Vetri is training cooks to feed Philly’s future

This summer, Vetri Foundation for Children has been working to help Philadelphia youth learn to cook for themselves.

Vetri’s SummerThyme Cooks program is teaching children how to cook while on a small budget. The weekly cooking classes are taught in four small groups, and each week they prepare a different kid-friendly recipe, created with seasonal vegetables and other fresh ingredients.

The class, held at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center at the Parkway Central Library, exposes the participants to new foods and aims to open their minds to trying new things. The ultimate goal is to inspire the kids to continue exploring their palettes after the summer series is over.

All of the chopping, measuring, mixing and cooking is done by the participants with the assistance of Vetri Foundation for Children Chef Sarah Cullen. The participants get the chance to try their creation when it is complete. In addition, the children go home with a bag of the ingredients to create the recipe again at home with their families. All the recipes are from a budget cookbook, Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown, which offers dishes that cost under $4 to make.

Image via Vetri Foundation