Aa Bb

artichoke broccoli Cc Dd

corn dragon fruit broccoli artichoke Broccoli is fun to eat. okie dokie It’s a healthy snack you cannot beat. artichokie dip Broccoli is little flowers, • 1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts When you eat it, you get special powers. • 1 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach Broccoli is a super food you see, • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese For it is filled with vitamins b, k & c. • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise monsters don’t • 1 teaspoon garlic salt seasoning Preheat oven to 375°. Drain one can of hearts and mince like broccoli into pieces. Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl and by Barbara Jean Hicks stir thoroughly. Spoon mixture into baking dish and bake 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before fun facts serving. Serve 1/2 cup with whole grain crackers. • Broccoli is one of the healthiest green vegetables. Snack vegetable crediting: 4 servings for ages 1-5 • Broccoli is good both raw or cooked. • Broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange. fun facts • Artichokes are mainly grown in California. • Artichokes have hearts! • Artichokes are flowers. cacfp.org cacfp.org dragon fruit corn dragon fruit hand print smoothie corn cob • 1 cup dragon fruit, peeled and diced First, make some prints to resemble • 1 cup strawberries, diced the corn. Slightly bend the end of • 1 cup banana, diced a straw to make an oval shape, dip it in yellow paints, and stamp onto • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt white cardstock. Use paper plates Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve 1/2 cup to as paint trays for super quick clean each child. Ask them to describe the taste. up! When the paint has dried, trace Snack fruit & meat/meat alternate crediting: 6 servings for ages 1-5 around child’s hand in pencil then cut it out. Glue the hand print onto fun facts some construction paper, and cut out • Dragon fruit comes from a cactus. green corn husks from green construction paper. • Dragon fruit is also known as strawberry pear or pitaya. fun facts • Dragon fruit grows in Asia, Central America • An ear of corn has 800 kernels. and South America. • Corn is also called maize. • Corn is produced on every continent cacfp.org in the world except Antarctica. cacfp.org Ee Ff

eggplant fig Gg Hh

garlic huckleberry fig eggplant eggplant sticks • 10 oz Eggplant 3d fig tree • 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs Assembling your fig tree is • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated super easy! First print the template, available at cacfp.org • 2 large egg whites, whipped on cardstock. Color both sides and Cut 1/4 inch slices and then from those, cut 1/4 inch cut out the pieces. Cut along the sticks. Mix breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl. In solid black line and then slide the another, whip the egg whites. Dip the eggplant sticks two pieces together (one from the into the egg whites and then roll in the breadcrumb top and one from the bottom). Secure the two mixture. Lay on large baking sheet lined with pieces at 90 degrees from one another using tape parchment paper and bake in 450° oven for 10 minutes. on the backsides. Use tape to reinforce. Ta-da! Turn over and bake another 5 minutes. Makes 32 sticks. You have a free standing fig tree. Six sticks equals 1/2 cup baked eggplant. Snack vegetable crediting: 5 servings for ages 3-5 fun facts • Fig trees don’t have blossoms. fun facts • There are nine different kind of figs. • There are around 770 varieties of eggplant. • California grows the most fig trees • They are related to potatoes. in the country. • Italy used to call them “crazy apples.” cacfp.org cacfp.org

huckleberry garlic try it plant it Go to your local farmers market or grocery store Did you know that garlic can sprout into and see how many items you can find that have more garlic? You can grow garlic sprouts huckleberries in them (i.e. vinaigrette, salsa, sausage, from a single garlic clove. Just place one baked goods, jam, juice.) Then hold a tasting to see garlic clove in a small cup with a little what everyone likes and doesn’t like. Add the likes to water, place in a window so it gets lots your menu options. of light and let it grow. Once roots are strong, plant in dirt. Other vegetables that produce sprouts are onions, adventures of potatoes, celery, and green onions. Try them all. huckleberry finn by Mark Twain fun facts • Garlic is divided in parts, called cloves. fun facts • Garlic is used in recipes by cooks around the • Huckleberries are native to North America. world. • You can find them in the White House garden. • Garlic is available all year. • Huckleberries are often mistaken for blueberries but they have a different taste. cacfp.org cacfp.org Ii Jj

