By Marci Lutsky
This week was supposed to be our final farm to table kids cooking class of the year but it was so fun that we decided to add another date on September 7th from 4-6 pm. Of all the cooking classes that I teach, farm to table classes are by far my favorite. Kids have such a unique and meaningful experience when they harvest ingredients and then learn to create healthy and flavorful dishes. This week’s class was particularly meaningful because as kids prepare to head back to school, we taught them easy recipes that they can make for lunch or dinner during the busy school year.
We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to teach kids cooking classes at B&B Farms in Egg Harbor City. If you haven’t visited, go! On CSA (community supported agriculture) pick-up days, the farm is open to the public and any extras they have available are for sale. Farmers Jen and Ryan LaMonaca practice organic farming and provide a variety of high-quality fruits and vegetables that are the freshest around.
The fun of farm to table classes is that we don’t plan our menus until the week before because we wait to see what will be available at the farm. This week we had a great variety which was vastly different from what we were cooking with in June. The peppers this season have been so sweet and delicious so we incorporated them into our menu with a vegetarian stuffed pepper recipe. We mixed together rice, beans, salsa, cheese with some spices and filled sweet peppers with that mixture. We topped them with cheese and cooked them for a half hour. Some kids had never tried peppers before and were raving about this recipe!
The kids had an opportunity to pick tomatoes so we made a mozzarella panzanella salad. Cucumbers are at the height of freshness right now too, so we chopped and tossed them with tomatoes, toasted bread, basil, mozzarella and a simple six-ingredient vinaigrette. This was also a big hit with the kids.
We always make dessert during kids cooking classes because dessert makes everyone smile. We chopped a bunch of delicious Jersey peaches, made a homemade whipped cream (using three ingredients) and crumbled pound cake. The kids then layered this into cups to make peach parfaits. This is one of our go-to recipes depending on what’s in season. It works beautifully with strawberries and blueberries too!
I love when parents come to pick up their kids and seeing the shocked looks on their faces at what their kids ate. When kids have the opportunity to see where food comes from and cook with it in a creative way, they are likely to try it (and most of the time like it!). Our final farm to table class of the season will be held on Saturday, September 7th from 4-6 pm. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at sweet potatoes being harvested and hope to use those at our next class, maybe to be spiralized! For more information or sign up, you can email me at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
