With the students in the YMCA’s after school program this week, we read “Tops and Bottoms” by Janet Stevens and talked about all of the yummy food that surprises us growing under the ground. Then we did a taste test of some of our favorite seasonal root veggies (carrots, turnips, and kohlrabi) both raw and pickled. We created sticker charts to show which we loved, liked, and didn’t care for. Most of the students hadn’t tasted (or even seen) turnips or kohlrabi before but they were very adventurous eaters and gave it a try (and most of them even liked it)!  Afterwards, we learned how to make our own quick pickles. We mixed up a basic brine that was half apple cider vinegar and half water, then added a little sweet (sugar), a little spicy (black peppercorns), a little salty (salt), and some coriander seeds and a bay leaf to top it off. We poured the brine over the sliced root veggies and left the jars with the students so they could sit soak.
Students were excited to visit the pop-up farmers market at the YMCA that weekend to teach their parents about root vegetables and pickling!