If you asked me six months ago to try my hand at gardening, I would have given you a hard pass. I think vegetables are beautiful. I love to cook and eat them, but grow ‘em? The process seems laborious, difficult, dirty, and full of possible complication. All of this changed quite suddenly when I decided to work my way through a single cookbook page-by-page, cover-to-cover. Two weeks into the project, I had enough of going to the market for fresh herbs. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil - who has the time and money? Ergo, project number two, urban gardening, jumped to the front of the line. 

My children were watchful and inquisitive about the process as I gathered my gardening supplies. As experienced garlic growers themselves (thanks to my wife), they were quick to offer assistance in choosing seeds, pots, and most importantly the right location indoors, and out, for our new herbaceous friends. Although I had my mind set on “just the basics,” my kids had bigger plans for lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, potatoes, onions, and peppers.

The kids took ownership of the project quickly. Their creativity, imagination, and interest in basic math and measurement really came to the forefront, in a way I hadn’t anticipated. My impatience about going to the market for herbs opened up a hands-on experience and an education about healthy eating, responsibility, nutrition, limiting food waste, and the importance of teamwork. 

The labor and care that a garden requires is no small matter, but it’s a very small price to pay for the beauty, the extra food, the garden-to-kitchen cooking inspirations, and most importantly, the memories you make with your littles and not so littles as the seasons change.

A great kids’ gardening resource: kidsgardening.org.

Summer Salad

Ingredients

1 cup shelled pistachios

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced in half

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. honey

3 tbsp. white wine or champagne vinegar

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

2 cups spring mix or spinach

¾ cup white beans

½ cup feta cheese

½ cup chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced

½ cup red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup parsley

1 cup blueberries or blackberries

For the pistachios

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium heat, add nuts and sugar together. Gently toss and stir the nuts. As the sugar melts, the pistachios start to turn golden brown. Adjust your heat to avoid scorching the sugar. It’s okay if you still have some clumps of sugar that don’t melt - they add texture and crunch.

For the dressing

Add the garlic to a bowl and mash the cloves with a fork. Add the mustard, honey, vinegar, and mix together. Using a whisk, stream in the olive oil slowly, while whisking to bring the vinaigrette together. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove any whole garlic cloves before dressing your salad. 

For the Salad

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, then, with your hands, toss about ¼ cup of the dressing to coat the greens. On a large platter, layer small portions of the ingredients with the greens: lettuce, white beans, cheese, tomatoes, onions, parsley, berries, pistachios, and continue until you have used all your ingredients. Top with more dressing, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.

Story Kelly Kinsey / Photography Laura Petrilla / Styling by Keith Recker