Finally Spring has sprung which means your local farmers' markets are (or will soon be back in action) and you can start grilling fresh and local vegetables right from your community. Below is a list of recipes that utilize some of your fresh finds! To find a farmers' market near you, visit Local Harvest. (and for reviews of local farmers markets check out Eat Local Grown!

Grilled Veggie Pinwheels

*This is a great quick and healthy snack for adults and kids!

INGREDIENTS:

    •    1 piece whole wheat lavash roll-ups (thin wrap bread or you can use a tortilla) 

    •    1/2 cup prepared hummus 

    •    1 small carrot, shredded 

    •    3–4 long flat slices zucchini and or summer squash, grilled or broiled until soft 

    •    3–4 flat pieces red, yellow and/or green bell pepper, grilled or broiled until soft

DIRECTIONS:

Spread the hummus over the bread, sprinkle with shredded carrot and then arrange the grilled vegetables in a single layer, going in the same direction. Roll the lavish tightly starting at the end of the vegetable strips facing you, then wrap in plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate an hour or more. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces and enjoy!

SOURCE: http://familiesonly.com/Community/blogs/chefmom/archive/2008/04/25/grilled-veggie-pinwheels.aspx

Summer Gazpacho

Turn soup upside down for your little ones and serve it cold! Soups are such a great way to serve up loads of nutrition in one single meal and fresh Gazpacho is super refreshing on a hot summer night! This recipe is both easy to make and loaded with antioxidants!

Proper nutrition begins from the ground up. Starting a family garden is a great way to lay the foundation for healthy eating in your household. Here are some tips to get started building a garden that you and your family can enjoy together over the next several months!

 
Chart Your Course:
Create a list of fruits and vegetables you want to comprise your garden. As a family, vote on the plants that will populate your crop.
Look Before You Leap: Have all family members sketch the garden of their dreams. Incorporate elements of each design into an outline that best suits your space.

Do Your Research:
Take a family trip to the library and explore how to successfully care for and create a garden.
 

Be Climate Friendly: 
Determine what fruits and vegetables will thrive in your local conditions.
 

Reach Out: 
Chat with local gardening businesses to request useful information and ask about specials they might have.
Turn Responsibilities into a Break: Create a maintenance schedule that allows your family to tend the garden together.
 

Sunlight:
Be sure to plant the garden in an area with sufficient sunlight.
 

Plant the Rainbow:
Include fruits and vegetables that possess a wide variety of colors to increase your garden’s nutritional value.
 

Appreciate the Fruits of Your Labor:
Don’t forget to explore the garden and enjoy a snack.
 

Share Your Success:
Donate excess food to soup kitchens and local charities to provide those in need with a nutritious meal. 

We started our grow kits last Sunday in preparation of our Spring and Summer garden. It was such a nice afternoon activity for the family and we are all looking forward to our times together in the garden this Spring & Summer. 

For those of you who have purchased our grow kits, I thought I'd put this little post together with step by step directions and progress on our little seedlings- we are already seeing them begin to sprout!

 

Grow Your Own Delicious Tomatoes:

You'll Need:

• Kit components: seeds, coir pot, soil wafer, plant marker, biodegradable germination bag & t-shirt to get messy in!
  
• Additional items: container to mix soil with water, Measuring cup (to measure water), rubber band, paper towels, Sink
  

Directions:

DAY 1

 

Arrange components on your kitchen counter

 

 

Fill measuring cup with 2 1/2 cups water & add soil wafer to container. Gradually add water to container with wafer and mix. Note the mixture will be almost like soup if you add all 2 1/2 cups of water. This will allow you to easily pour the mixture to your pot & the mixture to be nice & moist to more effectively  sprout your seeds. 

 

 

Place your pot in your kitchen sink. Pour mixture into pot. (NOTE: Excess water will pass through coir pot - so you must do this in sink or outside)

 

 

Place several paper towels or old kitchen towel on counter. Take coir pot from sink and place on towel in preparation to add your seeds!

 

 

Place tomato seeds on soil. Next, press in about 1/4" - 1/2" into soil and 1/2" apart. Then, cover with soil from each side of where you pressed the tomato seed. 

Place plant marker in pot. Place coir pot in germination bag and then fasten with rubber band.

 

 

 

Place in sunny spot in doors. Once the plant reaches 2" tall, open germination bag, fold down & keep soil moist. After approximately, 6 weeks, and plant is 5-10" tall, remove germination bag & plant outside in a planter or ground. DO NOT REMOVE FROM BIODEGRADABLE coir pot!

Tomato Progress

DAY 5

DAY 8

DAY 10: It's time to open the germination bag - these little sprouts are pushing well over 2" tall at this point!!! Remember to keep soil moist but not soaked.

DAY 26: Our tomatoes have beautiful leaves and are ready to be transplanted to individual pots so they have room to grow before they can travel outside. To "prick out": lift seedlings from below, holding each one gently by their baby cotyledon leaves and scooping up entire soil ball from below. We find an old fork works well for this. If roots have grown together into a clump, gently tease seedlings apart, holding by baby cotyledon leaves.The tomatoes need to be in consistent 65-70 degrees and sun to remain healthy. Once the temperatures are consistently at 55 degrees or higher each night, you can transplant your tomatoes outdoors.

Tomatoes find their way to our table quite a bit. Whether as a condiment to our sandwiches, in a salsa or sauce - these guys are a nice addition to many a meal. Tomatoes are not only delicious but offer you a nice dose of lycopene, vitamin C as well as vitamins A, E and potassium.  As we have a pretty serious tomato garden during the warmer months, we are always looking for other fun recipes to incorporate our bountiful harvest!
This recipe is a favorite for our girls and we hope your family enjoys it too - it's very easy to make - so why not invite your little ones into the kitchen to help out with this recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp fresh oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Place sliced tomatoes on baking sheet and top with Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. then drizzle with olive oil
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until tomatoes are tender and the cheese has melted and browned slightly on top.

-& ENJOY!-

 

We are all doing what we can to reduce, reuse and recycle. Here is a wonderful idea the staff at good seeds came upon. Decorating your old tin cans to create an herb garden! Your little one can watch their plants grow all summer long and be proud of the container they created for them! 

What You'll Need:

• Aluminum can
• Screwdriver and hammer
• Liquid gesso (recommended: Liquitex Basics Gesso)
• Craft stick
• Thin Cardboard
• Acrylic craft paints
• Acrylic sealer spray, matte finish
• Pinking shears
• Permanent marker 
• 5-10 small rocks, stones or pebbles
• 1 1/2 cups potting soil
• 4-inch potted herb plant or seeds
• White craft glue
• Water
• Decorative items your child might like (stickers, gems, rhinestones, buttons, ribbon, twine, etc)