A tip of the week, a weekly menu…

· by Helene @ French Foodie Baby

 

Many of you have found the posting of our menus very helpful, so I will work at posting them more regularly, even if it’s a shorter post with just the menu (This is our menu from last week actually). 
 
I thought I’d start a “tip of the week” series. Something that has helped our family in the food journey. Here’s this week’s:
 
Talk about and marvel at seasonal produce with your children, the same way you would point out a beautiful flower or landscape. 
 
I get excited about vegetables like you wouldn’t believe. Especially with summer produce, marvel at the beauty of an heirloom tomato, or peach or apricot.  This is something we do often because I photograph a lot of our food. But it also happens every time we go to the farmer’s market, or receive our CSA delivery, and certainly while watching our vegetable garden grow.
It can be as simple as sitting down with a child for a couple of minutes, just looking at, touching, smelling, and eventually tasting a produce, a piece of fruit, peas in a pod, colorful chards, anything on hand. Bringing children and ourselves to direct our attention at the beauty of real food through our excitement and sense of awe and gratitude, goes a long way in engaging them. Making time for these moments is part of creating positive associations with food (real, good food). 
 
When I was in Seattle recently, I brought back these wild ramps which were so gorgeous and delicate and ever so flavorful. They provided our family with an opportunity for connection, fun, discovery, and pleasure of the senses.  
 
 

 

 
Onto the menu…
 
Cheeses of the week: Following French tradition, I always offer a little bit of cheese at the end of every meal, between the main course and dessert. Rotation this week: Goat gouda, Petit Basque (sheep’s milk), Camembert.
 
Desserts: At lunch and dinner, I offer a piece of seasonal fresh fruit (sometimes with yogurt). For younger children or those especially sensitive to sugar, at night, I recommend sticking to plain yogurt (regular homemade* whole milk, sheep’s milk, goat’s milk and Greek yogurt for extra protein) to avoid too much sugar before bedtime. (Offering fruit for the first three meals of the day is plenty.)

 

 

MONDAY

Pablo’s Lunchbox: 
Greek salad, cold roasted duck (with mustard), green beans, Petit Basque sheep’s milk cheese, tangerine

Goûter (4pm snack) – Apricot

Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Herbed asparagus & potato salad
Main course: Ham wrapped endives au gratin, quinoa béchamel

TUESDAY

Pablo’s Lunchbox:
Asparagus, potato & smoked salmon salad, tofu, Goat gouda, strawberries

Goûter – Peach

Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Cucumber salad, yogurt tarragon dressing
Main course: Dover sole filets, coconut rice

WEDNESDAY

Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: 1/2 avocado with vinaigrette
Main course: Smoked salmon green bean rolls

Goûter – Chocolate pudding

Dinner at the Farmer’s Market 
(Last week, we had oysters to start, Japanese onigiri, Spanish paella, lavender sauerkraut, and peaches and apricots)

THURSDAY

Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Authentic Greek salad
Main course: Sardines and lavender sauerkraut (awesome from Brassica and Brine)

Goûter – Nectarine

Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Raw kale salad from Food Loves Writing
Main course: Oven roasted pork ribs, thyme potatoes

FRIDAY

Lunch OUT

Goûter – Donut peach

Dinner 
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Lentil shallot salad
Main course: Braised fennel tomato rice casserole from Green Kitchen Stories

SATURDAY

Appetizer / Finger Foods: Peach burrata salad*
Main course: Chards Spanish tortilla

Goûter – Chocolate pudding

Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Cold pea soup from TasteFood
Main course: Lentil & vegetable coconut milk dahl* + this incredible tomato cobbler by Food Loves Writing
(It’s a dinner party, so making strawberry rhubarb mascarpone tarte* for dessert)

SUNDAY


Lunch 
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Leek and chive flans
Main course: Zucchini leek quail egg cassolette by La Tartine Gourmande

Goûter – Nectarine

 

Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Cold cooked squash in mint vinaigrette
Main course: Herbed lamb meatballs in coconut milk with quinoa

 

 

 

 
 

4 thoughts on “A tip of the week, a weekly menu…”

  1. I love to read your menus, they are very inspirational. The only thing for me is that I wouldn't know when to prepare those kind of menus, as Little Boy (18 months now) hardly ever lets me cook. I still have to find a solution to that. I've tried to let him 'help', but our kitchen isn't safe enough to do that. Any recommendations?

    Reply

    1. Hi there. That can definitely be a challenge, and it requires a good amount of planning ahead. Some tips are: 1/ plan on cooking some batches of soups or pre-boiled veggies (to then eat cold with vinaigrette) in the evenings, maybe twice a week, and freeze or put in fridge for the week, Spanish tortilla can be made a night before as well 2/ use leftover from dinner wisely for lunches 3/ meal planning is key 4/ seek help if at all possible 5/ I have really liked the kitchen tower for keeping Pablo safe in the kitchen, that might help. Working on things that can keep a toddler occupied to give you 20 minutes here and there 6/ plan simpler meals until you can have a little more time, pan-fried meats and fish, crudités salads, sardines. Evaluate the time you do have for meals and plan accordingly…. I hope some of this helps! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  2. So happy to see more posts on your blog! I've missed them! My son goes to the farmers market each Saturday am with my husband and it is wonderful to see how excited he gets when new foods come into season- especially the summer stone fruits. We also notice he is more excited to try new foods when he is reminded about which farm stand/seller we got them from. Thank you for the meal plan- I've missed those too! Get so much inspiration!

    Reply

  3. Pablo is such a lucky kid growing up with you as his mum! I;m definitely doing that for my future kids. I already do that to all my friends (they either get slightly annoyed or very amused). Wild ramps I reckon, are similar to wild garlic here in the UK? I love their wonderful lush green leaves and unmistakeable scent of garlic! One of my favourite things to forage for.

    And yes, menu is always great to see! So inspiring on days when I run out of ideas. The braised fennel tomato rice casserole..yes.

    Reply

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