This week we finish out our series about pumpkins with the Great Glass Pumpkin patch which takes place at MIT. Every year the students make and sell more than 1800 pumpkins to fund the glass laboratory. Plus, Nidhi is here to tell us about pumpkins and nutrition, and we have a recipe for all those pumpkin seeds you’re bound to have when carving pumpkins. Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds Here are two different ways to make a scrumptious snack: one starts with seeds with the shells on, right...

This week we talk about Halloween and how it has different meanings to different people. Sally shares a story from her childhood and Harry and Sally talk about Pie! Does your family have a food that you only eat at certain holidays or specific times of the year? Write to us at podcast@chopchopfamily.org to let us know! Our featured "Check It Out" books are Amara’s Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood and How to Be a Person by Catherine Newman Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win Lois Elle...

This week we speak with Pumpkin Professional George Nickolopolous who is in charge of the Roger Williams Park Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular. He has great tips for us about how to carve and get the most from your pumpkins this Halloween season. You can learn more at rwzoo.org. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer. Thank you to Frank and Reuben for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podc...

Have you ever considered what it takes to grow a giant pumpkin! In this episode we hear from Ron Wallace of Wallacewow.com who grows champion giant pumpkins weighing more than 2000lbs! We fit in a few fun facts and stretch our math muscles trying to figure out what to do with all that pumpkin! Here's this week's Kitchen Math questions: Let’s say you have a 16 pound pumpkin. Generally speaking it will yield 12 cups cooked and pureed pumpkin and about 4 cups of pumpkin seeds. In two wee...

This week we're sharing an episode from another podcast we think you might enjoy. Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups is a 7-part audio adventure where creators from the Kids Listen community come together to explore feelings in all their shapes and sizes. This episode covers jealousy and openness and the ChopChop Podcast has been featured in it! Each episode pairs two related emotions, sharing original clips and reflections to help kids (and grownups!) understand, name, and navigate their feel...

The main topic this week is Harry’s interview with Liam Cromie, a 17-year old in Rhode Island who started harvesting invasive Green Crabs when he was 12. He started a business to sell them, called Point Judith Green Crabs, and eventually worked to change the law in his state to make it easier for kids like him to harvest and sell these delicious invasives. Also, Nidhi stops by to give us a last bite about Tomatoes and nutrition! Music in this episode includes modified versions of: ...

Finally we dig into the meat of the matter or, really, the fruit! This episode is all about cooking tomatoes. Stella shares a great recipe for Shakshouka with us and our pal Gail Arnold give us some great tips for serving tomatoes in a salad. Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win Joy Howard’s fantastic book Tomato Love. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, "Montmarte" by Jahzzar, and "Strange Italian Song" by Juanitos...

This month we’re learning about one of our favorite vegetables (or fruits?): tomatoes! This week we hear more from Devan Ferreira, of Russell Orchards, who was the winner of the 2024 Massachusetts commercial tomato growers competition. This episode has great facts about tomatoes, and some geography for you. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" and "Jazzy Inquisitors" by Lisa Hammer. Thank you to Frank and Reuben for adding your voice to our sh...

This month we’re learning about one of our favorite vegetables (or fruits?): tomatoes! We speak with Devan Ferreira, of Russell Orchards, who was the winner of the 2024 Massachusetts commercial tomato growers competition. She gives us some great tips about growing your own tomatoes. We also share a cool science experiment you can follow along with at home! We’ve switched the podcast from once a month to once a week, so look out for our continued exploration of tomatoes next week. We'll hear m...

This month we’re feeling gourd-geous and heading into the garden to talk about the most bountiful, bodacious cucurbit around: zucchini! Whether you grow it yourself or find it left in your car by your neighbors this episode has something for you! We hear from a Mother/Son team growing Trombocino, hang out with Katherine Pryor, author of Zora’s Zucchini and check in with Chris Powell, one of the organizers of the annual West Stockbridge Zucchini fest. There’s also Curried soup on the men...

