The vibes were high and the smells were delicious at Samuel Terry Public School on Darug Land as students from four NSW public schools put on their chefs’ hats for the annual Kitchen Garden Cook Off.

Students from Samuel Terry Public School, St Mary’s North Public School, Oatlands Public School and Toongabbie Public School got stuck into cooking a range of healthy and nutritious dishes, from rainbow fried rice to gozleme made with warragal greens.

The dishes were put to the test by a special judging panel, including Director, Educational Leadership, Jennifer Ribeiro, and Samuel Terry Public School Principal, Stephen Lockley. After tasting their way through the students’ creations, the judges crowned the gozleme the winning dish.

The Cook Off is part of the Kitchen Gardens program run by Penrith Lakes Environmental Education Centre, which gives students the chance to learn about growing, preparing and cooking food as part of their regular school learning.

The program has been running since 2017, with 117 schools across NSW now taking part.

Students garden one week and cook the next, giving them plenty of opportunities to get their hands dirty, try new foods and learn where their food comes from.

Penrith Lakes Environmental Education Centre Principal, Branimir Lazendic, known to students as ‘Mr Tall’, said the program was about much more than cooking and gardening.

“Food is so important, and knowing how to eat healthy is an important life skill,” Mr Lazendic said.

“It’s also about sustainability, First Nations history and culture and PDHPE. Following recipes is literacy, measurement is maths – it’s bringing the syllabus to life,” he said.

For Year 4 student, Ellie, from St Mary’s North Public School, the Kitchen Garden program has been a chance to have fun, learn new skills and try the food she has helped prepare.

“It’s really fun, but mainly I get to eat everything!” Ellie said.

She has particularly enjoyed learning how to turn vegetables into homemade chips.

“The best thing I learned is homemade chips from carrots, zucchini and potatoes - they make the yummiest chips,” she said.

For Year 6 Samuel Terry Public School student Kenzie, cooking is already a family affair.

“My nan and I are the bakers of the family and I love cooking, so it’s pretty cool to be able to do it at school,” Kenzie said.

Fellow Samuel Terry student Lexie, in Year 5, said taking part in the Kitchen Garden program had helped her discover a love of gardening.

“Doing the Kitchen Garden has shown me that I love gardening,” she said.

Through weekly cooking and gardening lessons, students are learning skills they can take home with them, while developing their teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills.

With plenty of fresh food, new recipes and muddy hands along the way, the Kitchen Garden program is helping students see that learning can happen well beyond the classroom.