Kids Cooking From the Garden

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Okay, so the kids have helped in the garden and grown lots and lots of
vegetables. Now what? Besides eating all the peas as they pick them
and gnawing on the carrots after the great fun of pulling them out of
the ground, what's next? Let's take the kids one step further and show
them how to get the veggies to the table. Let's get them to
experiment. If your kids are like mine, they only like certain
vegetables and they only like Mom to prepare them certain ways. Let's
shake their world a little and ask them to try these ideas:
Make pizza! Produce from the garden can work well on a pizza. Start
with a good crust. I use a simple recipe from my Betty Crocker
cookbook. Next comes the sauce. Depending on their level of kitchen
skill, they can use a bottled pizza sauce or make one from scratch.
The truly adventurous might want to try an alfredo sauce, barbeque
sauce, or pesto sauce. Instead of always using mozzarella cheese, they
might want to experiment with provolone, feta, gorgonzola, parmesan,
or swiss. Next come the veggies, and your kids are only limited by
their imagination and taste buds. Don't forget all your garden herbs
either. Oregano, basil, and rosemary come quickly to mind.
Each pizza can be a different creation. They can try garlic, green
onions, even cooked potato chunks, asparagus tips, and basil with a
white sauce, or possibly grilled chicken pieces, red onion slices,
cilantro, and broccoli tips over a barbeque sauce. Your kids might
prefer a traditional pizza sauce with green and red peppers, cherry
tomato halves, pepperoni, oregano and basil. Ooh, here's another one:
spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli tips, rosemary, and Canadian
bacon with an olive oil glaze instead of a sauce.
Tips for Success:Help your child assemble all the ingredients ahead of
time. Help them wash and chop so they don't get overwhelmed (or lazy).
I find they're less suspicious of the pizza that has at least one
familiar item on it; like pepperoni or sausage. If it's really "out
there" then it's probably best to call it something other than pizza.
Cold pasta is a perfect backdrop for lots of different veggies, and a
perfect way for kids to experiment. Corkscrew pasta, small shells, or
anything that grabs their attention will work fine. My kids like the
pasta shaped like little peace signs. Cook the pasta al dente and
cool. To make it simple, have your child add some Zesty Italian
dressing and some Ranch dressing to taste. Keep in mind that the
Italian dressing will be absorbed by the pasta, so add a little extra
right before serving.
Which veggies to add? Anything they like and anything that sounds like
it could go together. Here's a list of possibilities to get them
started: mushrooms, red onions, green onions, sweet onions, leeks,
black olives, cherry tomatoes, roma tomato chunks, sun-dried tomatoes,
broccoli, asparagus, peas, pea pods, green beans, cauliflower,
zucchini, egg plant, spinach, peppers, chilies, garlic, basil,
oregano, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, cilantro, and parsley.
They can also add cooked chicken or chopped ham, cheese hunks, and
slivered almonds or walnut pieces.
Tips for Success:Again, it's good to help with the chopping of the
vegetables. The key is to watch the proportions. Don't overload the
salad with so much stuff that you can't find the pasta! If your kids
aren't into cold pasta, it can be hot pasta with spaghetti or
fettuccini noodles and an alfredo sauce or spaghetti sauce. Just
blanch the veggies first before adding them to the hot pasta.
Don't stop there. Your kids can also try adding different vegetables
to a green salad, hot rice, or soup.
It's no secret that kids are more likely to sample food they've
prepared themselves. By giving them choices to begin with, you're
setting them up for a meal they'll be proud to prepare and happy to
eat. Challenge your kids to see who can come up with the most creative
pizza or pasta with maybe a prize for the best. Call it a Kids'
Creative Pizza Cook-off. Don't be afraid to let them loose in your
kitchen. I'm confident they can create a masterpiece. After all,
they're pretty good at making a great mud soup with sticks, rocks,
grass, and sand, aren't they?