our fixation withraw veggie pastas is no secret (spiralize all the things!) But leave it to our friends at Heirloom LA to take the romance one step further. This recipe from Heirloom LA’s Chef Matt Poley is utter fall magic. Ingredients were gathered from the garden classroom at L.A.’s Garden School Foundation, an organization established to teach L.A. schoolkids about gardening and farm-to-table eating in the most practical of ways.
Here’s Heirloom LA’s Tara Maxey to tell us about the classroom session and the delightful way this recipe made its debut…
Can you imagine your 3rd grade science class taking place in a lush, edible garden every other week? Imagine still, that the outdoor-based curriculum encourages exploration and creativity as it strengthens the connection between academics, health, and environmental awareness. Garden School Foundation (GSF) is one of the non-profits HeirloomLA is excited to actively support throughout the year as it provides this kind of education to under-served public schools in Los Angeles. So awesome, right?
Garden School Foundation’s garden instructors are highly skilled in sustainable horticulture and nutrition. But they recently requested to supplement their working knowledge with some professional culinary tips from our chef, Matt. With produce freshly picked from their one acre, outdoor classroom (which can be found at 24th Street Elementary School here in L.A,) our chef Matt demonstrated how to securely grip a knife as if it were an extension of one’s arm (no loose wrists), and how to hold the produce so that all fingers are shaped like a bear claw (which protects them from the blade). The children use plastic knives for their classes but proper form is a good habit to get into when preparing food!
Here Matt shows the teachers how to make linguini “noodles” with raw, sliced zucchini and a bruschetta made of a collected medley from the garden.
Zucchini Noodles with Bruschetta
Tools:
cutting board
sharp knife
mixing bowls
towels or strainer
Ingredients:
For the zucchini:
2 each zucchini, washed, deseeded
4 tablespoons kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
extra virgin olive oil
soft herbs, sliced thin (basil, mint, tarragon, etc)
1-2 lemons
For the bruschetta:
ripe vegetables or fruit
salt
soft herbs, chopped
an acid like lemon or lime juice or vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
For the zucchini:
Thinly slice zucchini in long strips or rounds and place into a bowl. Add salt to soften the “noodles” and mix well. Set aside.
Meanwhile, make a bruschetta (see below)
Place “noodles” in a strainer and rinse thoroughly to wash out salt water. Drain and place in a towel to pat dry.
Gently mix with bruschetta and serve.
For the bruschetta:
Take any ripe vegetable or fruit, chop and season with a touch of salt (because your noodles will be salty so you may not need much, taste to be sure) and pepper. Let rest for five minutes in a bowl.
Meanwhile chop a handful of any soft herb (such as basil, mint, tarragon, chervil, cilantro, parsley, etc). Add to bowl.
Next add acid (such as lemon or lime juice or vinegar) and toss together.
Then add olive oil. It is important to add bruschetta ingredients in this order so the flavors penetrate the vegetables/fruit before they are coated with the olive oil. The olive oil locks in all of the above flavors.
