Kids Taste a Sweeter Veggies, White House Style
The White House has just finished planting its cool weather winter garden and a lucky group of kids get to participate in an after-school cooking class with foods from the farm!
NPR just ran a great story about the WH garden and all the winter veggies they are growing, WH chef Sam Kass teaches cooking to local kids.
Here is the story if you want to listen to the whole thing.
A word on winter veggies:
Though it may seem counterintuitive, some vegetables — such as spinach, broccoli and potatoes — actually taste sweeter as the weather cools.
As long as there is decent sunlight, the plant continues to change sunlight into energy. During the process of photosynthesis the plant also produces glucose, or sugar. But in the cold weather:
“The cool decreases the rate of respiration,” says Brent McCown, a professor of horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
This means the plant slows down the burning off energy, therefore using up less sugar. As a consequence, there’s a little more sweet left in the plant.
Winter Garden-Inspired Spinach Dip
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and water pressed out (or your own from your garden!)
One 7 oz container of Greek Yogurt (can substitute w/ low-fat sour cream)
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro or basil
4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Developed by Charmion Wood, volunteer chef instructor with Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline Program of the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C.
What a fantastic program, thank you so much for sharing!