Children celebrate it, and even rock stars sing about it: School’s out for summer!

Cutting board, knives and vegetables
Cooking up your homegrown veggies can be fun – when done safely.
Photo Credit: Sarah Landicho
Herb butter spread
Use the quick-and-easy herb butter recipe as a fun introduction to cooking with the kids.
Photo Credit: Dan Hemmelgarn

Now’s the time to really put those kids to work – in the garden and kitchen. So turn off the TV, turn over a patch of grass, and transform your lawn into a garden and your kitchen into a learning laboratory.

I’ve never met a child who didn’t love to eat what he grew and helped prepare. And for good reason: Studies show that children who learn how to grow and cook their own vegetables are more likely to develop a taste for the foods that’ll keep them healthy and strong for a lifetime. (They’ll also be that much closer to true independence.)

As your garden grows and it’s time to bring your harvest into the kitchen, think safety first. As friendly as the family kitchen might seem, it’s rated the most dangerous room in the house for nonfatal injuries, including cuts, burns, falls, shocks and poisonings.

Children vary in their abilities, but most are ready to use kitchen equipment, measure ingredients and follow simple recipes by the time they’re 10. Younger children don’t have to feel left out, though: Ask the smaller ones to help wash produce, toss salads, stir batter, smear bread with homemade herb butter, spread a tablecloth, set the table or serve your feast.

Regardless of age, supervise children before you let them loose, and post and review the following food- and kitchen-safety rules:

  1. Always wash hands with soap and water before preparing and eating food. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water to remove dirt before eating. (Soap, detergent and special “produce washes” aren’t necessary – or recommended.)
  2. Wipe up spills immediately – they can lead to nasty slips and falls.
  3. Pick up knives by the handle – never the blade – and always cut away from your body or down toward a cutting board.
  4. Prevent burns. Keep paper, potholders, towels, plastic wrap and other materials away from stove burners. Tie long hair back when cooking, and avoid wearing loose clothing that might catch fire near the stove. (Learn the “Stop, drop and roll” technique if clothing does catch on fire.) Keep a fire extinguisher handy – and know how to use it. And never hesitate to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency.
  5. Use a wooden spoon to stir hot foods – the handles of metal utensils get extremely hot.
  6. Keep hands out of the garbage disposal.
  7. Respect electricity. Make sure hands are dry before using electrical appliances, and never stick a metal utensil into a toaster unless it’s unplugged.
  8. Beware of the microwave oven. Foods can reach scalding temperatures in seconds. Keep a potholder handy, and don’t allow children to use the microwave if they have to reach over their heads to remove the dish. Heat food in glass or ceramic dishes; plastic storage containers can melt when heated and can leach harmful chemicals into your food.
  9. Stay focused and pay attention. Accidents are most likely to happen when we get distracted, walk away from the stove, stop to watch TV or get involved with other activities while cooking.
  10. Prevent food-borne illness. Put perishable foods – meats, milk, cheese, mayonnaise and eggs – back in the fridge promptly.

Now that you’re set with the safety rules, it’s time to bring on the cooking fun! 
Here’s an easy recipe to try with your young chefs:

Creamy Herb Butter Spread

Ingredients



  • 1 stick organic butter, softened (Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • A handful of herbs of your choice

Directions

  1. Rinse herbs and pat dry in a clean dish towel.
  2. Process all ingredients in your food processor for several minutes, until herbs are finely minced and blended throughout the butter/oil mixture.
  3. Carefully remove blade. Using a rubber spatula, transfer spread to a festive serving dish. Garnish with a chive flower, nasturtium or sprig of rosemary, and serve with a loaf of warm whole-grain bread or baguette.

Kitchen gardening promises a ton of summer fun – and learning – for the whole family. Play it safe, and if you’re lucky, you might be the inspiration behind the next Food Channel® celebrity chef!