Cookbook Queen Stephanie Alexander’s growing passion for budding chefs 

It doesn’t matter which way you look at the life of Stephanie Alexander, you can’t help but be impressed.

The librarian-turned-chef, restaurant owner, and author is one of our nation’s greatest food educators partly in thanks to her game-changing cookbook, The Cooks Companion, regularly described as the ultimate kitchen bible. On of 20 the 84-year-old has written, the book has sold 500,000 copies and will be reprinted again next year to celebrate its 30th anniversary. If like me, you’ve lost count of the days and nights you pored over each page, you’d know it more than just a book full of fabulous recipes. For each ingredient showcased, there’s information on varieties, season, selection, storage, preparation and cooking. I’m certain my passion for growing vegetables and cooking for others went to a new level thanks to this iconic guide. It was, and still is lauded by some of the biggest names in the global culinary world such as Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Yotem Ottolenghi. But imagine having that sort of success and all the notoriety it brought and yet know in your heart it’s still not the achievement in your working life that you are most proud of.

The achievement that holds that coveted place, is the not-for profit Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, whose aim is to give Australian children positive food habits for life, through an experience-based kitchen garden program. Stephanie herself fell in love with food as a child thanks to her mothers accomplished cooking, and she believes that the earlier children are introduced to new flavours, the bigger their appetite will be for healthy meals, and all the rituals that come along with them.

Across the country, over 1000 schools and preschools are now involved in the program, where children grow, harvest, prepare and cook fresh, seasonal, delicious food. Often the excess produce is used in the centre or school’s kitchen or canteen or given away to local families.

Whilst some 100,000 kids participate in the program each year — its estimated that one million children, their families and broader communities have benefited since the foundation was established just over 20 years ago.

On Better Homes And Gardens this week, we catch up with Stephanie at St Clair Public School in Sydney which has been part of the program since 2011. They have a seriously enviable veggie garden, chicken coop and composting set up, and an even more fabulous kitchen, all overseen by passionate and enthusiastic staff who revel in seeing the joy and curiosity that this program brings out in students. They insist that the learnings they get from being in the garden and kitchen far transcend what you may first think. The children also learn about sustainability, ecology, recycling, various responsibilities, respecting others, along with time management.

Even though it’s a national program, recently, a generous philanthropist provided funding for 16 schools in Sydney’s west to become part of the Kitchen Garden Program. In Blacktown alone, residents come from 188 different birthplaces and speak 182 languages at home. It’s incredibly culturally diverse.

Joining us for the day was celebrity chef and Ambassador for the Powerhouse Museum, Kylie Kwong, who explained the very real impact the program has. The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program proves that food is the ultimate international language. It breaks down barriers quicker than anything else. It doesn’t matter where you originated from — every culture has food that they are connected by and are proud of. Children learn what types of different produce is required for each dish. Often, they won’t have seen a fresh vegetable before — let alone planted, watered, nurtured and harvested them. In this age of everything being instantaneous, it’s so wonderful for children to learn what goes into growing their own produce, how much time it takes . . . and then to discover and learn what to do with that produce once they harvest it.”

As Stephanie herself says, “It’s also hard to quantify the flow on effect. The children go home and share their experiences with their own families. They encourage them to grow herbs or vegetables themselves. They share stories with us, of having the confidence to cook for their parents or siblings. It gives me a thrill when I hear that. It ends up being so much more than just children learning about good healthy food and nutrition.”

That was certainly our experience on the day. The kids couldn’t wait to reel off to me dishes they’d made previously both in the school setting or at home. One young child told me how his family now focus on recycling around their home and compost all their food scraps after he showed them how to.

Another explained to me the best part of the program wasn’t even the food — it was learning about the role that all insects played in the garden, from the ants to the pollinators. It was music to my ears.

As Stephanie, Kylie and I got to watch these enthusiastic children cook a rosemary and salted focaccia bread, with a carrot and pumpkin pasta made by the students of St Clair Primary School under the watchful eye of their teacher Caz . . . it wasn’t just the delicious meal that warmed our insides. The legacy that Stephanie has created and that she is so passionate about was everywhere on display.

Check out our story tonight on Better Homes and Gardens on 7 and 7two, or you can always catch up on 7Plus.

Follow Johanna Griggs @johgriggs7