Cooking From The Farm Class For Kids Starts Monday

Newtown Parks and Recreation is holding a “Cooking From the Farm” class for kids ages 8 to 13. The class begins Monday at 9:30 a.m. and goes through Friday.

Children will meet Monday at Milk House Farm, where they will select the fresh produce to be used throughout the week to cook healthy, creative meals.

Cheryl Gilmore and Linda Welles are the class instructors. Gilmore is also involved with Newtown Elementary School’s organic vegetable garden.

From Tuesday to Friday, the kids will meet at Holland Middle School, where they will prepare yummy and healthy dishes with the produce collected from the farm. Additional local, fresh ingredients will be used.

The hands-on class will teach kids cooking skills as well as how to prepare tasty and healthy meals, organizers explained.

"We hope our campers will not only want to eat more veggies after their experience next week, but will also be more mindful of how to grow and care for the environment.  If this type of awareness starts when they are young, just imagine where it could take us as they grow into adults," said Gilmore.

Some of the dishes the kids will prepare include: veggie pizzettas; summer linguini with veggie toss; brown rice and veggie salad; fish tacos; tuscan kale salad; sweet potato fries; fruit tart and more.

"We hope the kids will develop a connection to where their food comes from and how it is produced.  We want them to be inspired by what they see and to begin thinking about the importance of supporting local agriculture and ultimately to make healthier food choices as they grow into adults," Gilmore said.

The cooking class will be held Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost for residents is $165 for residents and $206 for nonresidents. There is also a $30 materials fee due the first day of class.

Registration will be accepted up until Monday morning.

For more information or to register, visit www.newtownfun.com.