‘TRYit’ Tastes for Kids at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Do you think you can get your kids to try watermelon salad with pickled red onions? Or a Moroccan sweet pancake? The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival chefs have chosen some fun dishes to encourage youngsters to try something new as part of Disney’s TRYit campaign.

 
“I approached the TRYit dishes for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival like I approach new foods with my own children, focusing on great ingredients and finding ways to make them interesting for our younger guests,” said Jens Dahlmann, executive chef for Epcot. “For some dishes, we found fun and interesting ways to present them, like the ‘Frushi’ [fruit sushi] for example, while other dishes such as the Watermelon Salad combine a familiar fruit paired with the unusual tastes of arugula and feta cheese, making it a whole new experience.”

TRYit is part of Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living initiative, partnering with parents to inspire kids to try new foods and new activities. You’ll see TRYit dishes all throughout the World Showcase Promenade. The festival is a fun way to try small bites of something new.

Look for the TRYit logo on these diverse dishes in the Garden Marketplaces and Festival Center. The festival runs from March 6 – May 19, so there’s lots of time to try them all:

• Beet Lollipop (Intermissions Café in the Festival Center)
• Wild Berry Slush (Fruits by the Glass)
• Baked Goat’s Brie with Kumquat Chutney (The Cottage, United Kingdom)
• Frushi (Fruit Sushi) (Hanami, Japan)
• Lasagna Primavera (Primavera Kitchen, Italy)
• Potato Pancakes with house-made Apple Sauce (Bauernmarkt, Germany)
• Spring Pancake with Grilled Chicken & Green Apple (Lotus House, China)
• Watermelon Salad with pickled Red Onions, BW Farms Baby Arugula, Feta Cheese & Balsamic Reduction (Florida Fresh)
• Angel Food Cake with macerated Florida Berries (Florida Fresh)
• Ratatouille Tarte with Goat Cheese (L’Orangerie, France)
• Moroccan Sweet Pancake (Taste of Marrakesh, Morocco)
• Waterkist Farms Heirloom Tomatoes with house-made Mozzarella, Minus 8 Vinegar & Basil (The Cottage, United Kingdom)

To learn more about TRYit and Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living, visit the Magic of Healthy Living web site.

And here’s one of the TRYit recipes from the Epcot chefs – super-easy to “try it” at home.

Watermelon Salad
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Serves 6

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
2 tablespoons roasted garlic*
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pickled Onions
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons grenadine syrup
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 pound red onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings

Watermelon Salad
4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
3 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup white balsamic vinaigrette
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pickled onion
1/4 cup balsamic glaze*
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

For balsamic vinaigrette:

1. Combine white balsamic vinegar, shallots, garlic, honey, and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until well combined.
2. With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Blend until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For pickled onions:

1. If using frozen raspberries, thaw. Purée raspberries in a food processor. Pour purée through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard seeds; set puree aside.
2. Combine raspberry purée, water, sugar, grenadine, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.
3. Add onions; stir to coat, then remove from heat. Set aside 20 minutes.

For watermelon salad:

1. Divide watermelon among plates. Toss arugula with white balsamic vinaigrette in a medium bowl and lightly season with salt & pepper.
2. Top each portion of watermelon with arugula. Top each serving with 2 to 3 picked onion rings, then sprinkle with feta. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Cook’s Note: Balsamic glaze can be found in most supermarkets on the oil and vinegar aisle. To make your own, place 2 cups balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 40 minutes.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.