall and planter tank which looks incredible and really sets of the beautiful mosaics created by students involved in the program.
Our Eat Well Be Active Garden is progressing really well, with a big crop of onions, monster garlic, artichokes, Warigal greens and Rhubarb growing strongly. We have also added some pumpkins to ramble and some aspargus into the beds also.

Some recycled formwork has been screwed together, lined with plastic and geotextile and stencilled to create a fantastic new raised bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chook shed...now to add the run and the chooks!

The Kitchen kicks off...

Finally, after a wait that seemed like an eternity, our kitchen is finished and open for action. We have been so pleased with the end result - check out the other pics in the Kitchen photos page via the link on the right hand side. The kitchen really is the jewel in the crown of our newly re-developed building and we could not be happier with what we have ended up with. With 6 sinks, four ovens, 3 electric and 3 gas cook tops, plus fridges, massive amounts of storage and a bright, well lit contemporary space, we have created an asset to our school community that will serve up the benefits of healthy home grown food for many years to come.