If only more kids were like little 3 year old Ruby, standing in front of the salad bar at the grocery store screaming “I wha-ah-NT cauuuu-li-flooow-er!!!!!!!! waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!” Complete with blubbery tears.

Maybe, just maybe the American Academy of Pediatrics would not be recommending cholesterol lowering drugs for kids as young as 8 years old… If more kids were like Ruby. These doc’s seem giddy with the thought that they can prevent heart attacks & strokes later in these youngster’s lives by prescribing a wee little pill. If only the side effects weren’t memory loss (that should help with school), muscle weakness, muscle pain, the breakdown of muscle tissue (no more P.E.) and many others.

If only the doc’s were giddy prescribing not only said cauliflower but spinach and broccoli and carrots and tomatoes and any and all veggies. Side effects? Increased memory, bigger muscles, more energy and so much more! At some point we have to draw that line in the sand…no more blubbering…change or see this generation die before their parents. Harsh, yes? But stark reality.

I dare say that my wood dining room table is more natural than most kids dinners these days – day glo mac and cheese, 30 ingredient ‘chicken’ nuggets, hot dogs (ground gullets anyone?), fried potato product?

A few months back while riding the commuter train I sat across from a young mother and her toddler. The little one was clutching a large order of fries from the golden M, her short greasy fingers stuffing one fry after another into her mouth. All the while her Mom was cooing’ “oh, are you finished yet?”

What’s this got to do with gardening? Well for one, it’s July – time to put down seeds for cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collards, chard, carrots and beets for a Fall harvest. So get to it!

Secondly, young Ruby has been growing along side two seasons of tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers, romano beans, chard, kale, peas, carrots, potatoes, eggplants, grapes, berries, apricots, cherries, and persimmons.

Her Mom grows all these and more, harvests them, prepares them and sets them on the table. Sometimes Ruby eats them and sometimes she doesn’t. But the point is that she is able to participate in the how and where of her food – this will influence her food choices in the future.

Gardening is only one of the many ways to engage our kids in not just healthy eating but health living. It doesn’t have to be a huge plot of land, just a small patch or even a pot.

Most of us are gardeners today because of a positive childhood experience. I use to be a very picky eater but I grew up to be a food scientist, chef and nutritionist. Our own Robin (you can read her story here) grows the most amazingly sweet and tender cauliflower and eats all kinds of vegetables daily.

While gardening by itself won’t solve the ever growing health crisis facing this next generation, maybe we can begin to help our kids learn what real food is and the rewards of growing one’s own.

And yes, Ruby did get her cauliflower that she happily munched on the way home.

To grow cauliflower (in zone 9) start your seeds now. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep. The seeds need a temperature of about 65F to sprout and grow well.

If you want to use transplants you’ll find them in stores in a month or two. Plant in loamy well draining soil amended with organic compost. Space them about 10-12″ apart in all directions. Since cauliflower is a heavy feeder, in each planting hole add a trowel full of compost. Keep well watered for best head development. If you can, side dress with kelp or fish emulsion every three weeks or so.

Companions: zinnias (to attract beneficial insects like lady bugs, wasps and bees), sweet alyssum (as a live mulch and hideout for spiders) and dill (to attract beneficial insects).

Nutritionally, cauliflower is the wonder white food though you can find purple and orange cauliflower these days. Jam packed with vitamin C, B vitamins including folate, vitamin K, omega 3 fatty acids, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. It also contains compounds research has shown may prevent cancer and sulfur compounds to help our livers get rid of toxins (you know like pollution and the other 300 chemicals the CDC estimates reside in the average American).

In the Fall, look for some of my favorite recipes.

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