We prepared a traditional East African breakfast this week that no one in our class (including teachers) had ever tasted before. Uji is made from corn, millet, and sorghum flours and our recipe included coconut sugar and coconut cream that helped give the porridge a smooth, creamy texture.
It was wonderful to share our table with special guests Ms. Francis on Tuesday and Mr. MacBurney on Wednesday and to discover a new tisane (lemon verbena, which grows in the Harvey Milk school garden) that many of the kids really liked.
I noticed this week how much teamwork is required to execute a recipe and how much patience it takes to wait until everyone is served before diving in to eat. Cooking together forces us to apply so many skills that we need in life outside the kitchen doors!
Students were able to relate the familiar food oatmeal to the unfamiliar food uji, which is made with different grains but a similar method of preparation.
I was really impressed with how our Thursday class came up with their own system of ensuring that everyone had a chance to do the coveted job of stirring - 10 revolutions, then switch!
We topped our uji with toasted coconut, sliced bananas, blueberries, and a drizzle of local Mission District honey.
