Article first published as Book Review: At the Farmers†Market with Kids: Recipes and Projects for Little Hands by Leslie Jonath & Ethel Brennan on Blogcritics.
“At the Farmers’ Market with Kids” by Leslie Jonath and Ethel Brennan is intended to encourage parents to teach their children the value of eating foods produced by local farmers, not only for the quality but sustainability of them. It also encourages parents to teach children to cook with foods grown by the farmers in a gentle and fun way. Each recipe gives a “Kids Can” tip, e.g., “rise and peel the cucumbers, remove grapes from stems, grease the pan.”
For the purpose of the review we are asked to test three recipes. The first recipe I tested was “Chilled Cucumber and Dill Soup.” After a 5-hour chill, the soup was served. It is creamy and delicious. Depending on the child’s age, many of the procedures can be done by the child.
The second recipe I tested was “Strawberry Freezer Jam.” Easy to make - just crush the strawberries, add the sugar and pectin, and stir well. Ladle into sterilized jars, freeze, and there you have it - strawberry jam. The jam is very tasty and easy to make.
The third recipe I made was “Chocolate-Beet Cupcakes.” No, this isn't an error - beets in cupcakes are for real and it one sure way to have your child become friends with beets. After cooking the beets, they are grated and added to the regular cupcake mixture. I found the cupcakes deliciously moist.
There are many other recipes I’ll be making from this cookbook. The recipes are sectioned off by seasons making it convenient to find the recipe using the produce of the particular season. As for the other ingredients, because of the simplicity of the recipes, they can found in any pantry and definitely in a local grocery story.
I encourage parents to teach their children about clean foods and buying from local farmers. Teaching and cooking with them will give appreciation of the quality of the foods, a better taste, GMO-free, and most of all supporting local farm families and preservation of agricultural landscape. One way to do this is use “At the Farmers' Market with Kids” by Leslie Jonath and Ethel Brennan as an educational tool. Recommended!
At the Farmers’ Market with Kids: Recipes and Projects for Little Hands
Leslie Jonath & Ethel Brennan
Chronicle Books (2012)
ISBN 9780811875028
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (4/12)
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