Farm to Table Kids Cooking Classes
By Marci Lutsky
This month marks two years that I have been teaching cooking classes with my friend Shara Gadomski from Happy Heart Corner. Over the years we have taught classes to a variety of ages and in different locations. My favorite classes that we teach are kids farm to table classes. This week we are kicking off our summer schedule of farm to table classes at B&B Farms in Egg Harbor City and I couldn’t be more excited.
There is so much value in teaching kids how to cook. In an age of childhood obesity in which junk food is advertised everywhere and kids are attached to screens, we want to teach them healthy habits and how to make good food choices. Teaching kids how to eat well is a good starting place. No matter what age, many lessons can be learned in the kitchen. I have found that my children and more likely to eat food at a meal if they have helped prepare it.
Having kids visit a farm or grow their own is so powerful. It gives them a deeper appreciation for where food comes from and who grows it. At our farm to table classes, farmers Jen and Ryan LaMonaca speak to the children about farming and the kinds of food that is grown there. This always has a big impact on the kids as they make connections between the people growing the food and what ends up on their plates.
So what can a child expect from a farm to table class experience? Good food of course! We teach these classes from June through August and the recipes are always different because we cook seasonally depending on what is available. At this week’s cooking class we will have strawberries, kale, arugula and spinach available. Most kids I know love strawberries but maybe your kids have never tried some of the greens or don’t think they like them. One of my favorite parts of cooking classes is when kids tell me they didn’t think they like a food until they tried it the way we prepared it.
One of the recipes we will be preparing this week is an apple and arugula pizza. I think when it comes to cooking with kids, it’s important to keep the recipes familiar for them while pushing them a bit to try new things. Pizza is very familiar to kids but topping it with arugula and adding apples is probably a combination they have never tried. My kids love this pizza and I’m confident that it will be a big hit at the class.
Our kids farm to table classes are held at B&B Farms in Egg Harbor City. The remaining dates are July 9th, July 30th and August 27th. For more information about classes, follow https://www.facebook.com/happyheartcorner or email thehappyheartcorner@gmail.com. Give your kids a unique experience this summer and sign them up for a kids farm to table cooking class!
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached 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.
