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Kids Club Vol. 46: Cherry Tomatoes

KIDS CLUB

VOLUME 46

Welcome to the latest issue of our ChopChop Kids Club newsletter!

This month we’re cooking with cherry tomatoes. Or, more accurately, not cooking with cherry tomatoes. Pop a sweet, bursting cherry tomato into your mouth, and it will make sense that these are actually berries. (Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit; technically speaking, they’re a berry; and legally speaking—according to an 1893 Supreme Court ruling about how to classify them—they’re a vegetable.) We’ve got a few no-cook ideas for you, as well as a fun activity, a question of pronunciation, and more. So call them whatever you like, and enjoy the last of the summer growing season, even if you’re already back at school.

Welcome, fall!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Greek Salad Kabobs

greek salad kabob beauty

Greek Salad Kabobs

Of course you could simply make a salad, but this is more fun, and the kabobs make delightfully unusual after-school snacks or perfectly cheerful summer appetizers. If you like bell peppers, feel free to add those too!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 to 15 Kabobs

kitchen gear

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife (adult needed)
  • Measuring spoons
  • Zester or grater
  • Small bowl
  • Measuring cup
  • Bamboo skewers

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced or put through a garlic press
  • 1 8-ounce block feta cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into cubes
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup pitted black or green olives

Instructions
 

  • Put the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, mint, and garlic in the bowl and mix well. Add the feta and gently stir. Leave it to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • Thread the marinated feta, cucumber, tomatoes, and olives onto the skewers, alternating and arranging them however you like. (Tip: Push the skewers slowly and gently through the cheese cubes so that they won’t be inclined to crumble.) Serve right away.

Notes

"Pitted" means with the pits removed.

Like their cousins eggplants and bell peppers, tomatoes are in the nightshade family—famous for its poisonous member belladonna, or deadly nightshade! Tomatoes, however, are not poisonous and are more than merely edible. They’re delectable!

Cherry Tomatoes with Twinkle Spice

cherrytomatoes_beauty

Cherry Tomatoes with Twinkle Spice

Did you know that a dip can be made of dry ingredients? Here, the flavoring comes from a simple mixture of spice and salt that sticks to the tomatoes through the magic of . . . water! 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 Cups

kitchen gear

  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • 1 plate
  • 2 small bowls

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon cold tap water
  • 1 teaspoon Twinkle Spice

Instructions
 

  • Put the tomatoes on the plate.
  • Put the water and Twinkle Spice in two separate bowls.
  • To serve, let guests dip one side of each tomato in the water, then in the Twinkle Spice. 

Notes

OR ELSE
Instead of cherry tomatoes, swap in cucumber, jicama, or melon chunks, and skip the water! 
 

Twinkle Spice

twinkle_beauty

Twinkle Spice

This is what we dip the cherry tomatoes in, but it makes a great gift too! Spiced salt—or, in this case, salted spice—adds a ton of flavor to food, which actually encourages people to use less salt! Plus, it keeps well and can be used in a lot of different dishes. 
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 Cup

kitchen gear

  • Measuring cups
  • Small bowl
  • Spoon, for mixing
  • Small clean jar with lid 

Ingredients
 

  • 1⁄4 cup kosher salt
  • 1⁄2 cup curry powder, five-spice powder, chili powder, or ground ginger

Instructions
 

  • Put all the ingredients in the bowl and mix well.
  • Spoon or pour the mixture into the jar for gifting. 

Notes

OR ELSE
Instead of the spice, consider mixing the salt with 1⁄2 cup dried herbs that you crush in your hands before adding: Basil, oregano, and thyme are all good options. 
 

Kitchen Science: Tomato Chemistry

Have you ever made a baking soda volcano? This is a kitchen version of that experiment, and it tests the same basic chemical reaction.

  1. Cut a cherry tomato in half and put it in a small dish. Put a spoonful of vinegar in another small dish and a spoonful of water in a third dish.
  2. Sprinkle the water with a pinch of baking soda. What happens?
  3. Sprinkle the vinegar with a pinch of baking soda. What happens this time? Do you know why?
  4. Sprinkle the tomato with a pinch of baking soda. What happens? What conclusion can you draw about the tomato?

What other ingredients could you test? Can you predict what would happen with each one?

FUN WITH WordS: To-MAY-to, To-MAH-to

Have you ever heard that classic jazz song with the lyrics “You say to-MAY-to, I say to-MAH-to. You say po-TAY-to, I say po-TAH-to”? 

There are probably words that you and your family pronounce differently from other people you know. This might be because of where you live, where your family came from, or the culture you grew up in. 

Can you think of any? Here are some to get you started: caramel, neither, pajamas, pecan, and envelope.

More Cherry Tomatoes? Try One of These Recipes

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato Toast Salad
Double Tomato Bean Salad
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