The Great Big Crunch:A special day dedicated to locally grown produce and ending with a synchronized bite into a crunchy fruit or vegetable. 

FoodShare’s Great Big Crunch invites students and teachers to learn about healthy eating and local and global food systems while following our food’s journey from seed, to harvest, to market, to table!

New for 2013! This year, due to Ontario's devastating shortage of apples, The Great Big Crunch will be extended to include all locally grown, crunchy fruits or vegetables. Now you and your students can choose what to crunch on March 7th!

When:The 2013 Great Big Crunch is Thursday, March 7 at 2:30pm E.S.T - but you can crunch anytime! Don't forget to register with us; we want to count your crunches towards the grand total no matter when you do it, or what you crunch.

Who & Where:Anyone can participate, from students, teachers and individuals in classrooms, gymnasiums, recreational facilities, to homes, work places and communities across Ontario...and beyond!

Why Participate?The Great Big Crunch is a great way to get your students excited about Nutrition Month and knowing that they are a part of a cross-Canadian crunch adds even more ‘a peel’.

Whether your class participates in a day’s worth of activities, an afternoon or just one Great Big Crunch we hope your students come away from the experience with an enhanced interest in and understanding of local produce, from seed to table.

To promote, celebrate and enjoy healthy snacking 

To highlight availability of locally grown produce all year round 

To use fruits and vegetables as the centerpiece for activities on cooking and tasting, nutrition, soil and composting, sustainability, community development and more! 

The Great Big Crunch 2013 Activity Samples

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How to Take the 2013 Great Big CrunchRegister with us by downloading the registration form from our website at www.foodshare.net/great-big-crunch.

Download FoodShare’s Great Big Crunch classroom activities from previous years, or develop your own.Spread the word by emailing your friends, colleagues and networks, liking FoodShare Toronto on Facebook, and using Twitter (#greatbigcrunch) to gain momentum for the event.Purchase locally grown fruits or vegetables (or both!) for the Great Big Crunch from your local green grocer, farmer’s market or supermarket.  At 2:30pm E.S.T on Thursday, March 7 2013, run the Great Big Crunch in your school or classroom and enhance your students' understanding of our food system while having fun at the same time!Share, share, share! You could see your Great Big Crunch photos, activities or stories on our website by emailing them to thegreatbigcrunch@foodshare.net. In your email, please indicate that you've read and agree with the conditions outlined in our FoodShare Media Release Form, available from our website at www.foodshare.net/great-big-crunch.

Crunchy, Ontario-Grown Fruits and Vegetables:

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Fun Facts:Cucumber originated in India, where they have been grown for 3,000 years!Cucumbers are 95% waterIn Ontario, cucumbers are available in the colder months by being grown in greenhousesCucumbers are fruits, and grow on a vinePlacing cool, sliced cucumbers over the eyes is thought to reduce pu"ness or irritation

Recipe: Super Quick, Not So Spicy Dill PicklesIngredients:

1 large cucumber1/2 cup plain rice wine vinegar2 tablespoons sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 sprig of fresh dill

Directions:1. Thinly slice the cucumber and toss with the vinegar, sugar, salt and dill.2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.3. Drain and serve.(Adapted from kidchef.com)

Book: Cucumber SoupAuthor: Vickie Leigh KrudwigIllustrator: Craig McFarland BrownPublisher: Fulcrum PublishingAge Level: Four and up

Description: As other insects come to the rescue, from nine noisy mosquitoes to two praying mantises, it's the one #ea that provides the last bit of strength needed to move the cucumber. And all celebrate with cucumber soup (recipe is included). Full-color illustrations and informational text about each insect provide a basis for the perfect integration of science and math. (Amazon.com)

Cucumbers

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Activity: How To Stay Cool As A Cucumber This SemesterA common main ingredient in store-bought facial masks, cucumbers are known to hydrate

and soften the skin, strengthen it’s connective tissue, prevent water retention, reduce swelling and maybe even relieve sunburn! Try this facial mask with cucumbers past their “best before” date to reduce waste, and your tired or stressed students will thank you!

Place a cucumber in the fridge to cool Chop and blend the cucumber in a food processor Generously spread the blended cucumber onto a clean face Place cucumber slices on top of each eyelidLie down and leave on for 30 minutes Wash o$ with cool water and pat dry

(Source: natural-homeremedies-for-life.com)

Activity: Male or Female?These "owers are di#erent. Can you tell which of these "owers is male, and which is female?

The male #ower has a thinner stalk and grows closer to the vine’s stem. The female #ower has a miniature cucumber already growing at the stalk!

