The Chew’s Daphne Oz has partnered with Burpee plants and Health Corps to spread the joy of growing and cooking your own food to homes and schools across the country.
As the TV food host shared on her Instagram account, @daphneoz, for every veggie inspiration photo posted, Burpee will donate a plant to a school.
Many people want to grow and enjoy delicious food but worry about space and time. Here are Dr. Oz’ daughter’s tips for cultivating your own veggie garden and a family- friendly recipe (Warm Caprese Sandwich) to help get you started.
- Be fearless! It’s okay to take risks and experiment with your herb and vegetable garden. If your rosemary plant dies, it’s easy and inexpensive to swap in another one.
- Get the whole family involved! I’ve found Burpee plants have my favorite herbs and veggies and planting them with my kids is always a fun experience. Have your family members decorate their own special pots for their veggies so they feel an extra sense of pride. Finally, get them harvesting! Kids love to pick tomatoes and cucumbers off-the-vine.
- Start small and sunny. I live in an apartment so I don’t have a ton of space for a large garden. That’s okay though, since one of the biggest mistakes first-time gardeners make is planning an area that’s too large to maintain. Plus, many veggies and herbs look and grow beautifully in large containers and patio pots. Be sure to put them in a place with a lot of sun!
- Texturize your garden. Vegetables and herbs not only provide the foundation for delicious food but they’re also colorful and smell great. Create a garden that appeals to all of your senses. Tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and peppers are great first-time veggies. Herbs like basil, mint, sage and thyme also grow quickly with little effort. Mixing and matching veggies and herbs that your family likes is a perfect way to enjoy them from start to finish.
- If you want more tips, tools and recipes head to burpeehomegardens.com. Burpee wants to make it easy, accessible and fun for everyone to grow their own vegetables and they have all the help and support you could need.
Warm Caprese Sandwich by Daphne Oz
+1 head garlic
+3 tablespoons olive oil
+1 (1 pound) loaf ciabatta bread, split in half horizontally
+1/2 tablespoon fresh Burpee oregano, chopped
+1 tablespoon fresh Burpee parsley, chopped
+12 leaves fresh Burpee basil leaves
+3 ripe BushSteak tomatoes, sliced
+½ teaspoon kosher salt
+8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves, trimming about 1/4 inch off of the top of each clove. Place the garlic onto a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then gather the foil up around the garlic and twist to seal at the top. Place in preheated oven and bake until the cloves are tender, about 35 minutes. Remove garlic from oven; do not turn oven off. Squeeze garlic from cloves into a small dish; mash into a paste.
- Place bread on a baking sheet, cut side up. Toast bread in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining olive oil, then spread with garlic paste and sprinkle with oregano and parsley.
- Top one half of loaf with a layer of basil and tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and set aside. Top remaining half of loaf with sliced mozzarella. Return sandwich half with cheese to baking sheet.
- Place in hot oven and cook until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Allow sandwich to cool slightly before assembling. Cut into 4 pieces to serve.
Burpee and Daphne would love to see how you get your veggie on. Share your #veggieinspiration and they’ll donate, a plant to support local schools through Health Corps. It can be a gorgeous meal full of vegetables, a snap of your garden, or however the flavor and fun of fresh veggies inspire you.