kale

Vegetables can be a scary item on your picky eater’s plate, eliciting cries of, “Broccoli, yuck. Beans? No way. Kale? Don’t even think about it.” What’s a parent to do? I’ll let you in on a little secret — kids will eat their vegetables if they play with them first. So, it’s time to show your kids that vegetables are something they can love instead of hate.

Here are some activities you can do together with your kids at the dinner table — remember, the ultimate goal is to have them eat their veggies at the end of play time. It helps if you play along and eat the vegetables alongside your kids, and hey, it’s good for you too!

This is the fourth post in a summer-long series from a young farmer working as a harvest crew leader at Gardens of Eagan. Check out previous posts, Laying New Roots, When Farmers Stay Dry, and Building Farm Community.

One of my earliest food memories is of eating soup with my dad. Both of my parents were medical residents and although I don't remember feeling juggled, I know that caring for me with two punishing call schedules was an elaborate dance. It must have been on those bleary-eyed nights when my mom was on call, that my dad would pull out the Campbell's Alphabet Soup. He would serve it in one big bowl and float big chunks of Meunster cheese in it which would melt into long gooey strings. Together we would eat, our heads touching, our spoons crossing - giggling, looking for letters and trying to get that cheese. 

I have a few things to confess up front. I don't like quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) much; it tastes bitter to me. I prefer brown rice, though I know quinoa packs a protein punch. Also, I'm not a big fan of kale. I eat it a lot during winter, since I know it's good for me and it has a long growing season in Minnesota. But to me, plain kale smells like a cow. I know these are heresies that could get me kicked out of the local foodie club, but I wanted to be up front about my prejudices since the following recipe managed to kick them to the curb.

I know a lot of people who take the month of January to rein it in, take stock, and press the reset button. Some detox, some jump on the exercise wagon, some just try to focus and center themselves after the frenzy that is December. Personally, I never pass up an excuse for a fresh start, so January is as good a time as any to make myself some promises, which I then inevitably break, for which I have to forgive myself. It’s not a big deal. I don’t feel guilty about it. It’s just how I roll.

Photo Credit: Kate NG SommersPerhaps you shop at the local coops and look for that label on all of your purchases. But with a limited budget, maybe you’ve wondered what makes the most sense to buy organic. As a nutritionist working with people to improve the quality of their diet, I get asked this question a lot. So here are six suggestions for prioritizing your spending to maximize your dollars and your health.

I'm a lucky guy, and I know it.

My friend Doug sent me a great article from Slate the other day, written by Catherine Price.

We'll, not really. But we do have a garden started in our yard, thanks to A Backyard Farm, which I wrote about in an earlier Simple, Good, and Tasty post. A Backyard Farm, in its first season, is the brainchild of Joan and Coleen, two terrific women whose quest to grow local, sustainable foods in Minneapolis and St. Paul now now extends to other people's home gardens. We had Joan and Coleen out to our house a couple of weeks ago, and we discussed an approach that would work for us.

CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) provide opportunities for people to eat locally, the get the kinds of foods you would normally find at local farmers markets, and to take part in the agricultural process. Most CSAs require some sort of ongoing commitment, such as a monthly fee in exchange for a weekly box of locally grown vegetables. Depending on where you live, the weekly box may include a wide assortment of mostly-root vegetables (kale, cabbage, squash, turnips in Minnesota, for example) or of anything else grown on a particular farm, in a particular climate. Many CSAs encourage their members to work at the farm for a day or more, to better understand the farming process and to get closer to local, sustainable food. Some require it. When I tell friends that I recently joined the Harmony Valley Farm CSA, they often start asking questions. Why did I join it? Am I concerned about the cost?