Harvesting Health: St Mary’s Students Bring Butternut Squash to the Table
At St Mary’s, learning goes beyond the classroom – it extends right into our school garden! Recently, members of the Garden Guardian group harvested the final crop of the season: a bountiful batch of butternut squash. After months of nurturing the plants from seed to harvest, the students were thrilled to see such an abundant yield.
Rather than letting the harvest go to waste, the Garden Guardians decided to share their organic produce with the school’s catering team. Our school chef was delighted to receive the fresh, home-grown butternut squash and excitedly began planning a special menu to showcase this versatile vegetable.
To highlight the different flavours and uses of butternut squash, the chef prepared a variety of delicious dishes, including:
- Butternut Squash Soup: A creamy, comforting option perfect for the autumn weather.
- Curry Chickpeas with Butternut: A tasty, spiced dish packed with flavour and nutrients.
- Butternut Mac and Cheese: A hearty, cheesy favourite with a healthy twist.
These dishes were served to students and staff during lunchtime, and the response was overwhelmingly positive! Comments included: “Excellent!” “It’s really nice, I’d have it again!” and “Yummy, colourful, deliciousness!”
This project perfectly illustrates the journey of food from field to fork – how patience and care in growing fresh produce can lead to delicious and healthy meals. It also encourages us all to think about where our food comes from and the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown ingredients.
Congratulations to the Garden Guardian group for their hard work and to the catering team for turning their harvest into tasty treats! We can’t wait to see what the next season’s harvest will bring.
