FROM THE EARTH

MARKET GARDENER LIZZIE BUSCAINO OF PICCOLO FARM IN THIRLMERE, NSW, BELIEVES TEACHING CHILDREN TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD HAS LIFELONG BENEFITS.

While Lizzie Buscaino runs a small family farm, she is also teaching her children how to grow their own food.

THE IMPORTANCE OF children learning to grow their own food can not be underestimated according to Lizzie Buscaino from Piccolo Farm in Thirlmere, NSW. “If a child grows a vegetable, they are likely to want to eat it and choose what they’ve grown instead of packaged food,” says Lizzie, who is mother to Lukas, eight, and five-year-old Georgia. “Children have a much greater interest in food in general when they grow it.

It’s rewarding for them when they taste food off the plant.”

Lizzie and her husband, Gianluigi, grow organic vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, which are harvested weekly to order on their two-hectare property, a former dairy farm. A garden for children with a bush tucker area, is in development and they will run workshops for school groups in the future. “It’s a place where kids can understand their food from a health and environment perspective,” explains Lizzie.

To get your kids interested in growing their own food, she suggests discussing what they love to eat at the dinner table and go from there. “My son loves edamame, so we’re growing those,” she says. “He also grows apple trees from seeds.”

For beginner gardeners, Lizzie recommends snow peas. “They’re foolproof — they’re so easy to grow and there’s a continuous harvest. You can eat the flowers, young shoots and leaves, and then the snow peas, which you can let grow into big peas.” And she says carrots are exciting for kids to grow. “They can pull out a carrot, wash it off in the garden and crunch on it,” she says. “Pop baby carrots into their lunch box whole and they can talk to their friends at school about what they’ve grown. They’ll be proud.” >

For more information about Piccolo Farm, telephone 0422 341 590, or visit piccolofarm.com.au

“If a child grows a vegetable, they are likely to want to eat it and choose what they’ve grown instead of packaged food.”

COOKING CLUB

Easy carrot recipes that your kids will love to make — and eat!

ROAST BABY CARROTS

Baby carrots don’t need much preparation so are ideal as an ingredient for children’s recipes. They can pull them up from the garden, wash the dirt off under the tap and trim the green tops (with the help of an adult). Place them in a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little maple syrup, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Place in a preheated 200°C oven for 30-40 minutes.

CARROT MUFFINS

Add 250g grated carrot, 1 teapsoon of ground cinnamon and 120g of sultanas to plain muffin mix. Your children can stir them into the flour, sugar, eggs and butter mixture. They can then spoon it into muffin cases before they are placed in a preheated 180°C oven for 20-25 minutes. These muffins are a great, sneaky way to get your kids to eat more vegies.

WARM CARROT SOUP

Soup may seem a difficult dish for children to cook but if you help with the chopping, they’ll love adding the stock to the pot and watching it all being blended up when it’s cooked. Fry off a chopped brown onion and a stick of celery in a tablespoon of olive oil. Then add 8 peeled and chopped carrots, a 4cm peeled piece of ginger and 4 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then blend. Serve with buttered toast.

To enter our Harvest Table competition, see page 90.

Be well equipped for some family cooking sessions, with below, from left, OR90SCG6B1 Black Freestanding Dual Fuel Cooker and OR90SCG6X1 Silver Freestanding Dual Fuel Cooker, both from Fisher & Paykel. For more information, telephone 1300 650 590 or visit fisherpaykel.com/au