Oh, boy
– it’s almost summer. Kids are getting out of school and looking
forward to long languid days of …
Oh, boy – it’s almost summer. Kids are getting out of school and looking forward to long languid days of …
Well, if they’re not going to camp or summer school, getting a summer job, or playing a sport – or even if they are – there are still going to be times when the kids are hanging around, bored, restless, and wanting to soothe their boredom (or genuine after-sports hunger) with snacks. The pressure to load up on Ho Hos and Cheetos can be almost unbearable, but there is an alternative.
Depending on the ages of your kids and the amount of time you have available, you can combine a trip to your local farmers market with some kid-friendly cooking projects using the fresh ingredients you found.
I discovered a great publication at the local chamber of commerce called the Local Food Guide. It’s produced by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and it gives bountiful information about area farmers markets and community-supported agriculture, as well as restaurants, wineries and grocers that feature local, sustainably grown products. To get your own copy of the booklet, check with your local chamber of commerce or go to the Community Alliance Web site at www.caff.org.
My favorite part was the recipes that were designed for kids to make mostly on their own. These can provide the framework of a three-way win: You’ll have the fun of finding the ingredients at a farmers market (or even the regular market); you can make the recipe together; and the result will be a snack that’s healthy but might get eaten anyway, since the kids helped in its creation.
With young kids, you will of course want to handle any knife or stove work yourself, but kids can measure wet and dry ingredients, squeeze citrus, stir mixtures, spread or arrange foods on bread, and decorate platters, among other tasks. Cooking with kids is a great chance to demonstrate “clean-as-you-go” methods and other good kitchen practices, as well as spend some low-pressure together time.
In our climate, the true hot-weather crops don’t start appearing until later in the season. This time of year, one of the first summer items to appear are bunches of bright red radishes. Here’s a recipe from the Alliance that makes them the star of the show.
Open Faced Radish Sandwiches
4 bagels cut in half or 8 slices black bread
8-ounce cream cheese with herbs
6 small red radishes
salt and freshly ground pepper
Step 1: Trim green leaves from the radishes, and wash carefully. Slice radishes thinly.
Step 2: Spread bagel halves or bread slices with 1/4 inch of the cream cheese.
Step 3: Overlap radish slices on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: If not serving immediately, cover with damp paper towels.
Fresh carrots with the frilly green tops still on are a great change from manufactured “baby carrots.” If you will not be using the carrots right away, however, trim the greens off because they drain sweetness away from the carrots. Also, look for a head of butter lettuce at the farmers market; the middle leaves will make perfect cups to hold the salad.
Carrot Raisin Salad may be a dreaded cafeteria staple to some, but this recipe is a fresh treatment using yogurt. Kids will enjoy peeling and shredding the carrots, and glopping the yogurt out of its container into the bowl.
Carrot Raisin Salad
makes 4 to 6 servings
1 pound carrots (5 to 6), peeled and shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1 carton (8 ounces) low-fat vanilla yogurt
4 to 6 cup-shaped butter lettuce leaves
Step 1: Mix together carrots, raisins and yogurt. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Toss again before serving and serve on lettuce leaves.
Even better than finding mint at a farmers market would be growing your own. Mint will spread so you want to keep it confined in a pot, but it is almost impossible to kill. We’ve had a plant that has died back to dry sticks several times and has come back every time. And sweet as mint is, snails don’t seem to like it.
Cucumber and Mint Salad
2 medium cucumbers, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Step 1: Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and slice thinly.
Step 2: Place cucumber slices in a sieve, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes.
Step 3: Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 4: Toss in a bowl with sliced onions, mint, lemon juice, oil and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Rainbow Chips
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium potato, preferably an exotic variety like the purple ones
1 beet
no-taste oil such as safflower or canola
salt and other spices, such as chili powder or garlic powder, to taste
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Thinly slice veggies, then place on a light cookie sheet.
Step 3: Lightly coat each piece with oil (using a pastry brush), then repeat on other side.
Step 4: Sprinkle chips with salt and spices.
Step 5: Bake for about 20 minutes. Flip chips and cook for another 10 minutes. Let cool before eating.
Another source of good kid-food ideas is the Web site www.savingdinner.com. In addition to the subscriber-only weekly menus, nutritionist Leanne Ely provides lots of other food ideas for free. Here are a few that were contributed by her readers.
n Ants on a Log, or peanut butter-stuffed celery sticks garnished with raisins.
n Apples and peanut butter for dipping. One reader contributed the idea of mixing one part vanilla yogurt and one part peanut butter with a dash of cinnamon. Less sticky than if it was just the peanut butter, and it breaks the monotony!
n Buy a fresh pineapple and have everybody participate or watch while you trim off the prickly exterior, remove the leaves and core, and turn the armadillo of the fresh fruit world into a juicy treat.
n Put some bite-size pieces of fruit (or veggies, cheese or whatever your kids like that is healthy) into an ice cream cone. Put some together for the walk to the park, and you don’t have to worry about carrying and keeping track of containers, or looking for a trash can for garbage.