Why would a cucumber vine need both male and female "owers?For pollination! Bees and other pollinating insects visit the male #ower, collect pollen and deposit it on the stigma of the female #ower, fertilizing it.

Cucumbers

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Fun Facts:Pepper plants begin as seeds and can grow up to 3-4 feet tallPeppers are actually fruitsGreen peppers are really just immature red peppersSweet peppers come in many colours: orange, red, yellow, purple and brown!

Recipe: Vietnamese Rice Paper RollsRice paper rolls are such an easy and fresh way to inject a lot of salad ingredients into hungry bellies - and they’re so fun to wrap too!

Ingredients:Rice papers, available from most supermarketsRice noodles, cooked according to packet instructions and drainedThinly sliced peppers (any colour/s)

Directions:1. Pre-prep all of your %lling ingredients so they’re ready to go ahead of time.2. To get your rice papers ready, dip into a bowl hot water (not boiling, if working with students),

keeping hold of one edge so the paper doesn’t slide all the way in. Papers are ready to wrap when they’re soft and #imsy (a couple of minutes).

3. Lay your rice paper out #at on a plate or board and %ll with the noodles, peppers, cucumbers, carrots and any other ingredients you have available. Fold your rice paper rolls as you would a burrito, keeping ingredients in a vertical row and not too close to the edges (you want enough space around the outside to seal your rolls).

4. To seal, fold the bottom up before rolling length ways to form a cylinder shape.

5. Best served immediately with dipping sauce of choice.

Peppers

Thinly sliced cucumberThinly sliced carrotSweet chili, hoisin or other asian dipping sauceOptional extras: sliced beef or chicken (cooked), fresh herbs, sliced tofu, mixed greens, sprouts..

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Book: How Are You Peeling?Author: Saxton Freymann & Joost Ei$ersPublisher: ScholasticAge Level: Four and up

Description: Who hasn't looked at a fruit or vegetable and seen a funny face? In How Are You Peeling?-by the creator of the whimsical Play with Your Food- the "natural personalities" of produce are enhanced with black-eyed pea eyes and the occasional carved mouth- then photographed in vivid colors. One page reveals a wistful-looking poblano pepper being comforted by a cheerful red tomato, while another shows the amused, confused, frustrated, and surprised expressions of a green pepper, red pepper, orange, and apple.... (adapted from amazon.com)

Activity: Green Pepper Four Leaf CloversTry this fun St Patrick’s day craft with your students, using green peppers that are past their “best before” date to reduce waste.Materials:

Green peppers (with four chambers to look like leaves)Knife for cuttingGreen paintPaintbrush (or you can use your %ngers)PaperDecorating supplies (optional)

Method:1. Slice the peppers horizontally into 1 inch-thick slices2. Paint one side of the slice with the green paint3. Press onto the paper and make sure even pressure is applied all the way around4. Release and presto - you have a four leaf clover!(Adapted from kidsactivitiesblog.com)

Peppers

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CarrotsFun Facts:

The carrot is a member of the parsley family (think about their light, feathery green tops.)Carrots were originally purple in colour and were %rst bred to be orange in the 16th century in Holland.Carrots have more beta-carotene than any other fruit or vegetable. The liver converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, strengthening the immune system, and helping to keep the skin, eyes, lungs, and intestinal tract in order

Recipe: FoodShare’s Moroccan Carrot SaladHere at FoodShare, we love this sweet and spiced carrot salad! It makes a tasty side dish to our home cooked lunches, adding some crunch and colour to the plate.

Ingredients:1/4 cup unsweetened %nely shredded coconut1/4 cup olive oil1 teaspoon ground cumin3 large carrots, shredded

Directions:1. In a dry frying pan, gently toast the coconut on a medium heat until it just starts to change to a

light brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.2. In the same frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on a medium heat and add the cumin. Toast

cumin in the oil, watching closely and stirring gently to be sure not to let it burn, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

3. Place the carrots in a medium sized bowl. Add the remaining oil and toasted cumin and stir to combine. Cool brie#y.

4. Add lemon juice, raisins, cinnamon, sugar and coconut and mix well.

You can $nd this recipes and others in FoodShare’s $rst cookbook - Share! Available from our 90 Croatia Street location or on our website at www.foodshare.net.

