Thanks to Mr. Aisea, a native of Tonga and a wonderful community partner, 4th graders harvested 50 lbs of cassava (often known as tapioca). Cassava is a staple food for much of the world but is relatively unknown in Hawaii. The plant grows easily in poor soil and has been growing on our campus for more than a year. The students are expanding the cassava growing area by covering the weedy grass with mulch in preparation for new plantings.
Favorite student recipes:
cassava chips (slice cassava very thing and deep fry in canola oil, add pepper flakes, spiced paprika or popcorn spices for flavoring)
cassava fries (baked with oil and salt or fried)
mashed cassava (boil cassava until very soft and mash like potatoes, add salt to taste)
