World famous chef Alice Waters got the idea for the "Edible Schoolyard" after driving past Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School on her way to and from work. "I was troubled by what I could see from the street. The school didn’t look so good," Waters said. "In fact, it almost looked abandoned."

Principal Neil Smith read Waters’ remarks in an interview and the Edible Schoolyard was born – transforming concrete into a thing of beauty. The other thing that sets this program apart from other school gardens is the kitchen connection. Kids are taught how to prepare the foods they grow in the garden. Here’s the recipe for good old-fashioned succotash that was prepared the day Pat McConahay visited the kitchen.

SUCCOTASH
6 ears fresh corn
4 lbs. fava beans in the shell
7 cups milk
2 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. pepper

Method:
Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Shell the beans. If beans are fresh, blanch them to remove the outer jacket. In a large pot melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Sauté the corn and beans until tender (about five minutes). Add milk, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

If you have comments or questions about this story, please E-mail Producer/Reporter Pat McConahay at pmcconah@kvie.org.