Chef Jodi recently visited Olivewood Gardens and met with their program director, Callie Burst, to learn more about the center’s mission and impact on the San Diego area.
Olivewood Gardens is one of the few school garden programs in the country that emphasizes food preparation along with garden cultivation, teaching children and adults not just to grow but how to cook – and enjoy – tasty, healthy, whole foods. It is the only center of its kind serving San Diego County’s three million rural, urban and suburban residents.
It also offers an array of programs, from gardening classes and field trips to weekly tours, and of course, cooking classes! During these classes, students receive lessons from chef educators or guest chefs and participate in hands-on culinary interaction. Each class highlights age-appropriate, easy, wholesome recipes that feature seasonal produce from its garden, with the hope that students walk away with an increased sense of knowledge about healthy foods, as well as an increased desire to consume fruits and vegetables.
Chef Jodi was so impressed with the center’s nutrition education programs that she is looking to guest chef at some of the Garden’s cooking classes this fall. With her love of locally grown produce and farm-to-table cuisine, Olivewood Garden’s reflects the backbone of what Lajollacooks4u is all about.
“Teaching folks how to grow their own food and to nourish their bodies with fresh seasonal produce is so important for a healthy lifestyle,” she said. “We are so fortunate to have this amazing resource in our community.”
For more information, please visit www.olivewoodgardens.org.
