French Kids Eat Everything (35 page)

Since so much emphasis is on the taste of the foods themselves, seeking out high-quality, fresh ingredients is worth your while. According to the Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment, foods that have been locally grown tend to have higher nutritional value. Local producers also tend to select varieties for taste rather than for production value or durability for transport. This is why the French continue to seek out local markets for their vegetables, fruits, and even meats.

A comment about butter is necessary, given that it appears in many of the recipes in this book. Those so inclined should feel free to substitute vegetable oils. But my personal preference is still to use butter. The French have never really believed that butter is bad for you. In fact, it's relatively rare to find French families who eat margarine, as they tend to reject the artificial taste and are wary of anything that has been overly processed. The French have always believed what nutritional science has now confirmed: a small amount of fat is nutritionally essential even for adults and is critical for the proper development of growing children. However, as with any fat-rich foods, the French are judicious in their use of butter. So use it sparingly, and enjoy!

Similarly, salt is optional in all of the recipes. Traditional nutrition advice for young babies emphasizes the dangers of habituating them to too much salt too early. So I never salt my baby purees or vegetable soups. For older children and adults, I find that a small dab of salted butter on top works wonders—the salt is noticeably tasty, but I've used a minimal quantity. This, in fact, is my general philosophy for children's food. If I salt it at all, I sprinkle the smallest bit of salt on the dish when it is already served, just before eating. You'll be using less salt, for better taste results. I use fine sea salt, as it dissolves more slowly and has a rounder, fuller taste.

Finally, a word about presentation. The French know that
how
food looks influences our desire to eat it. Small portions are usually more attractive to children; I find that it is better to serve a small amount and allow a child to ask for a second helping than to serve a large amount that is off-putting. Try using small ramekins or small bowls to encourage reluctant kids. If you don't have these, try using other small containers—like egg cups or custard cups (small Pyrex dishes)—in which vegetables, dips, and purees can be individually served; some children find that this makes eating more fun. And remember to serve something your children like at most meals, which will tend to reassure them and make them more willing to try new things. Most important, try to enjoy eating yourself; in eating, as in so many things, our children often do as we do, rather than as we say.

Bon appétit!

Soups and Purees

Sophie's Spinach Surprise

Baby's Vichyssoise (White Leek Soup)

Claire's Beet Puree

Lentil Apricot Soup

Salads and Main Courses

Endive and Kiwi Salad

Vinaigrette (Classic French Salad Dressing)

Crêpes (Savory and Sweet Pancakes)

Quick No-Pastry Quiche

Tomates farcies
(Stuffed Tomatoes)

Gratin de chou-fleur
(Cauliflower Casserole)

Five-Minute Fish
en Papillote

Bouillabaisse
for Babies

Snacks and Desserts

Zesty Orange Salad

Pain d'épices
(Spice Bread)

Les pommes au four
(Spiced Baked Apples)

Mamie
's Chocolate-Stuffed Baguette

Mousse au chocolat
(Chocolate Mousse)

Clafoutis
(Sweet Cherry Soufflé)

Preparation: 2 minutes

Cooking: 3 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 “baby jar”–size servings, or four children's servings

We devised this simple recipe in order to encourage our daughters to get used to eating green-colored food. Both of them still love this dish, even though they both eventually graduated to other green vegetables.

This dish is mild and incredibly smooth and is an easy way to introduce your children to green vegetables. The zucchini provides a light, almost fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, so that the spinach tastes airy and almost sweet. If you think the dish is still bitter (although I never do), add a tiny bit of honey before serving (or reduce the proportion of spinach to zucchini).

Serve in a small bowl; I find that a little goes a long way with this puree. Top it with tiny dabs of butter in the form of a happy face; your children will love to watch them melt.

1 medium-to-large zucchini, peeled and chopped (2 cups)

1 cup water

2 or 3 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves (about 1 cup, tightly packed)

Optional: 1 teaspoon butter and, if the spinach is slightly bitter, a small spoonful of honey

1. Place the zucchini in the bottom of a pot with 1 cup of water (not too much!). Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat, and simmer until the zucchini becomes transparent, about 2 minutes. Immediately add the spinach leaves, letting them wilt for a minute or so. Don't overcook the spinach! Drain the vegetables, saving the cooking water.

2. Remove the pot from the heat and blend until perfectly smooth, using as much cooking water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Tip:
This dish freezes wonderfully well and reheats quickly. But you may want to add a little water when reheating, as it tends to thicken slightly after being frozen.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking: 7–8 minutes

Servings: 4 “baby jar”–size servings, or two children's servings

Leeks are traditionally introduced to French children at a young age. Mild yet savory, young white leek tips (the only kind you should use for this soup) are more digestible than their older, greener versions. For older children, increase the amount of potato and decrease the amount of pear, creating a potato-leek soup that is similar in spirit to the classic French vichyssoise.

This soup has become comfort food for us, and we often serve it on cold winter evenings. In the summer, it can be eaten at room temperature or even chilled.

1 small potato, peeled and diced small (about ½ cup)

2 small (or 1 large) leeks, washed carefully, peeled, and sliced (use white stems only) (about 1 cup)

1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Optional: pinch of fine sea salt

1. Steam (if you have a pressure-cooker) or simmer the potato and leek in water to cover (about 1½ cups) until tender (6 to 7 minutes), adding the pear in the last 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, saving the cooking water (you'll need between ¾ and 1 cup).

2. Blend the vegetables with honey (or maple syrup), adding cooking water until the desired consistency is achieved.

Note:
For younger babies, you can eliminate the potato. They will love the pear-leek combination all by itself (it has the consistency of applesauce).

Tip:
Too much potato will overpower this soup, making it bland. Big chunks of potato may lead to a “gluey” mixture, so chop finely and don't overcook.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

Servings: 8 “baby jar”–size servings, or 4 children's servings

This recipe gently introduces your baby to beets, which are a favorite vegetable of French kids. The first time we encountered beet puree was at Claire's day care, where it was served perched on top of puff pastry (and where one of my first French food faux pas was to mistake it for a sophisticated adult hors d'oeuvre). Beet puree became a favorite item on the day-care menu, although it was usually served warm in little bowls. I also began serving this at home, and it became one of our family's favorite dishes.

As French children grow older, they graduate to eating cooked beets, which are regularly served at home and in schools, eaten in small chunks as part of a cold salad, topped with chopped parsley and a classic homemade
vinaigrette dressing
.

This recipe has a mild flavor, and babies love the bright pink color. The zucchini lends a light, airy taste. This helps make the beets more palatable and digestible. Over time, you can reduce the proportion of zucchini and increase the proportion of beets. But don't serve this to babies younger than twelve months, as beets (like other root vegetables) can occasionally be high in soil compounds such as nitrates that only older tummies can handle.

1 medium beet, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

2 medium zucchini, chopped (about 3 cups)

1 tablespoon butter

1. Place the beets in a small pot with water to cover and simmer over medium heat until tender, adding the zucchini in the last 3 or 4 minutes. Simmer until the zucchini is transparent. Drain, and set the cooking water aside. Blend until velvety smooth, adding enough cooking water to obtain the desired texture.

2. Top with a dab of butter and serve warm. The puree freezes well.

Tip:
Beet stains are hard to remove, so make sure to have bibs and wipes at the ready!

False Alarm Alert:
Beets can turn kids' pee (and even poo) pinky-red, so don't be alarmed. In fact, this effect might encourage some kids!

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking: 40 minutes

Servings: 8 to 10 adult servings