Toddler Peas

I haven't mentioned our CSA (farm-share) in a while, but it's going really well so far! Every week, we get a big box of fruits and veggies delivered to us. I don't think we have eaten this much produce in years. Ok, ever. And it's awesome.

I like the challenge of finding new and creative ways to use vegetables that I might not buy at the grocery store (hi there escarole). Heck, I like the challenge of just getting a vegetable on the table every night at dinner (sounds simple, but it's something I had gotten very slack about). And I love that my hope of getting Nathan to branch out in trying new foods is totally coming true!

These are some of the foods that we have gotten in our box so far this summer (and yep, Nathan has tried at least a bit of everything I've used our produce to cook up): tomatoes, squash, kale, cabbage, radishes, onions, zucchini, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, green beans, pole beans, garden peas, escarole, strawberries, endive, cilantro, blueberries, dill, cucumber, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, edamame, corn, peaches, and even a bottle of strawberry cider. Awesome, huh?

So obviously some of these veggies go over better than others. But even just trying them, I think, is teaching him that it's totally ok to taste something new, and he will come out ok on the other side -- no tantrum necessary. He's even eating new non-produce foods better. The day Nathan ate a plate of broccoli and cheese cubes and blueberries for lunch, and the dinner where he ate a steak sandwich and a bowl of squash caserole, both stand out to me as proof that he's broadening his food horizons.

And Nathan and I are still cooking a lot together. He helps me make dinner almost every night, even if it's just shaking seasonings or doing some stirring for me. He's just so excited and independent when he gets to "cook" for us. I love seeing him like that. I find that my old frustration and stress and sense of overwhelm in the dinner hour is pretty much nonexistent on the days when he helps me (although I might have the causation backwards there, I admit!)... it's becoming one of my favorite ways to spend time with him.

One day he even helped me hull a big basket of peas, and then gobbled them up when I served them alongside his grilled cheese for lunch. (To be fair, he was much more excited on the day we used the strawberries to make sorbet and the blueberries to make a cream cheese pound cake. But still.)

So anyway I thought I'd share the recipe for Nathan's favorite peas. A friend from church made these for us when Anneliese was born, and it's one of my favorite ways to make peas now. They're simple enough to please the palate of a toddler, but flavored enough to not bore grownups. We ate these for lunch for about a week straight last month. :)

Toddler Peas

4 handsfuls of fresh garden peas, hulled and washed
1 tomato, diced
1/4 onion, diced
2 tbsp fat-free italian dressing (or whatever you have)
2 cups chicken or veggie broth (optional)

Steam the peas, tomatoes, and onions in a steamer pot/basket over a pot of simmering water (or broth) for about 20 minutes, until peas are tender. Toss with salad dressing and serve. Easy and good.  So good your kids will eat it!  :)