Kids in the Kitchen and Garden
Ideas for family summer fun cooking and gardening!
It’s that time of year again. The time of year when I get sneaky. I have a passion for cooking and a love of gardening. I also have an interest in nutrition and a love for my children. Combined, these had me convinced that if kids were given a chance to grow their own food in the backyard or patio garden, they would eat just about anything they grew. Turns out I was almost right!
My garden space is small but full; in July, it is mostly full of zucchini. But it turns out that zucchini is not my kids’ idea of good food. Even if they did grow it. The funny thing is that I can’t remember this in May when we put in the seedlings.
So, every year, this time of year, I am forced to hide zucchini everywhere to use it up. There is no better choice for dinner than the recipe found in Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Mineral for “Disappearing Zucchini Orzo.” It is a perfect way to hide three large ones. Then for breakfast, I whip up zucchini bread from a recipe I have tuned and tweaked for the past 25 years of feeding kids. It is a perfect way to thin the crop and a fabulous way to trick reluctant youngsters into eating their veggies.
Even picky eaters will try new foods they grew and cooked
Even better than having kids help grow their food is having them harvest it and cook it up! Zucchini bread is a perfect recipe for young cooks. And even the littlest child can stand on a stool next to you and help you stir. An older kid can handle this recipe from beginning to end. Of course, if they do – the zucchini in the bread won’t be a secret anymore. But hopefully, they’ll learn how great it can taste and feel proud of their farm-to-fork meal. My kids sure did!
Cooking and gardening together is definitely one of my family’s favorite summertime activities. We’ve found that the best thing to do when life gives you too many zucchinis is to make zucchini bread together!
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