This month we are putting on our protective gear and heading to the hives to check in on some of Mother Nature’s hardest working insects! We talk with Sally’s local beekeeper about honey and learn all about keeping bees from Akeem, who is an 8 year old beekeeper with his Dad Kamal at Sankofa Farms in North Carolina. Plus, our friend Nidhi stops by to share some valuable information all about the nutrition side of eating honey. This month’s recipe: Nutty Oat Bars Akeem and Kamal wrote a ...

This month on the ChopChop podcast we dig deep into… Compost! What is it? Why is it good for your plants? We are joined by Jayne Merner of Earthcare farm to talk about tips for home composting. Check out Jayne’s show The Composter wherever you get your podcasts. We also speak with Georgia, a fifth-grader who noticed a lot of food scraps in the garbage at school, and decided to do something about it. She started a compost program for her cafeteria, and you can too! Music in this episode ...

This month we’re talking about fish and fishing. We hear the story of Gail and Luke, who have a special friendship all because of their shared love of fishing. Kate Masury from Eating with the Ecosystem stops by to tell us about her work. Fish is super easy to cook, fun to catch and we hope you’ll learn a little more about that this episode. This month’s recipe: Fish Tacos! Our featured "Check It Out" books are Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn and Milton and Odie and the ...

Here we are at 15! ChopChop has turned 15 and we’re celebrating our accomplishments and accolades as well as all the fun we’ve had over the years. We are joined this episode by Ryan from Ryan’s Recycling to hear more about his story and why recycling is so important. We have party ideas and lots of singing! We’ve got Strawberry pie on order instead of cake and you’ll hear about the history of the piñata! This month's recipe: Strawberry Galette. This month's giveaway is a Ryan’s recyclin...

This episode is all about school food! More than 5 billion (with a B!) lunches are served in school across the United States every year. This food helps kids learn, helps the local economy and is integral to a day in the life of a kid. Tune in to hear from Mara Fleishman, the CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, who align with our mission at ChopChop by working to provide fresh, healthy, delicious, cook from scratch meals that support the health of children and our planet to millions of kids all o...

This month we’re focusing on oranges and other citrus fruits, because wintertime is when they are at their finest and most abundant. Most people eat oranges out of hand, but we also like to use them in salads, smoothies, and here, “sorbet.” We also learn from Olgo Russo, the former owner of Russo’s Market in Watertown, MA. Olgo knows a thing or two about every fruit and vegetable we can think of, and you’ll definitely enjoy this interview. If you live near Boston, come see us on Sunday, Febr...

What’s your favorite sandwich? We talk about sandwiches, lunch and how to make amazing bread. Jim Lahey stops by to talk about no-knead bread and gives us a great recipe. We also hear from lots of listeners with some jokes and their favorite sandwiches! Try out this Month's recipe: No-Knead Bread Our featured "Check It Out" book is The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win our guest Jim Lahey's book: My Bread. If you’r...

This month we’re talking about Eatable Gifts because no matter what holiday you celebrate—and even if you don’t celebrate any—it's a great time of year to share food with your family, friends, and neighbors. Receiving is great, but giving is even better; neuroscientists have taken images of people’s brains that show that when they are generous, the pleasure and reward centers light up. These are the same parts of the brain that light up when you do well on a test. So whether you’re making a ...

Squash is an incredible vegetable (fruit)! They come in a dizzying array of colors, shapes, sizes and types. They have been grown for thousands of years and are grown on every continent except Antarctica. In this episode we find out the origins of the word “Squash,” learn from Chef and Author Abra Berens, and take a trip to visit Dawn and Cassius Spears on Ashawaug Farm. Listen in for some great tips on growing, cooking, and eating this fantastic food. Want to hear yourself on air? Send...

Want to learn even more about apples? In this BONUS episode we share the whole interview with Amy Traverso, the author of the Apple Lover’s Cookbook. Sally and Amy cover a whole bushel of extra info about Apple varieties, how to choose an apple and some fun apple history! Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! Email us your recordings at podcast@chopchopfamily.org. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your ...