Kitchen Humanities: Bruschetta
Summary
In this 7th grade humanities lesson, students practice tasting and seasoning ingredients while preparing bruschetta.
Objectives
After this lesson, students will:
- Understand their individual contribution to the Bruschetta recipe
- Recognize when recipes are flexible and when they are precise
Assessments
During this lesson, students will:
- Collaborate to identify, choose, and complete jobs to execute the recipe
- Taste assorted vinegars and herbs to season their Bruschetta
Materials
For the Chef Meeting
- Bruschetta recipe
- Ingredients and tools for demonstration
- Visual aid
Ingredients
- Bread
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Assorted greens
- Assorted herbs
- Seasonal vegetables
- Assorted vinegars
Tools
- Chef knives
- Paring knives
- Bread knives
- Garlic peeler
- Mixing bowls
- Cutting boards
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoons
- Cast iron Dutch oven
- Metal spatulas
- Pastry brushes
- Sheet pans
- Parchment paper
Equipment
- Stove
- Griddle
Before You Begin
- Collect all the tools and ingredients, and then distribute them to the tables
- Set out assorted vinegars and herbs for tasting
- Gather the supplies for the Chef Meeting
- Create the visual aid
- Copy the Bruschetta recipe to hand out
Procedures
At the Chef Meeting
- Welcome the students back to the kitchen and introduce bruschetta as an Italian dish of bread that has been toasted, rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil, and then topped with seasonal vegetables.
- Explain that bruschetta is a flexible recipe, and ask the students to elaborate on the difference between a recipe that is flexible and a recipe that has to be followed precisely. With flexible recipes:
- Ingredients can change depending on the season and availability
- Seasonings can change depending on taste preferences
- Explain that the students will decide how to prepare different components of the bruschetta. Each group will choose how to cut the ingredients, and they will also decide which herbs and vinegars to use to season the vegetables.
- Demonstrate how to slice the bread thinly into rounds and how slicing the bread at an angle creates a larger surface area. Use the demonstration of slicing bread as an example of the types of decisions students will make while preparing the bruschetta.
At the Table
- Meet with the table groups and review the different ways to cut, cook, and season each ingredient.
- Review the recipe, check-in, and assign jobs.
- Prepare the recipe and set the table.
- Eat.
- Clean up.
At the Closing Circle
Ask students to think of additional toppings they could use to prepare this recipe at home.