Fun at the Coppell Farmers Market on Saturday! Food Day for Kids will bring kid-oriented activities like Cathy’s Critters’ petting zoo, a food scavenger hunt, free children’s recipe books, chef demo, temporary tattoos and other give-aways just for the young ones. This event is a way of raising kids’ awareness of where their food comes from and how to cook it.
The highlight of the morning for school age kids is a 10:00am Market to Kitchen chef demonstration by Coppell middle school student and Master Chef Junior contestant Ryan Kate. She will present “Healthy Meal Ideas for the Whole Family” by preparing three recipes. Recipes and a kitchen tool will be given to kids in attendance, and one recipe will be sampled. Children get preferential seating so they can see.
How did Ryan Kate get to this culinary level at such a young age? She explained, “I have been cooking with my mom for as long as I can remember. In first grade I started cooking classes. For the past two years I have had private lessons in my home with Chef Gabriella McCord. I also learned a lot in the Master Chef kitchen from Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich.
“I have always loved gardening and food of any kind. I grew up in the kitchen experimenting with different flavors and combining foods to see what I could create. I think that freedom in the kitchen and my mom allowing me to explore and find new things to try in grocery stores and farmers markets expanded my palate and interest in cooking at an early age.”
Food Day inspires Americans to change diets and improve food policies. Every October 24th, thousands of events all across the country bring together millions of people who envision a world where food is healthy, affordable, and produced with care for the environment, animals, and the people who grow, harvest, & serve it.
The Coppell Farmers Market celebrates this day with a focus on children. The Food Day website says, “Children who know where our food comes from and how to cook meals will have a big advantage when it comes to being healthy and avoiding chronic diseases. Introducing kids to new fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—along with a few basic recipes—can put them on track to make smart food choices for life. If you teach a child to cook, a lot of other things fall into place.” Find more ideas, information, and recipes at Food Day.
Produce is still abundant at the farmers market. Find summer and winter squashes, peppers, greens, root vegetables, green beans, potatoes, onions, herbs, pastured meats, honey, artisan food products and much, much more. Roving musicians Boxcar Bandits and the popular Pop’s Kettlecorn vendor will add to the Food Day festivities.
The Coppell Farmers Market is open every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon at 768 W. Main Street in Old Town Coppell. Lone Star Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and bank ATM cards can be used to purchase wooden market tokens (market cash) at the CFM info booth in the center of the pavilion.