Growing up, my family valued our weeknight dinners together, a time when we could gather for thirty minutes and share what happened in each of our days. It became difficult to have home-cooked meals, as both of my parents worked and usually weren't home until the evening.

One day, my mom solved that problem. She put up a calendar on the refrigerator and told each of us kids (aged 15, 13, and 9) we were each responsible for one dinner that week. This became a regular "chore" for each of us, although we all took a different approach. My oldest brother began to experiment with all sorts of recipes and cuisines--this was right around when the Food Network started. My middle brother would steadfastly sign up for spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. 

Because I was the youngest, I would usually rotate between a handful of my favorite dinners that were easy and safe to cook. My mom, a dedicated teacher, would bring home a set of papers to grade at the kitchen table, ready for the barrage of questions I would ask: "What number means medium-high heat?" and "How much pasta should I boil for the five of us?"

Without a doubt, I can trace my love of cooking and food to this "chore." I was the only college student I knew who hated EasyMac and missed cooking big family dinners. I love when I hear that families are getting their kids involved in cooking, because it means the next generation is going to know how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals for themselves.

If want to get your kids more involved and you're not sure where to start, Laurie David's recent book The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time provides some great ideas and recipes. Here are a few tips from the book that should get you on the right track.

• First and foremost, make sure you give a safety talk on working with sharp knives and hot stoves.
• Let the kids help pick the menu. Start with simple recipes featuring ingredients that they like.
• Have everything out and ready before you start.
• Create a kid-friendly work space. If the counter is too tall, bring in a step stool for them to stand on, or perhaps try working at the kitchen table - it may be the perfect counter height for a little person.
• Talk about the ingredients. Where they come from, what they taste like, etc. This is particularly easy with a garden!
• Taste the food, a lot! Kids will love to share their opinion on if they like vegetables better raw or cooked, or if the dressing needs more oil or vinegar, or if the soup needs a touch more salt. 
• Be delighted in the results, no matter what! 

Based on feedback we've received from our members, I'll be trying to feature a kid-friendly cooking post about once a month. If you have any suggested recipes, I'd love to feature them! Please send them to me at jhejl@farmscapegardens.com.