Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Garden Groove

Monday, August 6, 2007

Garden Groove

We're in New Hampshire now, on our annual summer trip to my mother's house. It's the heat of the city that really pushes us up here for the entire month of August, but the draw of the mountains, and "Mima", is undeniable. I like to expose my kids to nature and bugs and backpacks -- and especially to the garden. We always come in the spring to help my mom plant her garden, and then we come back in August (and at Thanksgiving) to reap all that we have sown. (Well, the kids don't really sow that much, but as long as they are reaping, I am happy.)

Of course, it's northern New Hampshire, so the harvest is not exactly bountiful. In last year's sweltering summer, we were astounded to have both canteloupe and corn. This year, it's not so impressive. New Hampshire is just too cold for a really swell tomato crop, and the wildlife is far too fond of broccoli and squash. On the other hand, it's August and we still have snap peas! Those 50° mornings really keep the coolweather crops coming.

As always, I am astounded by my children's willingness to eat almost anything that they have personally picked. My daughter will not eat green beans from a plate, but will obsessively forage through vines and leaves and eat all she can find, crying when she can't find any more.

It all goes back to what my grandfather (who gardened into his 90's) used to say: "You want your kids to like vegetables? You've got to have your kids GROW vegetables."

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)