When I was a little girl, one of my favorite places was my Portuguese grandfather’s vegetable garden. I have vivid memories of picking tomatoes and green beans, and sitting down for a snack at a wooden picnic table under his grapevines. I also remember sitting beside my great grandmother on the back stoop in the late-afternoon sun shelling peas and shucking corn. Those seemingly mundane tasks made such an impression on me that still, today, thirty-odd years later, when I shuck corn and shell peas I think of my great-grandmother, and when I see a bunch of grapes I think of my grandfather and long for grapevines of my own.

Today I run a cooking and gardening summer program in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and over the years I have learned that teaching a child about growing food is as essential and natural as teaching him to walk. In both cases, all it takes is a nudge and before you know it he’s off and running, exploring new worlds.

I often ask my students to tell me what they know about growing food. Most think berries grow on trees—not surprising since they only see them in plastic packages in the grocery store—and most have no idea how to use a potato peeler, because their parents buy mashed potatoes premade and frozen. I’ve sent kids out to the garden to find zucchini and they’ve come back empty-handed, embarrassed because they don’t know what zucchini looks like. Most profess to hate vegetables.

In my classes I’ve discovered that allowing kids to grow some of their food empowers them to try new things. Our garden is diverse. We grow tomatoes, beans, eggplant, squash, greens, lettuces, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and edible flowers, but we also have many varieties of the same vegetable. This year we have a dozen different tomatoes, ranging in color from pink to dark purple. One summer a favorite was the tiny Ground Husk Cherry, which grows in a papery skin, like a tomatillo, and has the most amazing flavor overtones of peach and mango. On a dare they tried mustard greens and loved them. Now they claim mustard greens give them energy. To prove it, they rip leaves from the plants, eat them, and race around the garden.

Gardening with kids is easy because everything they grow gives them a thrill. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If your family is new to gardening, start small. Plant a little herb garden and let the kids use fresh herbs when you cook together. Some of our most popular are chives, pineapple or chocolate mint, and any kind of basil. If you want to try something bigger, create a themed garden—pizza gardens are always popular (tomatoes, basil, oregano, onions, and garlic), but I also like an international garden that incorporates food plants from all around the world and uses flags as garden markers. It’s a great way to learn about other cultures and branch out to new cuisines. No outdoor space? Don’t despair! Do some container gardening. A Salad Bowl Garden is easy and fun. Poke some holes in the bottom of a large plastic bowl, and plant four or five different varieties of lettuce. Instant mixed greens salad–colorful and tasty!

I know firsthand that kids will try new foods if they’re given the opportunity to learn about them first. Take some of the pressure off your dinner table and do something fun in the garden. More importantly, get out there and make some memories with your kids!

Chef Lisa Holmes
The Childrens Culinary Academy
Tel. 774.392.1711
www.childrensculinary.com

Books by Lisa Holmes
Bitter Harvest
In Mother’s Kitchen
Lunch Lessons