The most exciting part of growing vegetables is getting to eat all the yummy veggies. While the Schoolyard Gardens team is partial to eating veggies straight from the garden, it’s fun to try them in a few inventive ways as well. Below are a few of our favorite kid-friendly recipes. All of these recipes require little to no cooking, so they can be made right in your classroom. Let your students be the creators and chefs of their own veggie recipes and share your own recipes with us!

Remember to wash all vegetables before using them! 

Pico De Gallo – a refreshing salsa that will put your summer veggies to use!

• 3-4 tomatoes
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 bell pepper
• 4 green onions
• 12 stalks of cilantro
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 fresh squeezed lime
• 1 pinch salt

Finely chop the tomatoes and peppers. Be sure to take the seeds out and be careful to wash your hands after you handle the jalapeño pepper. Chop the green onions. In a large bowl, combine vegetables and garlic. Add lime juice and salt. Add in the cilantro to taste and mix the salsa. Enjoy with freshly baked tortilla chips!

Arugula Pizza – this recipe is a savory, peppery snack that will be easy to make from your spring garden.

• 6 Lightly salted rice cakes
• 8 ounces cottage cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chopped arugula
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Mix the garlic powder and pepper into the cottage cheese. Evenly spoon the mixture onto the 6 rice cakes. Top each rice cake with a handful of arugula and 1/2 tablespoon of mozzarella and enjoy!

Green Leaf Dip – this recipe requires a little bit of cooking. But it can easily be cooked in an electric skillet, and is easy to switch between whatever greens you have growing in your garden.

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 3 cups of chopped greens (kale, swiss chard or spinach are all good options)
• 1 cup of cottage cheese, sour cream or greek yogurt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in pan or electric skillet. Add garlic and greens of choice and season with salt. Cover and cook the greens, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender (about 3 -4 minutes). Let cool. Transfer to a bowl, add cottage cheese, sour cream or yogurt. If you want a smooth, creamy dip use a blender or food processor to make dip smooth. If you like chunky dips, use a spoon to mix greens and dairy well. Season with pepper flakes and the lemon juice. Enjoy with crackers, pita or dip your favorite veggies into the dip!