Lewisboro Elementary Students Reap Harvest for Soup Day

Editor's Note: What follows is user-generated news. If you would like to post your news to Patch, for detailed instructions.

Lewisboro Elementary School reaped the second harvest from their new edible schoolyard last week, and celebrated with a school-wide soup day.

On Tues. Sept. 20, students, teachers and parent volunteers harvested, prepped and cooked vegetables from their organic garden; the next day parents and fifth graders served the entire school the delicious harvest soup (recipe) for the first "soup day" from this garden.

The garden was in the school's inner courtyard. It consists of nine raised beds with drip irrigation. A first harvest of spring vegetables occurred in June and students munched the produce during the school's first "salad day." Volunteer families rotated throughout the summer to keep an eye on the garden's progress.

Now students will now plant kale, potatoes and more for third harvest later this fall. 

The planting schedule was devised by second-grade teacher Denise Lupia. Michelle Colman heads the PTA committee on gardening, trails, and sustainability for the school. 

"The garden is a terrific way for the kids to have a hands-on learning experience about where their food comes from," Colman said. "And they love tasting the results—one student had five helpings of soup."

If you'd like to make their soup at home, they've shared the recipes below:

Harvest Soup

10 oz portabella mushrooms, chopped

2 yellow onions, peeled and chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

½ cup olive oil

2 bunches Swiss chard, tough stems removed. Leaves chopped

6 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups corn, sliced from cob

3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

1 28 oz can plum tomatoes, chopped

4 cups of cooked beans (Use kidney, black, cannelli or cranberry beans. Soak overnight, drain and then cook for 1 hour in fresh water to cover)

16 cups vegetable broth

1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (optional)

1 ½ lb pasta, any shape, cooked

salt and pepper to taste

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish

Heat oil in large stock pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute 10 minutes until soft.

Add mushrooms, Swiss chard, potatoes, corn, butternut squash, tomatoes, beans and cheese rind. Add enough vegetable broth to cover vegetables.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add more broth or water as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta. Cook 10 more minutes to warm pasta. Serve with extra grated cheese as garnish if desired.