From Plant to Plate, an Education in Food

In these classes, students learn how to cook for themselves. It’s a skill you don’t find on many high school curriculums and one that empowers and gives a sense of pride. It’s also an act of self-care. Learning to enjoy the process, noticing red streaks in a shiny leaf of lettuce, and falling into the meditative act provides a soothing and creative outlet. It also leads to a more balanced and healthy lifestyle. 

When it comes time to harvest, they love to snip away and can even be found nibbling leaves in secret. The time and care they spend nurturing these plants breeds a commitment that carries through to the final dish. “The kids will get really into it. When eating what they’ve made, they’ll shout out, “This is so good. I think I can taste the mustard in there!” “I can’t wait for the purple basil to show up,” Rochelle says, “It’s going to confuse the heck out of them.” She’ll hold up plants, have the students touch and smell, and ask them to guess what it is. “Thai Basil is always a really fascinating one.” 

So much of what Rochelle teaches is challenging what you think you know and encouraging students to imagine more. “You know how teachers give an assignment that’s not really about the assignment?” she says. She uses assignments as a vessel to think about the world beyond Huntington Beach. “The reason I like to introduce them to foods or cuisines that they’ve never had before is because I want to open their eyes to know that there is more to the world than what they know.” Wok Cooking is a great example. “Wok cooking is hot and fast. Think about why they would be cooking this way. It’s because they don’t have enough of a heat source to cook for long. They need to get it really hot and cook before their fuel burns out. That’s why you don’t see many baked goods from this part of the world. If I can say that to them, it starts them thinking critically.”