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3-4 teaspoons)1/2 cup raisinsPinch of cinnamonPinch of granulated sugar

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CarrotsBook: How Are You Peeling?Author: Jan PeckPublisher: Orchard BooksAge Level: Ages 4-9Description: A tall tale about the power of teamwork. When sweet Little Isabelle’s family plants a carrot seed one day, tall Papa Joe, wide Mama Bess, and strong Brother Abel all do their part. But when Little Isabelle wants to help too, Brother Abel just laughs. “What can you do?” he asks. “I’ll sing and dance to the carrot to make it grow,” she says. “And come summer, we’ll have little cups of sweet carrot puddin’’”. Sure enough, that carrot takes a fancy to Little Isabelle’s singing and dancing and grows to an amazing height, proving that great things can be accomplished when everyone works together... (Adapted from amazon.com)

Activity: Carrot Top PlantingWindow Plant:1. Cut the top o$ a carrot leaving about ½ inch of the orange part and

the same amount of green stems if the carrot has already started sprouting from the top.

2. Press the carrot piece into damp sand or soil in a saucer or bowl. 3. Just put a little water into the dish if sand or soil are not available. 4. Soon pretty leaves will appear and hey presto you have a nice plant

to keep at a window in bright light!Hanging Plant: 1. Cut through the carrot, about 2 inches from the top, leaving any green stems. You can eat the

rest of the carrot.2. Now scoop out a small bowl in the cut side of the carrot using a melon baller or sharp paring

knife. Ask an adult for help. 3. Stick three strong pins equal distance apart into the carrot bottom to attach string to each.

Attach the three pieces of string so that you can hang the carrot from where they are tied together.

4. Keep the hollowed out carrot %lled with water. Soon the green stem will start to grow from the bottom. Very soon they will curl up around the carrot to make a ferny hanging plant.

(Activity sourced from carrotmuseum.co.uk and ehow.com)

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ApplesFun Facts:

Most of an apple’s nutrients are contained in the skinSettlers used apple tree bark simmered in water to make yellow dye for clothingThe crabapple is native to North AmericaFoodShare’s Great Big Crunch has brought over 380,000 crunchers together since 2008!

Recipe: Crispy, Crunchy Apple ChipsA simple, cheap recipe that students will love! These apple chips will be a hit on Great Big Crunch day.

Ingredients:Locally grown apples of choice (makes about 1 cup of chips per apple)Spices of choice: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, paprika, salt...

Directions:1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with

parchment paper.2. Using a mandolin, slice the apple very thinly. No need to

peel the apple or cut out the core. When you slice through the core, just remove the seeds from those few apple slices with your %ngers. Apples can be hand-sliced, however may take a little longer to cook and be a little less crunchy.

3. Arrange the apple slices in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, #ip the slices over, and bake for another 40-50 minutes until evenly browned, dry, and almost fully crisped. Cool the chips on the baking sheet. They will continue to crisp up as they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

4. Note: The chips may take longer to crisp up and dry out in more humid climates, so you may need to bake them longer if you live in a moist environment.

(Adapted from dailybitesblog.com)

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Book: Apples Here!Author & Illustrator: Will HubbellPublisher: Albert Whitman & CompanyAge Level: Ages 4-7

Description: Even in winter, there are apples here, hidden in the trees. And when spring comes, there are apples in blossoms. With beautiful, realistic paintings and spare text, Will Hubbell captures the change of the seasons, the excitement of apple-picking time, and familiar scenes of apples in our daily lives. (Adapted from amazon.com)

Activity: Apple Blossom Musical ChairsHere in Ontario, the spring of 2012 came early, prompting buds to turn into apple blossoms ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, during that same spring we also had a late frost, with temperatures dropping low enough to cause up to 90% of our apple blossoms to perish.

No apple blossoms + no pollination = no apples! Many people believe that irregular weather patterns are a result of climate change. Try this activity with your class to demonstrate how the environment can a$ect our food supply. In this activity, students will be buzzing bees, hungry for nectar from apple blossoms.1. Find a picture of an apple blossom online, or draw your own. Print or create enough so that

there’s one per student.2. Lay your apple blossoms out in a circle and have your buzzing bees (students) stand around the

outside.3. Play some music to signal the start of the game. Bees can “waggle dance” their way around the

outside, until the music stops. When the music stops, bees need to %nd a #ower to land on and collect the nectar and in turn, begin the pollination process.

4. Before playing the music to begin each round, take one or more apple blossoms out of the game for the following reasons: Erratic temperatures (frost or burn), drought, %re, pollution, hurricanes, cyclones or other extreme weather conditions.

5. You may choose to add apple blossoms (and bees) back into the game for favourable conditions: sunshine, rainfall, national park or protected space, tree plantings...

(Adapted from Field to Table Schools Pollination Patrol workshop, foodshare.net)

Apples

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