This post is sponsored by Hidden Valley Ranch.

(Images by Modern Kids Photography based in the Bay Area)

One of the things that attracted us to our current place here in San Francisco was the community garden right next door. It’s just wonderful to have a little spot of earth in this busy, packed city. Everyone you encounter in the garden is friendly and cheerful, it puts you in a good mood even if you’ve had a rotten day. It’s really refreshing.

In this digital era, working with your hands in the dirt is so simple and rewarding. We have a larger plot now, but at the beginning we just had this funny skinny plot up against the fence. We’ve grown raspberries, peas, tomatoes, herbs, cabbage and arugula. Henry loves every part of the gardening process. Picking out seeds at the store, carrying bringing supplies over from the garage, digging, planting, watering, and watching them miraculously sprout up from the earth.

It’s simple enough for his four year old brain to understand and a perfect opportunity to talk about where different kinds of food comes from. I’ve found that the more involved he is in the process of planting, growing and harvesting vegetables, the more likely he is to be adventurous at the dinner table with new vegetable. It also encourages a lot of discussion about balanced diets, rural vs urban landscapes, and the complicated process of getting food from the farm to our table every night.

I’d love to hear though: How do you encourage your kids to eat more vegetables? Or what were your parents’ techniques growing up?

P.S Last summer you might remember that I posted about a few of my favorites salads. Here they are in case you’re looking for new recipes:

Fresh Arugula and Basil Salad
Classic Cobb Salad
Wheat Berry Salad
Sauteed Corn and Black Bean Salad (my personal favorite!)
Orange Mint Salad