Homemade salsa in just 2.5 minutes.

[slideshow] No joke folks.  Last Friday we were in our Jefferson High garden with students from Ms. Kelley's art class.  We lost a little time getting to the garden.  And, we were a bit distracted with the lunch time music our neighbor school, New Tech, was pumping out just outside the garden gates.

Still, after getting our reluctant kids to eat blanched broccoli, salted tomatoes and caramelized bell peppers, they were DOWN for busting out some salsa, even with just 5 minutes left in the class period.  "Go to it!"  we challenged.  They didn't mess around.  Garlic got minced, cilantro picked, tomatoes diced.  They even took the time to season it all with the right amounts of lime and salt.

Who says healthy food takes too long to cook? In less than 4 minutes, these kids were munching on blue corn chips and their own homemade salsa.  High five young chefs.

You're Gonna Wanna Eat Your Veggies - at All People's!

[slideshow] Last week we took our "You're Gonna Wanna Eat Your Veggies" road show to All People's Christian Center,  just a mile from Jefferson High School and our headquarters at the Ralph Bunche House.  All People's runs a branch of the Central High School program, offering students from the age of 16-20 years old, who may have difficulty succeeding in the traditional school environment, the opportunity to acquire a high school diploma.

We were particularly excited to connect with this crew of kids when we heard... that the American Friends Service Committee has been working with the youth to install and maintain their own garden at the Center.   The teachers at All People's have been using the garden as an educational tool to get kids' hands and minds on fresh locally grown foods. 

All People's offers numerous invaluable programs to the community, from after school enrichment programs for youth of all ages, to free produce distribution.  We talked with youth and their teachers, about the possibility of developing a cooking demonstration program that would help promote the free produce that tends not to get snatched up so quickly.  Cabbage, for instance, even when offered for free, tends to go slowly.  The kids could develop and share recipes that encourage neighbors to take whatever specific produce is being offered up for the week.

Thanks guys for inviting us in for the day!  We hope you'll come join us at the Ralph Bunche House for our Thursday after school cooking classes from 2:45-4:45, or at the Jefferson High Garden on Tuesdays from 1-3.

No sorry, we don't have donuts - (today).

[slideshow] The high schoolers who took the PSATs at Jefferson High last Saturday rolled out of their classrooms looking less than thrilled. "Was it awful?" we asked. "Yup." they confirmed. They'd heard they were going to get a little food refueling by RootDown LA after their tests.

"Got a donut?" the first girl who reached us asked. "Are you kidding?"  we laughed.  We love donuts.  We don't, however feed them to kids to refuel them after PSATs.  Sorry.

Slowly though, the kids lined up to receive samples of our homemade salsa, veggie quesadillas and Mediterranean veggie wraps.  While standing in line, we entertained them with our lively nutrition lessons.  We used the bags of chips they pulled out of their back packs, to compare those ingredients with the ones in our food that day.

Teachers, families, all started to gather around for our food mural lesson. They were amazingly willing to engage in conversation about how the food system has changed.  How we're eating too many processed foods and not enough whole foods.  How we're getting a lot of calories and sugar and additives nowadays, but not all the nutrients that fresh fruits and vegetables can supply.

One family in particular, the Carventes, stuck around to discuss at length, what RootDown LA is up to in the school and surrounding community. "You have a garden?  Here at Jeff?"  the father asked in Spanish (our kids are stellar translators). "Si, un jardín." we confirmed.  We've started to cook and work there after school on Tuesdays. He looked at his son and told him ,"You should go there next week." We agreed.

Thanks to the Network for a Healthy California, whose 3 year grant is allowing us to expand our programming further into the community to reach not only students but their parents and all our neighbors surrounding Jefferson High School.    RootDown LA - you're  gonna wanna eat your veggies!