iceberg lettuce jicama Kk Ll

kiwifruit lima beans jicama iceberg lettuce jicama sticks changing colors • 2 cups watermelon You will need: • 2 cups cantaloupe • cabbage leaves (lettuce family) • 4 cups jicama • food coloring • 1 cup fresh lime juice • water • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped • jars • 1 teaspoon of chili powder Add some water to each jar. Then add a 6-10 drops Peel and cut fruit into 1/4 inch wide strips. Gently mix of different food coloring to each jar. Place a separate strips of watermelon, cantaloupe, and jícama with lime cabbage leaf in each jar. Leave your cabbage over night juice. Toss salad with cilantro and sprinkle chili powder to achieve the full effect of this experiment. The leaves over the top to taste. Serve chilled. will absorb the colored water and change color! Snack fruit & vegetable crediting: 8 servings for ages 1-5 fun facts fun facts • China produces the most lettuce. • Jicama is from South America. • Iceberg lettuce is the second most popular • It is pronounced “Hee-ka-ma.” vegetable. • Jicima is a root vegetable that tastes • Lettuce is almost always eaten fresh. like a potato and pear combined. cacfp.org cacfp.org

lima beans kiwifruit lim-A-B-C’s kiwi popsicles Using dried, white lima beans, write • 1 cup kiwi, diced the letters of the alphabet using • 1 cup strawberries, diced a black Sharpie to create a set of • 2 cups watermelon, diced alphabet beans for literacy play! Now, set up a mini muffin tray • 1 lime filled with paper cup cake liners. Juice and zest the lime. Peel kiwi. Place all ingredients Inside each one, write a letter of the in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Poor alphabet. Have kids match the bean mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for 3-4 hours or with the coordinating letter in the muffin tin. until solid. For added fun, have them sound out each letter Snack fruit crediting: 8 servings for ages 1-5 as they find and match it. fun facts fun facts • Originally named “Chinese Gooseberry.” • Lima beans are also called butterbeans because • Renamed to kiwifruit after the kiwi bird. they have a buttery texture when cooked. • Kiwifruit grows on vines. • They have white or yellowish flowers when they grow. • Lima beans grow on a bush or vine. cacfp.org cacfp.org Mm Nn

melon nectarine Oo Pp

okra peppers nectarine melon nectarine fruit melon salad salad • 2 cups cantaloupe, diced • 1 cup nectarines, diced • 1 cup honeydew, diced • 1 cup peaches, diced • 1 cup watermelon, diced • 1 cup strawberries, diced • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice • 1/2 lime Place all the melon in a wide bowl or on a platter. Add • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped half lime juice over top, stir, adding second half to taste. Snack fruit crediting: 8 servings for ages 3-5 Juice the lime and add chopped basil. Mix well, and set aside. Lightly toss fruit in a large bowl. Drizzle lime mixture over fruit and mix gently to coat. fun facts Snack fruit crediting: 6 servings for ages 3-5 • There are 25 varieties of melon. • Melons are in the berry family. fun facts • Melons grow on vines and produce • Nectarines are nicknamed “shaved peaches.” two kinds of flowers.

• Originated in China. • The word nectarine means sweet as nectar. cacfp.org cacfp.org

peppers okra pepper turkeys okra stamping • 4 bell peppers in different colors • fresh okra • 1 large carrot, cut into thin “sticks” • paper • food safe markers • water-based paint • Tzatziki dip or hummus for filling • small plates Slice the top off of the peppers and Cut okra into one inch pieces, remove the seeds and stem. Cut a crosswise. Put different paint head shape into 3 of the peppers. Slice colors on small plates. Dip okra in remaining into strips. Fill the bell one color of paint and press stamp pepper turkeys with desired filling such as onto paper. Lift stamp to see the hummus. Add the pepper strips and carrot sticks flower like imprint. as feathers. Then draw a face on the turkey using the food safe markers. This makes a perfect snack. fun facts fun facts • Okra is nicknamed “lady fingers.” • Bell peppers come in over 8 different colors. • Okra can be used to make paper. • There are over 50,000 varieties of peppers. • When the vine blooms, the • Peppers are not related to ground flowers look like hibiscus flowers. pepper, as in salt and pepper. cacfp.org cacfp.org Qq Rr

quince rutabaga Ss Tt

string beans tomato rutabaga quince roasted rutabaga Read it! • 1 large rutabaga • 1 large sweet potato It’s Okay to • 1 butternut squash, peeled • 1 large carrot • 1/2 red onion Be Different! • 3 tablespoons of olive oil by Todd Parr • salt, pepper, garlic, and dried thyme The quince is very different from popular fruits. That’s okay. It’s okay to be different. This book Preheat oven to 425°. Cut vegetables into 1 inch to highlights and celebrates how everything and everyone 1 1/2 inch chunks. Toss vegetables with olive oil and is different. then sprinkle with seasonings until coated evenly. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on cookie sheet. Roast vegetables at 425° for 45 minutes. fun facts Serve 1/2 cup for CACFP vegetable crediting for ages 3-5 • Quince is rarely eaten raw and when cooked, tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear. fun facts • A quince tree can grow for up to 50 years in the • Rutabagas are a cross between a cabbage and wild. turnip. • Turkey grows twenty percent of • You can eat the rutabaga leaves. the world’s quince. • Rutabagas are high in vitamin C. cacfp.org cacfp.org

