Eighth Graders Learn about WWII Through Cooking.

Written by the eighth grade class

On April 1, Nobleboro Central School eighth grade students visited FARMS at the CLC-YMCA to make traditional foods that may have been available during World War II. Virginia Hill, a volunteer at the YMCA, informed the eighth grade class about what it was like growing up in the 1940s. 

During World War II, food was scarce for many Americans. To compensate for this, many people grew victory gardens. Victory gardens were grown locally through schools and homes in order to produce more food during the wars. Young children were given jobs such as going around to houses collecting grease to make soap for the soldiers fighting in the wars. Some foods, such as bananas and oranges, were sparse because they were sent to the soldiers fighting overseas. The availability of ingredients determined what the meals of locals would be.

After Virginia told the students about life as a child in the 1940s, the class was split up into three groups. All three groups had a specific recipe. One was potato leek soup and sautéed chard, the second group made roasted beets and another made apple crisp for dessert. All of these dishes were easy to make in World War II, with the provided supplies. The roasted beets were one of the main entrees. They consisted of beets, lemon and orange juice, honey, and olive oil. 

Ellen Durgin, a volunteer for the FARMS program, taught the students how to peel and then cube the beets. The cubes were then placed on a cookie sheet and coated with olive oil. Meanwhile, other members of the group were putting a mixture together for the sauce. A lemon and an orange were grated for zest and then squeezed for their juice. The juices were put together in a bowl, along with a little bit of honey and then mixed into a thicker sauce. The beets were then placed on parchment paper, which did not exist during WW II, but was used to simplify process. Once the sauce was completely mixed, it was placed over the beets. The beets and the sauce were mixed together and placed in the oven to roast.

The potato leek soup was made with two vital main ingredients: potatoes and leeks, along with several herbs, while the sautéed chard was made with rainbow chard, garlic, and lemon. Many of the students were cautious when it came to the soup because it was so different from anything many of them had tried. In a surprising twist, the soup was a crowd favorite and many students went back for seconds, a luxury that was not afforded to many children in the 1940s.

Citrus fruits were uncommon in the typical household during World War II, for the majority of them were sent to soldiers. When fruits like apples were available, a common dessert that was made was apple crisp. The majority of the students tried something new, whether it was using an apple corer for the first time or tasting new foods.

“I tried new foods that I never thought I would like, and it was a great experience,” said Alden.

  

For the last six years these students have had the opportunity to learn from the FARMS program two times each year. The NCS eighth graders are grateful for the opportunities that they have been given through the program, as well as the culinary experience that they have gained. They hope future classes will learn as much as they have over the years and take advantage of the skills they have learned.