I recently joined a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in my area. The farm I joined is called One Straw Farm and supplies local organic produce to its customers from June through November. There are many benefits to having a farm share. One of the benefits is that an individual helps to support local farming. By buying local we reduce our carbon footprint because we eliminate the emissions from shipping produce purchased in the grocery stores. We also know exactly where the produce comes from and do not have to worry about the questionable farming practices of non-local grocery store-purchased produce. Finally, joining a CSA provides the consumer with weekly fresh fruits and veggies that are healthy for the whole family.
One Straw Farm supplies me with many great options for feeding not only my husband and I but also for our baby. I pick up my produce weekly and have a choice of 4 items (1/2 share) to choose from. The items to choose from will be what ever produce is in season for that week. These include, but are not limited to beets, beans, broccoli, eggplant, squash, zucchini, potatoes, strawberries, watermelon, spinach, kale, collards and cauliflower.
Now comes the fun part, cooking for the baby! In the early stages of eating solid foods, babies will eat only fruits, veggies and grains. Many of the items from the farm are a perfect meal for baby, so moms, get creative! One yummy recipe is to use spinach, kale or collards and sauté them in a pan with some olive oil and lemon juice and puree as needed. Another great idea is to steam squash, eggplant and zucchini and puree it as well.
Soon baby will have teeth and will no longer need puree. This is when cooking gets much easier, feed baby steamed green beans, cauliflower and broccoli. Since I have not moved beyond the puree yet with my 7 month-old, I have yet to get creative with those recipes. My go-to is www.wholesomebabyfood.com where there are tons of ideas for any food item that you can think of to feed your baby! The site gives recommendations on age to feed baby that I’ve been following loosely, just use your discretion wisely. The site has also started a blog which I will be following at www.wholesomebabyfood.com/news.
Once baby moves on to meats and veggies, incorporate your farm produce into the meals and feed your baby exactly what you are eating.
Happy cooking! Feel free to post any yummy ideas you have for feeding your baby for the rest of us to try!
