The Inspiring Cook’s Garden

I watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution last Friday night on ABC and look forward to seeing tonight’s episode at 9pm. Set your DVR if you won’t be able catch this evenings show cause it is sure to be an eye-opening documentary just like last week.

If you did happen to watch last week’s show – you saw the segment where Jamie quizzed a group of elementary kids (kindergarteners I think) on their ability to recognize a number of basic fruits and vegetables. The number of kids who did not recognize a tomato, an eggplant, and other common fruits and vegetables was alarming. But when do kids today get the opportunity to learn about real food? Nutrition is barely discussed in elementary schools. Families have gotten away from planning and cooking meals at home. And the outside aisles of grocery stores housing the freshest and most unprocessed food are visited the least. So, really, when is a kid supposed to learn what a tomato is?

Have we lost our legacy of recognizing, planting, cultivating, and cooking real food in this country? For many, the answer is yes. After learning about the Food Revolution, I became inspired to give planting a spring garden one more try. Last spring, I diligently planted a vegetable and herb garden in my backyard. Day by day, the local deer ate each and every plant I put into the ground. I tried a few measures to keep the deer away, but nothing worked. As I saw my hard work and cash fill the bellies of the local wildlife – I vowed to never garden again as long as we were living in our current house which backs up to a natural area. But after watching just how disconnected this generation of kids are from fresh, unprocessed foods, my desire to educate my son and to do my part to reclaim the integrity of food led me to Lowe’s and The Family Dollar Store for pots, plants, and potting soil.

This weekend, weather permitting, take one small step towards putting your kids on a healthy path by planting a small garden. Planting a garden will help your family pay more attention to food and slowly reclaim a legacy of health and hope for this generation of children. Go to your local garden or agriculture center with your kids and buy at least one herb or vegetable plant. Take your plants home and teach your kids how to plant them. Each week, explore the growing process with your kids and together cultivate a love for real food and a knowledge of planting and harvesting nutritious food.

Here's a sneak peak of a few things that are growing on my deck right now......