Getting ready to grow ... Muir of Ord Gardeners visit Tarradale's Tunnel

Roy and Eleanor of Muir of Ord Gardening Club checking out the potential of the Tarradale Tunnel.

The polytunnels RoWAN have provided to Tarradale and Muirtown Primary Schools are not just for pupils and staff to enjoy - but members of their communities too. Hopefully with a bigger pool of interested growers the limitations of the school timetable and holidays won't stop some fantastic projects taking place. The next few months provide valuable time to plan prepare and plot for the edible treats ahead.

Let us (toni.clark(at)rowan.org.uk) know what you do over the winter to keep your polytunnel in good shape

Cooking to save money (and waste) and Charleston Community Complex

Getting to grips with filo pastry for samosas

Here's a similar recipe to the one Ali made up on the night
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/potatoandpeasamosas_86618

Home-grown tomatoes are often freely available from neighbours and friends

Fresh herbs add flavour to your dishes and colour and scent to your garden. Chepaer than buying dried ones.

During only 2 hours we made rissoles, pasta, ravioli, pasties, gnocchi,

 soup and tomato sauce.

We are hoping to run more sessions very soon, if you are interested in coming along - please get in touch. Email toni.clark(at)rowan.org.uk

Next round of food waste audits coming up

Just a reminder that Norman and Toni will be visiting you soon to carry out another survey of waste produced at school lunchtimes. We are Dingwall Primary this week and Dingwall Academy next, and hopefully all other schools before the end of the year.
These audits are important as they are the last ones of the three-year R U Up 4 It? project and it's vital we have record of how well everyone has done at reducing the amount of food and packaging that gets thrown away at lunchtimes. It'll help plan what happens next.

Inverness schools now have their food waste collected so let's see if that makes a difference to how much of their school lunches pupils throw away.

Please get in touch if you've got dates you'd like us to come in for. The only space needed is enough for four boxes and room for pupils to get access to put their waste in the right one.

Boxes for sorting cooked food, uncooked food, packaging and drinks containers

Weighing the waste at the end is always popular and gives everyone an idea of how they might do better next time.

Kinmylies Eco Group members make their very own yummy pear smoothies.

Pick a few pears from the school garden

Cut the pears into quarters

Peel carefully

Put the pears with a chopped banana in the pan

  Some of the Eco Group tasting their own Pear Smoothie.

Karen the school's cook loves working with the pupils

 

 

and absolutely no waste - except the pear peel and banana skin which went on the compost heap ...