Home Cookin': Kale Salad 

We're thrilled to have a new contributor to the Kids VT blog. Erinn Simon makes lunch everyday for the toddlers and preschoolers at Burlington Children's Space, where she's known as The Lunch Lady. You can find her blog about her work there right here. She lives in Burlington's Old North End with her husband, photographer Sam Simon, and kids Eli (10), Cal (6), and Sadie (3).  Erinn will write every other week about the food she prepares for the kids of BCS and her own family!

Feeding kids healthy food for lunch is my job — and I love it. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than filling the bellies of little ones halfway through their busy days. I also take pride in nurturing kids’ interest in nutritious food, especially veggies. I love watching a kid progress from pouting while pushing plain noodles around a plate to happily munching mouthfuls of broccoli “trees” with sesame dressing. I love trying out different flavors in dishes like curry quinoa and delighting kids with tried-and-true favorites like blueberry pancakes.

One of my main goals for the food program at Burlington Children’s Space is to expose kids to wholesome homemade dishes while making sure they get a hefty dose of vegetables everyday. We are lucky to live in Vermont where there’s access to so many local farms and great summer produce; BCS even belongs to a farm share program through the Intervale Food Hub throughout the summer season. I’m also lucky to work alongside teachers and staff who are passionate about food and a constant source of healthy recipe inspiration.

But if I’m honest, there are still times when coming up with new, fun and delicious ways to get kids to eat vegetables feels like, well… a job.

That’s why I get so excited when I discover a recipe that’s nutrient-rich, yummy and simple enough that kids can have a hand in preparing it. In this case, it was a kale salad from Deb Perelman’s blog, Smitten Kitchen. 

A co-worker suggested I try out the dish on BCS staff during a meeting, and it was a smash. I made it for my family the next night, and we ate the whole thing with some crusty bread and a bowl of strawberries. I’m pretty sure it was the best summer dinner I’ve ever made.