The Children's Kitchen Garden: A Book of Gardening, Cooking and Learning

by Georgeanne Brennan, Ethel Brennan

Shows how children can learn to garden and cook

Genres: Gardening, Cookbooks

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

Georgeanne Brennan, born and raised in Southern California, is the author of the James Beard Award winning cookbook, The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals award for her book, Aperitif, among numerous others, including her best-selling memoir, A Pig in Provence, about her years raising goats and pigs and making cheese in France in the 1970s. She’s divided her life for many years between her modest home in Provence, where she learned to make French style aperitifs, and a small farm in Winters, CA. She co-founded the pioneering seed company, Le Marche Seeds International, an important source for emerging organic market growers, in the 1980s. In the 1990s she conducted week-long Culinary Vacations in Provence. In 2014 she founded the on-line store lavierustic.com. She and her work have been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, Food and Wine Magazine, InStyle, Vogue and many others. She has a bachelor’s degree in History and English from San Diego State University and master’s degree in History from UC San Diego.

Reviews

[Keegan Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I told my husband that I needed gardening for dummies, and a lot of this comes pretty close. I think it might be useful for people who already have some knowledge about gardening, too, but it really gave lots of basic information on individual vegetables. That was perfect for me, as I said, because I have almost no knowledge on the subject of gardening. Also, I like the ideas about how to involve children in the gardening process and then in the kitchen as well. It's almost a book I would buy so I could reference it when I finally get my tail in gear and start planting things.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't quite read this cover to cover, but since it's meant to be a guide in many ways for cultivating a love for grown food in elementary aged children, (I'm using it for homeschool purposes) I read the history of the French-American school where the book was developed and then flipped through some of the experiments, recipes, and planting tips.

I really love how they emphasise the sensory experience of growing, tasting, and preparing your own food in a way that engages children and teachers alike. I'm excited to start implementing these ideas into our yards and kitchen.

[Elisa Garza]

This explains how the East Bay French-American school incorporated gardening and French culinary teaching into their curriculum. I want to learn to garden myself and teach my kids, so it seems like a great book for getting started.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great direct writing style with beautiful poetic idealization included. Great instructions on gardening!