Dirt to Dish

By Andrew Hunter

As our kids grow, we realize the importance of teaching them how food gets from the dirt to their dish. It’s not just about developing healthy eating habits, but also learning about seasonality, ripeness and sustainability in a fun and experiential way.

We’re teaching them that dirt to dish means striving for a shorter distance between the farm and home, and that if they eat seasonally, their food will be ripe, fresh and at the height of flavor during its natural harvest time. This week’s lesson is radishes. They grow underground with just the leafy tops sticking up, and if you pick them in early spring, they’ll be small, sweet and crunchy – perfect for a child’s palate.

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Kids and Veggies Don’t Mix

By Andrew Hunter

Kids and veggies don’t mix…or do they? Marilyn and I recently discovered that Ben’s third grade classmates, all professing their distaste for everything green, will actually gobble down more veggies than they realize when stir-fried with rice, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Yes, fried rice loaded with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and snow peas was a big hit with eight-year-old boys and girls alike!

A couple of weeks after our fried rice demo in Mrs. Touhey’s class, Ben nonchalantly handed me a dog-eared envelope that had evidently been in his backpack for several days. “Oh here, dad. Some notes about the rice,” he said in his typical dry tone. We read each and every one of them aloud as a family and were thrilled.

Perhaps this quote from one of Ben’s buddies says it best, “I can tell you put lots ‘o’ love into it! It was tres, tres bon!” So the next time you have leftover rice, stir-fry it with a bunch of veggies, soy sauce and “lots ‘o’ love.” Dinner is sure to be delicious!

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Irish Potato Leek Soup

By Andrew Hunter

All this week, Special Fork bloggers will be sharing recipes for St. Patrick’s Day. And to celebrate, Special Fork is giving away a prize package of a year’s supply of delicious Kerrygold Butter and cheeses, imported from Ireland, courtesy of Kerrygold! It’s easy to enter the sweepstakes.

There’s no better time than St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate the flavors of Ireland, even though they’re delicious year-round. For me, the highlight of Irish food has always been the butter and cheese. The reason is the cows eat the incredibly green grass and are only milked during their natural lactation cycles.

The other great thing about Ireland’s dairy is generations of family farms, many with only a few dozen cows. This means profits go directly to the farmers, the animals are treated humanely, and hopefully future generations of Irish kids will continue in the cooperative, national tradition.

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Umami Generation

By Andrew Hunter

Ben and Nick are my best taste testers. Their young palates are sensitive and bright. They are Generation Z…a generation of young foodies who unknowingly love bold flavors and appreciate the umami sensation. Even though they giggle when Marilyn and I say that “silly word!” So what does this silly word mean?

We all taste sweet, sour, salty and bitter, and the fifth taste is umami. A Japanese scientist who was doing research on amino acids and their effect on flavor discovered it. Commonly described as brothy, meaty or delicious, umami is difficult to explain, though you know the sensation when you eat a gorgeous tomato, aged Parmesan, stir-fried mushrooms or just a whisper of naturally brewed soy sauce. Then you know umami.

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Chocolate = Love

By Andrew Hunter

Chocolate is the nectar of the Gods and it helps convey our sentiments for each other, especially when paired with flowers on Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is a cure-all for matters of the mind, body and heart. It brings joy, laughter and delight, no matter your age. For the boys, it’s a salve for skinned knees, a tonic for hurt feelings and a reward for any job well done!

As the boys are busy making “Happy Valentines” for their classmates and special gifts for secret admirers, Marilyn and I are busy whipping up a batch of chocolate mousse. We’ve decided to ditch the store-bought chocolates in red heart boxes this year for this fabled homemade chocolate classic that everyone loves.

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