Mr. Potato Head...for Real!

Part of my commitment as a virtual farmhand for the Colvins is to put up a recipe each week that showcases the produce we got that week--how to use it, how to eat it, how to store it, etc. This is our last week of the season, though, so I have been a little unconventional. Oh, we're using the produce, that's for sure. We just didn't eat it.

I was signed up this week to speak to my son's second grade class about a hobby of mine, my job, or some other interest. They already know I'm a teacher since I pop into lunch on a regular basis. They already know I read/review children's books since I've been a classroom reader already. What they didn't know before today was anything about my love affair with vegetables and my partnership with the Colvins.

This turned out to be a fantastic way to talk up vegetables, local or otherwise, with a group of kids. I held up specimens, all of which have come at some point during the season, and most of which are recent box finds. The kids could identify most (not the turnip!), had tried most of them (not the radishes!), and had no problems disagreeing on which ones were better. We talked about "not liking them yet" and trying new veggies. And then... we made Mr. Potato Heads with the various veggies! I introduced them to my new friend, Colvin (pictured above on the right), and encouraged them to make their own new friends. It was a great experience, and the kids loved it. They were even more creative than I'd expected, and I caught several of them sampling the extra veggies they were using. Bonus! So, in this last week of our CSA season, buy a handful of bigger potatoes and use your scraps from prepping your veggies to make a few Mr. Potato Heads. It takes remarkably few whole vegetables to make multiple Mr. Potato Heads, and it's a fantastic way to get kids excited about vegetables.