If you have visited a school in Australia recently, chances are you’ve witnessed a grassroots revolution in action. A revolution in the form of mini-orchards, carefully tended vegie gardens and window boxes full of herbs.

As educators and governments grapple with how to equip children with the skills, knowledge and values they need to flourish in today’s world, consensus is leaning towards an edible education. This simple idea involves enriching curriculums through food. Foreign language classes are linked to food traditions and recipe writing; tastings become part of history lessons on the spice route; biology and chemistry come alive in the garden; and budding bakers conquer fractions. All the while, kids learn about cooperation, generosity, eating by the seasons and nutrition. “When children grow and cook real food, they want to eat it,” says Alice Waters, pioneer of the food education movement in America and founder of the US Edible Schoolyard Project (ESYP).

Australians have their own edible education advocate in Stephanie Alexander. This food legend’s influence continues to inspire real change around the country with her eponymous Kitchen Garden Foundation. I recently had the great privilege of spending time with Stephanie at Slow Food’s biannual Terra Madre conference in Turin, Italy, where she announced that her Kitchen Garden Program had a commitment from Government to fund an extra 300 programs, taking the total to 10 per cent of all Australian schools. It’s a declaration that validates the viability of an edible education, and will allow even more kids to enjoy garden-grown zucchinis, tomatoes and strawberries to cook in recipes, such as Stephanie’s simple ricotta pancakes.

Ricotta pancakes with glazed strawberries

Serves 4

1/2 cup (160g) strawberry jam

2 tbs lemon juice

500g strawberries, halved

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted

1 tbs caster sugar

1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk

2 eggs

60g unsalted butter, melted

150g ricotta, crumbled

Place jam, juice and 1/3 cup (80ml) water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until jam melts. Add strawberries and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the strawberries are warmed through. Keep warm. Preheat oven to 120°C.

Combine flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk the milk, eggs and half the melted butter together in a separate bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in ricotta until just combined, leaving some small lumps.

Heat a non-stick frypan over medium heat and brush the pan with a little of the remaining butter. In batches, pour 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles start to appear on the surface, then flip and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Place pancakes on a baking tray, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.

Top ricotta pancakes with warmed strawberries and drizzle with strawberry glaze, then serve immediately.