tomatoes string beans Let’s Read plant it • plastic cups I Will Never Not • packet of green bean seeds Eat a Tomato • small bag of garden soil (unfertilized) by Lauren Child Have the children fill their cup two thirds Lola is a picky eater and doesn’t like to try of the way up with dirt, then poke a hole in the center new foods. Her brother Charlie uses his imagination of the dirt with their finger. Place one seed in the hole, to help Lola try new foods. Mashed potatoes are cover with dirt and water. After a couple of days, the fluffy clouds from the peaks of Mount Fuji. Carrots seeds will sprout! Water daily. are twiglets from Jupiter. How will Charlie use his imagination to encourage Lola to try tomatoes? fun facts • String bean is another term for green beans. fun facts • There are over 130 different types of beans. Most • The largest tomato recorded was grown in are green but some are purple, yellow or even Oklahoma in 1968 at 7lb. 12oz. spotted. • Every year a small town in Spain has a tomato • Beans are one of the most popular fight where the whole town joins in. garden plants. • Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked. cacfp.org cacfp.org Uu Vv

ugli fruit valencia oranges

Ww Xx

winter squash xigua valencia oranges ugli fruit hand squeezed ugli smoothie orange juice • 2 cups ugli fruit, peeled and frozen • 2 cups pineapple juice Have you ever tried making orange • 2 cups plain yogurt juice by hand without a juicer? Kids will love this. Take several valencia Add all ingredients to a blender, mix on oranges and roll them on the table. high until smooth. Serve 1/2 cup per child Rolling first will help get the juices immediately as a frosty smoothie or let sit going. Cut them in half. Have each for five minutes before serving. child squeeze by hand over a plastic Snack fruit crediting: 8 Servings for ages 1-5 pitcher. Then enjoy the fruit of your labor. fun facts • Ugli fruit is a hybrid of grapefruit, orange, and fun facts tangerine. • Seeds in Valencia oranges are called pips. • Not ugly! This fruit is pronounced OO-gli. • Valencia is the most popular orange in the world. • Mainly produced in Jamaica, the ugli fruit is also • They are named after the city available in Florida. of Valencia in Spain.

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xigua winter squash xigua easy pumpkin • construction paper: orange, (watermelon) soup brown, green • 4 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded • scissors • 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped • paper plates • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • glue stick • 1 tablespoon honey Cut out orange pieces of Blend watermelon, lemon juice, mint, and honey in a construction or tissue paper. Have blender. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. children glue the pieces of paper all over a paper plate. Snack fruit crediting: 8 servings for ages 1-5 They can glue on a brown rectangle for the stem and green leaf or add black shapes to make a jack-o-lantern too. fun facts • Pronounced “she-qwah,” xigua is the Chinese fun facts word for watermelon. • Winter squash is different than summer squash. • Watermelons are 92% water. • Pumpkins are a type of winter squash. • The largest watermelon on record • There are over 30 different was 262 pounds. varieties of winter squash. cacfp.org cacfp.org Yy Zz

yam zucchini zucchini yam

zucchini zappers Yam Sticks • 3 cups zucchini, diced • 2 cups yams • 4 teaspoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese • salt • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs Preheat oven to 425°. Using a sharp knife, slice the • salt and pepper yams into thin sticks. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle Preheat broiler on high. Toss all ingredients in a bowl with a dash of salt. Spread the sticks on a baking sheet and spread out on a baking pan in a single layer. Broil in a single layer. Roast at 425° for 25 minutes. Turn the for 10 minutes. sticks over and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with Snack vegetable crediting: 6 serving for ages 3-5 1/4 cup of plain hummus. Snack vegetable crediting: 4 serving for ages 1-5 fun facts • Zucchini is the only vegetable that starts with a Z. fun facts • The flower of a zucchini plant is edible. • Yams are not sweet potatoes, they are • One zucchini is a “zucchina although most people not potatoes at all. use the word zucchini regardless of • Yams are an edible root. how many they have..” • They can grow to 5 feet in length and can weigh as much as 150 lbs. cacfp.org cacfp.org