For our final lesson of the unit, the second graders watched a short video from Foodwise Kids called What’s Cool About Farmers Markets? We talked about the many markets there are around the city of San Francisco and how what’s available changes with the seasons.
In the kitchen, we made our own California version of trifle, a traditional English dessert. Everyone got busy zesting Cara Cara oranges, blood oranges, and Tango tangerines. We mixed the freshly grated zest with California orange blossom honey and yogurt from Bellwether Farms in Petaluma. The chefs juiced some of the citrus and made a citrus salad with the rest. They also made whipped cream by hand. Each student got to assemble their own trifle, starting with a base of homemade olive oil cake, then fresh citrus juice and California extra-virgin olive oil, then the yogurt, then fruit, then more layers and a final topping of whipped cream and an edible flower garnish.
This was a super fun project to do on a beautiful, sunny day, and it really showcased the best of what California farmers and food producers have to offer. The grand finale of our time together this year was a field trip to the Thursday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. We can’t wait to see this group again in third grade!
