Cooking with Kumu's - 6/20/2014

Cooking With Kumu's

Today, the class learned how to turn the organic vegetables in our garden into a healthy snack. Early in the morning, we got down into the dirt and picked our most abundant vegetable, the Japanese white radish, Hakurei.

Mr. Matsumoto gave the class a lesson on Hakurei and why they are so helpful to have on hand. First of all- they are easy to grow (which is why we have so much). Hakurei is also an ingredient that can be used in so many different dishes- whether eaten raw or fried on the stove. Lastly, Hakurei is quickly made and does not require much effort.

Ms. Kirkland heated up our pan as we gathered around her. She used some Kauai sea salt and extra virgin olive oil to season the Hakurei. She fried up the all the ingredients and then we got to try them. Surprisingly, they were delicious! As students, we were impressed by Ms. Kirkland's easy recipe and how it was tasty, yet healthy.

This lesson taught us how to make a simple recipe using the ingredients we have around us. It also saves us money and teaches us how to be sustainable. Being able to pick something that you grew and turn it into a meal taught us how fun it can be and that when we grow older, this can be a lifestyle. It got us thinking of how we can grow our own food at home and even cook for our family.