Echo Canyon School PTO

Today KJZZ Phoenix ran a special on Echo Canyon School, the gardens, Chef Char and Chef in the Garden. Listen or check out the transcript. A lot of the kid were interviewed. There’s quite a few nice photos too.

This James Beard-winning chef started a garden program at Echo Canyon. Now the school is closing Chef Charleen Badman’s Blue Watermelon Project has expanded to more than 50 schools across the state. This week, Badman visited the place where it all started to cook with the kids for the last time.

Finally, Chef Charleen Badman of FnB Scottsdale, prepared a flavorful medley of pickles, apples, and cucumbers at . Chef Char has been a fixture at Echo Canyon School of the years, hosting pop-up chef in the garden events for the students.

She is the founder and president of Blue Watermelon Project and has done so much for our school, as well as many others, to teach students about healthy eating and understanding where food comes from. She made so much of what you saw take place at CITG possible.

We hope you will visit Blue Watermelon at https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/ and learn more about their mission and their impact on students around the state. It's also a great place to learn more about our foods and find some pretty outstanding recipes, too.

Chef Tamara Stanger of Shift Kitchen & Bar made these amazing Juniper Blue Corn Cookies. Light and tasty they were the perfect wrap up to !

We're not sure what was more fun, tasting all these incredible dishes or seeing fresh mozzarella being made and seeing people walk around with their personal loaves of Noble Bread! Together, Jason Raduca and Chris Mendoza prepared a delicious dish for us to enjoy.

Watch Chris prepare Calabacitos Tacos in this Blue Watermelon Project video, https://youtu.be/LhJYEWROHgs?si=4c6iIs10KyqdDizv

See more chef-prepared videos and recipes at https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/resources-2

The amazing Tracy Dempsey of TDOriginals and ODV Wines mixed up a refreshing kale & spinach pesto with whipped ricotta & roasted strawberries. If you enjoyed this, check out her beet and watermelon salad that she prepares in this Blue Watermelon Project video, https://youtu.be/GDoClGfsa6U?si=Io1V6rpxKzejUd5- or download her recipe,https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/s/BWPCITG-Beets-Sept-2022-Eng-Final.pdf

Find more great Blue Watermelon recipes at https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/resources-2

We loved Chef Shannon Reina of Salt River Schools Poshol recipe at .

You can enjoy her same recipe at home! She shares it in this Blue Watermelon Project video, https://youtu.be/SJhItFw4-kw?si=NxygTKzBAZbdgVD9 or you can download it here,https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/s/BWPCITG-Dec-Wheat-Ed-Sheet-Eng-Final.pdf

Find more incredible recipes on the Blue Watermelon resources page, https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/resources-2

Just in time for summer, we have the watermelon salad that Chef Christa Chasse of Tratto prepared for !

She walks you through how to prepare this cool and refreshing dish in the Blue Watermelon Project video, here: https://youtu.be/irwiRI-bWts?si=9r_yyzvdXpUdN4fB or you can download it here:https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/s/March-2026-Watermelon-Student-Education-English.pdf

See more amazing Chef recipes at https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/resources

Chef Sasha Raj of 24 Carrots! made our favorite snack for - Rosemary Popcorn Trail Mix!

Check out her recipe for lentil tostadas by watching her Blue Watermelon Project video at https://youtu.be/fePXuQ1BhJ0?si=U48V9-uZKNNZklQ8 or download it here,https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/s/Lentils-Student-Education-Sheet-November-2024-EN.pdf

See more chef creations at https://www.bluewatermelonproject.org/resources-2