Success #1: The Zone of Proximal Development

I teach high school at a public charter school in NYC.  Though the school is generally a miserable place to be, I have honestly been blessed with some of the most amazing students a teacher could ever ask for.  They are consistently kind, funny, inquisitive, passionate, and intelligent little people (not literally) who make me smile on even the shittiest of days.  What I have been constantly amazed by is their abillity to push themselves to absorb and understand new content and ideas(or, as is sometimes the case, their ability to let me trick them into pushing themselves). 

Which brings to mind a classic educational philosophy term coined by Vygotsky: The Zone of Proximal Development, or ZPD.  As Wikipedia so nobly states, the ZPD is "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers;" or, to state it another way, ZPD is "is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help."  Basically, its the point at which a student is challenged in a way that forces him/her to use skills/thought processes s/he has while simultaneously gaining new ones, deepening them, etc.  If you do Sudoku or crosswords, you are totally familiar with the idea of a ZPD: its when the puzzle is just hard enough that you struggle a bit, but you want to keep going and solve it. 

Optimally, as teachers, our students will spend most of their time "in the zone."  As a chef, anything besides toast puts me in the zone.  But one of my first real successes was the true definition of being in the ZPD: Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans.  (Adapted slightly from Eating Well.  I've copied the recipe here with slight adjustments and follow with my notes.)



You'll notice I include the kitchen supplies you'll need.  This is for those of you who, like me, live in a too-small apartment with a cramped kitchen in which all cooking supplies are Jenga-ed into precariously-stacked skyscrapers.  There are few things more frustrating than getting halfway through a recipe and realizing "shit!  I need another bowl, and they're all filthy, and I have no space, and I have to transfer the onions in 30 seconds or EVERYTHING IS RUINED!"

You will need...

• measuring spoon and cup
• sharp knife and cutting board
• large skillet
• spatula
• large bowl
• 1 16-oz package of gnocchi
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (NOT GINGER!)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• about 1 small bunch chopped chard leaves or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded soy mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

I was totally intimidated by this recipe, as I had never cooked gnocchi before.  But seriously, it was SO DELICIOUS, and I had enough left over for 2 lunches and a dinner, and after eating it four different times, I can say I didn't even get sick of it!  Best of all, it actually looked just like the picture on the website (except with more green - love those leafy greens!):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Notes:

• the recipe as written called for "shelf-stable" gnocchi, but since I have no idea what that is or how it differs from regular gnocchi, I just got what I could find
• I used swiss chard, and I never measure my greens, but since I prefer lots of them I used a large-ish bunch
• I never measure pepper, or salt for that matter.  I like things peppery, so I just added what I thought I'd like
• I am a HUGE fan of soy cheese, but only when its delicious.  It can be a great way to cut the calories and give your diet a little variety.  Westside Market makes an absolutely delicious soy mozzerella that I have tricked many dairy purest into eating.  But lots of soy cheeses taste awful, so if you like the idea of cutting back on dairy and upping your soy, taste around and find something you like!
• If you don't opt for soy, PLEASE, for the love of puppies, use fresh mozzerella.  Yes, it's more expensive, and yes, it has a shorter shelf life, but it makes a HUGE difference.  Rarely do I advocate the more expensive, more difficult route, but I firmly believe in fresh mozzerella.