Another Beautiful Thursday in the Garden

It was a beautiful morning in the garden with 32 kids participating! Kids worked in the garden with Pam and Shirley picking, weeding and of course lots of watering. Many of the older kids continue to work on their own gardens that are part of the Teen Challenge. Each garden is unique in its own way and they are coming along very well. Several kids headed into the kitchen to try their luck at Ruth's Amazing Chocolate Fudge recipe which was made from beans. It was delicious! The Junior Master Gardeners had a session of Fruit Frenzy where they guessed and then actually counted the number of seeds in each fruit. I'll leave you with the fudge recipe and hopefully you will join us for Thursdays in the Garden from 10 am - 12 noon.
2 1/2 Tbsp margarine or butter
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans (one 15 oz can equals 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup dried cherries (optional)

Spray a 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; set aside. Melt margarine and baking chocolate together. Warm the beans 1-2 minutes in microwave. This makes them easier to mash and the fudge easier to stir. Combine the beans and margarine/chocolate mixture in a food processor or blender and mash. Scrape bean mixture into a bowl, add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually mix in powdered sugar--mixture will be stiff. Stir in walnuts and or dried cherries, if you like. Press into pan. Cut into 48 pieces(6x8). Store fudge in refrigerator up to one week. It can also be frozen