Tulsa Children's Culinary Creations For 'Global Gardens'

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Some Green Country gardeners are cultivating healthier eating habits. The home-grown harvest has inspired some culinary creations that's getting them national recognition.

"Who loves radishes that much?" asked Maggie Regan, Rosa Parks Garden Educator. "These kids love radishes. It's great."

Garden educator Maggie Regan promises it's true. These kids love salad.

"We went online to find fruit salad and we thought we'd add mint into it," said Emma Rehn.

"And we got it out of our garden," added Caitlynn Kirsch.

Regan says something takes root, when these kids start getting their hands dirty.

"It's amazing," she said. "If they grow it, they're much more inclined to want to try it."

All of the students in the Global Gardens summer program here at Rosa Parks Elementary have their own plot of earth that they plant, weed, and harvest.

The kids aren't just turning dirt, they're whipping up recipes. And two have earned a spot in a high profile cookbook.

"We have some, some tomatoes and some corn," Emma said.

Emma Rehn and Caitylynn Kirsch put their own spin on a fruit salad recipe they found online.

Emma Rehn: "We have bananas, strawberries, grapes, cantelope and I forgot what else."

Caitlynn Kirsch: "Mint"

Emma Rehn: "Oh yeah, mint."

Now the girls and two of their fellow horticulturalists are featured in a cookbook, inspired by the garden First Lady Michelle Obama started at the White House.

"Everybody at least gets to know what you guys made and everybody can try the recipe out," Caitlynn said.

Nate donned the chef's hat this week. His menu is a garden fresh salad and sun-baked potatoes in solar ovens he helped create.

"Just seeing if they can dream something up, they can see it happen out here in the garden," Maggie Regan said.

And with those kind of seeds planted, Regan says these students are walking away with more than just lunch.

A couple of the Global Gardeners held a book signing Thursday night at Blue Moon Bakery in Brookside. The restaurant served the student's dishes.