Locavore Baby
A few weekends ago, I snuck out to my neighborhood farmers market. Why was I sneaking? Well, I was taking advantage of my son's naptime - a golden opportunity for some "me time." Without Zach in tow, I could casually stroll the entire market, stop and talk to growers, take in some yummy samples and mull over what I wanted to bring home for a week of home-cooked meals.
When he was born a year and a half ago, a close friend said to me, "Zach is such a lucky boy to have a foodie chef for his Mom. He's really going to eat well!" That was it - the gauntlet was thrown. I was committed (whether I liked it or not) to make sure Zach ate only the freshest, most seasonal produce available. Any purchases of convenient packaged baby food would have to be done incognito. Of course, I had a few months to gear up before he started solids, but as soon as he did, I was off to the farmers market to stock up. Zach gobbled up whatever I could puree in the food processor - local greens like spinach, chard and kale, sweet potatoes and german butterballs, roasted cauliflower, apples and pears, summer berries and stone fruits. It was heart-warming to have such a little locavore.
While Zach's palate has changed over time and he doesn't much care for vegetables, I am lucky that he still gobbles up fruit of all kinds. And while I admit that I haven't completely limited his diet to local, seasonal ingredients (kids will do amazing things for Cheddar cheese Goldfish!), it does make me feel especially good to know that I'm making an effort to expose him to responsible purchasing and eating habits at a very young age. I look forward to warmer, drier days this year when I can bring Zach to the market with me (now that he's walking like a big boy). I plan to make it a weekly family tradition with memories that will last him the rest of his life.
Posted by Laura Heinlein, Commissary Production Manager / Seattle