Posting Pablo’s menu for this week a bit late, better late than never. Pablo is turning 17 months today, and he sure left his mark in the homes, backyards and kitchens of all the loved ones we visited in Greece and France. While he did have his fair share of “ham and noodles” on a few exhausted evenings, he also had a good number of firsts on the culinary front. From mussels to oysters, to steak tartare and chicken with maroilles, to okra stew and fish soup (recipes coming up soon on the blog), he liked it all and was always eager to taste, to my great delight.
It occurred to me recently (will post more on that soon), that it is a good idea to get children to taste foods with “strange” (to us) textures very young, when they are interested in weird textures (in fact, they’re prepared to put anything in their mouth, from sand to soil to worse…), and before they are prejudiced as adults tend to be about certain foods (think oysters, urchin, raw fish…)
I have so much to share from our trip: a day at a farm in Normandy; making Greek fish soup; a comparison of our visits to Rungis, the largest wholesale food market in Europe, and the very picturesque and local Bayeux farmer’s market; and for the strong-hearted who are not afraid of raw meat, a great recipe for the perfect steak tartare.
In the meantime, here are a few images from things experienced during the trip, and this week’s menu (we’re pretty much finished with baby purees at this point, and all eating the same thing).
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| A wonderful potato, serrano ham & cheese clafoutis we improvised in Normandy |
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| What a treat to have a dinner of sautéed wild chanterelles and cep (boletus / porcini) mushrooms |
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| From a Greek fishmonger to the perfect steak tartare in Lille, France |
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: Petit Basque (sheep’s milk), Italian Truffle Cheese (so decadent!), Goat gouda.
Desserts: At lunch, I offer a fruit yogurt (or plain yogurt with fresh fruit), but at night, I prefer 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.
If you would like a particular recipe on the menu, feel free to contact me! (I marked with a * the recipes that will be the topic of upcoming posts).
MONDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Quinoa and crudités salad
Main course: Turkey & chards puree
Goûter (4pm snack) – Kiwi
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Cold zucchini with vinaigrette and mint
Main course: Tofu with carrot, turnip, leeks puree
TUESDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Grated heirloom carrots, classic French-Style recipe on Karen Le Billon’s blog
Main course: Smoked salmon & cucumber tartines
Goûter – Grapes, pear
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Baby artichokes with mint & lemon from Turntable Kitchen
Main course: Roasted chicken with blue potatoes
WEDNESDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Authentic Greek salad
Main course: Tuna tomato tart (recipe typical from Ile d’Yeu)*
Goûter – Raspberry rice pudding*
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Shallot tatin*
Main course: Guinea fowl with fava beans
THURSDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Celery root remoulade made with the homemade mayonnaise recipe on Food Loves Writing*
Main course: Beef patty with simple ratatouille
Goûter – Kiwi
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: White asparagus tips in tarragon cream sauce
Main course:Dover sole filets with green beans
FRIDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Andalusian gazpacho
Main course: Ham with vegetable noodles
Goûter – Banana & pear compote
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Cauliflower, green beans, blue potato salad
Main course: Cheesy polenta with eggplant*
SATURDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Lentil salad*
Main course: Whole grilled fish
Goûter – Watermelon
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Andalusian gazpacho
Main course: Cauliflower, potato and spinach curry*
SUNDAY
Lunch
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Broccoli florets
Main course: Tomatoes stuffed with sardines*
Goûter – Lychees
Dinner
Appetizer / Finger Foods: Vegetable noodle salad
Main course: Cream of chicken and watercress soup*
As a big believer and follower of Baby-Led weaning I can not emphasis enough how much I agree with the need to introduce textures to a small child. I love what you do!
Yes, this really proved to be true when my son repeatedly tried to eat sand this weekend!!! Now THAT's an open mind about textures! 🙂 Thanks so much for the kind words.
i love all the variety!! my son has a thing about textures, namely he doesnt like the sticky ones like confiture for the moment, or peanut butter or nutella. go figure.