The Brussel Sprout by Jeanie Axton

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I do not like Brussel sprouts

No no, not at all

One there sitting on my plate

Was it ready for a brawl?

My plan of thoughtful attack

Let it go straight down my snout

Swallow that green ball whole

Yes, Ive worked it out 

But Alas, this did not occur

putting me in quite a state

Coughing hard it flew right out

Landing on my sisters plate

My sister she was horrified

Mum was raving mad

I sat and widely grinned

Announcing “ Sorry, Mum my bad!” 

Not one has passed my lips since then

Those green and slimy sprouts

From that day until presently 

I’m happy to do without.

“Monster Veggies” by J.R. Poulter

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Veggie Monster – teacher notes –

Activity – Class debate on “Advertising and Prime Time TV, Their Role in Demonising Vegetables” 

Activity – Make up an advertising campaign to popularise vegetables. Research TV advertisements and  prime time TV shows to see what sort of food is promoted and how. I can think of one popular TV soapie, which has its cast eating pizza and drinking beer in most episodes. What does this say to young viewers. 

Note what sort of advertisements come on between 4.00pm and 8.00pm, the time many children, families and young folk would be watching TV. How might you use your campaign to change this?

Activity – Make up recipes with vegetables as the main ingredients – they must be delicious enough that YOU would want to eat them! If there are any vegetarians in the class, ask them to be a consultative panel and to judge the result of the class cooking attempts to make veggies into taste tempting foods! 

Activity: Australians have ‘adopted’ vegetables from all over the world.

Create a world map and  paste labels bearing the names of common vegetables used in Australia on their countries of origin.

 Activity: Are there vegetables that are native to Australia? Study the  foods grown and gathered by various Aboriginal groups. If possible, invite a local indigenous leader to discuss with the class the native foods they used and how they prepared them.

“Brassica Bonanza” by Celia Berrell

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Brassica Bonanza

(Brassica oleracea)

 

The humble wild cabbage

named Brassica o

looks more like a weed

than the veggies we know.

 

Through breeding (like dogs)

to enhance special traits,

there’s more than one

Brassica o on our plates.

 

Selecting big leaves gives us

Kale, Collard Greens,

while breeding big buds

grows the cabbage we’ve seen.

 

Exaggerate flowers and

what have we got?

Some huge heads of Broccoli

served steaming hot.

 

Those cream Cauliflowers

are Brassicas too.

ONE PLANT: MANY VEGGIES

And so good for you!

 

Broccoli-Broccoli by Katherine Gallagher

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Broccoli-Broccoli-

Higgeldy Pie . . .

 

For a balanced diet,

why don’t you try

Broccoli-Broccoli-

Higgeldy Pie?

 

Buy it by the basin

buy it by the jar,

buy it by the kilo

and sing oh la la.

 

Everyone says

it’ll make you strong —

a buccaneer will tell you

you can’t go wrong

 

with Broccoli-Broccoli-

Higgeldy Pie.

Come on, risk it,

it’s do or die . . .

Katherine Gallagher

Poem of the Day

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KALE

by Kaye Baillie

 

Kale is not a thing of beauty

matt deep green leaves

as dark as night

their underside a network

of wrinkled veins.

Washed

ready for the pot

but there is a surprise!

Glistening glass-like watery jewels

shine and shiver

trapped in membrane pockets

soon to be darkened leaves

again.

 

 

Poem of the Day

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The Rainbow Fairies

By Bridh Hancock

 

As I thought that I should die from

Eating what ain’t food for me,

I thought I saw, out through the window,

A rainbow there for me to see.

 

Now, rainbows bless, with mystic colours,

Evening skies quite magically;

Arching all the way up and over

From here to there — where that may be.

 

But this was quite another rainbow

Beckoning me to come outside.

How it sparkled in sequined splendor!

I saw Fairies down it slide.

 

Then they flew up, vanishing skyward —

This as only Fairies might. —

Oh, such beauty! — razzling! dazzling! —

Extra-squisite! What a sight!

 

The rainbow plonked down in our garden,

Out the back and down the yard,

Awesoming the veggie-patch

Of radish, cabbage (Yuck!) and chard.

 

I, alone in all the world,

Stopped to stare where, in the mud,

This singularly special, riveting rainbow

Quite transformed our humble spud.

 

Fairies in twenty different colours

There did spin and dance and sing,

And, having caught my startled attention,

Pointed with finger, toe, and wing

 

To where grew artichokes, Brussels sprouts,

Caulis and (Blagh! No-thanks!) Broad beans,

Then shouted with the voice of parents,

“Do as you’re told and eat your greens!

Yes, all your veggies and greens!”