Kids Cuisine

Vegetable gardens have become a big deal at our house! This year we decided to give our daughter her own small garden plot to plant whatever she would like. She chose radishes, romaine, broccoli, beans and carrots initially. As the radishes grew, she would proudly pick them, wash them, and then nibble on one while generously giving the rest to her Daddy. This comes from a child who previously abhorred the idea of eating a radish. Now she’s happily pulling lettuce for salads or as sandwich filler. Since she’s been plucking veggies, some space has opened up, and just yesterday she chose to plant a cabbage plant in her garden.

With most plants and herbs able to grow in a container, it doesn’t take much to instill a love of vegetables in your children. As they learn the growing process, they discover that patience is rewarded in due time. Every day my children run to the yard to check on the growing plants. Bare spots in the ground are pointed out with concern, and often met with suggestions for new plantings. With a pot (or a patch of ground), some dirt, and a handful of seeds, your child can also be introduced to the wonders of vegetable growing. It’s not too late to get a garden started this year. The DIY Network has all sorts of fun gardening ideas for kids. My favorite happens to be the pizza garden, utilizing an old wading pool as your planting container.

Both of my children are excited about the gardens! When I showed them that beet greens can be eaten as salad, both of them inhaled a plate of leaves with a raspberry vinaigrette, declaring their love for beet greens. You just never know, today’s plantings may be tomorrow’s veggie love affair. That can never be a bad thing.