Garden-fresh produce can be treat for young

For children, mucking about in a kitchen garden can be the first step toward appreciating fresh vegetables. I remember seeing a friend’s child (before I had my own) standing in her garden, casually shelling fresh peas and popping them into her mouth – the first time I realized that children don’t necessarily hate anything green. Now my own son does the same with cherry tomatoes, chives, and green beans. Funnily enough, he often won’t eat these things on a plate in any form. It’s the fresh-off-the-plant novelty that has him hooked.

Earlier this year we were housesitting in the Jura region of France when the weather changed from winter to spring practically overnight, and everyone started planting their potagers.

We did the same for our hosts, letting our 7 year old help choose the tomato plants and basil starts and some of the seeds at the garden center and the outdoor market, prepare the dirt, and plant. He was also in charge of turning the drip hose on and off at certain times of the day, which let him feel very managerial.

The lettuce and radishes popped up first, followed by the peas and tiny cornichon cucumbers.

Radishes are always one of the quickest kitchen garden crops to grow and therefore most gratifying for impatient children. Even now, in the middle of the summer, is not too late to plant some. If you don’t have a garden, a windowbox planter or a big flower pot will suffice.

Cherry tomatoes do especially well in pots and burst open juicily in a child’s mouth. Try a variety of them, they come in several colors and shapes.

French sorrel is a lemony, mild, yet spinach-like leafy green that is a tasty addition to salads that children will enjoy being able to snack on straight from the garden, more so than plain lettuce. It has the added advantage of being perennial, so you only have to plant it once to enjoy it for years.

Herbs are another kitchen garden favorite; my son loves to show his friends the sage and chives and basil and give them samples to munch. At our home, we’ve made sure nothing in our yard or garden is toxic or poisonous, just on the off chance that the snackers – despite our instructions – stray from the herb beds.

Although the idea with the potager is to encourage children to appreciate fresh produce and herbs just on their own, there are some simple recipes they can prepare with you, to make the most of the most delicious food of all: whatever they’ve grown themselves.

Radish Sandwiches

Buy the nicest French bread you can find, slice it, and spread each slice generously with sweet butter.

Wash the radishes, slice them thinly, and layer them on the buttered bread.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and garnish with chopped fresh chives or your favorite herb.

Serve open-face or with another slice of bread on top.

Sorrel Soup

The Cincinnati Locavore (cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com/2008/04 /sorrel-soup.html) provided this sorrel soup recipe in her blog, noting that her son ate 3 bowls of it.

Serves 4

4 strips bacon, diced

3 leeks, cleaned and chopped fine

1 onion, chopped fine

3 cups chicken stock

1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and diced fine

1 pound sorrel, cleaned and roughly chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Sour cream to taste

In a heavy pot (don’t use cast iron, as the acidity of the sorrel will react with the iron and you’ll end up with metallic-tasting soup), sauté bacon until crisp. Add leeks and onions and sauté over medium heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, 10 minutes.

Add chicken stock and potatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

Add sorrel and continue to simmer another 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until potatoes are tender and sorrel has dissolved into the broth.

Correct seasonings, ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream to serve.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Get a handful of fresh herbs from the garden and chop them finely.

In a small bowl, mix some cream cheese with some sour cream or crème fraiche, and mix in the herbs.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a plastic bag and cut a little bit off one corner of the bag.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half, scooping out the seeds. Pipe the herbed cream cheese filling through the corner of the plastic bag into the little cherry tomato bowls, and serve immediately.