From garden, to plate, to gradebook

Ms Khan’s Year 12 Hospitality and Catering students have been busy turning theory into (delicious) reality as they work toward their practical assessment for Unit Standard 13283: Prepare, assemble, and present salads for service. The roast vegetable, feta, and candied walnut salad they made last week was as tasty as it was colourful on the plate and earned successful students two credits.

Ms Khan says the value of hands on, practical work in food technology cannot be underestimated.

"When they step into the kitchen, I guide them in working like a professional chef would work," says Ms Khan. "This includes how the students are dressed, how they communicate, and how they ensure a safe and hygienic workspace at all times," says Ms. Khan.

Isaac Carr (Year 12) says the challenge was a great way to end a busy week of school — and of course, getting to sample the finished product. “We used our roasting skills from Year 11 Hospitality to perfectly season and roast the vegetables, then put together the dish with its unique sauce and garnish of feta,” he says. “It was a pleasant, warm salad, with the roasted kumara and potato offering hints of pepper that complemented the tang of vinegar in the sauce, topped off with a nice creamy finish from the feta.”