Each winter, Farmer Jill gathers the kids, ages 6-9, around the table for a three-part series cooking class. She teaches them about eating locally, how to follow a recipe, and even basic kitchen skills, like how to safely use a knife to chop veggies.

The kids go home so excited about what they learned, that they often ask their parents if they can recreate the recipes at home! That’s the best thing we could ever ask for.

Kids In The Kitchen

A woman demonstrating cooking or food preparation to a group of children dressed as chefs in a community hall.

A TALE OF TURNIP NACHOS

One of the rules of cooking class is that everyone has to try the food we make. It may or may not be something we love, but we all have to try.

In our latest class, we made loaded veggie nachos and salsa. I held up the vegetables one by one for the kids to guess what they were. The one thing that stumped them (except for one little girl) was a Purple Top Turnip.

They proceeded to their stations, patiently waiting for their instructions on how to slice the cucumbers and tomatoes, chop the cilantro, and grate the carrots. I handed them each a slice of turnip, which they cautiously munched on. They looked around at the other kids at the table, and said “Thats not bad!” In the end, they wanted to put turnips on their nachos, because Why Not?!

That’s the fun of cooking. Experimenting with what you have and trying something new, and being creative in the kitchen!

A young boy wearing a white chef's hat and apron stands in a dining room with red chairs and a table, smiling with arms outstretched.

Group of children wearing chefs' hats and aprons, smiling in a kitchen or cooking class.