Summer in New England is a great time for food – fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables can be found in farmer's markets and roadside stands, many so crisp and delicious that you can't wait to eat them! Here are my rules for good eating in this season of plenty:


 

By Karen Kolp
At my oldest son's first birthday party, I cut a decidedly adult-sized piece of cake for a 6-year-old relative. His Mom intervened, declaring it “way too much cake,” and gave the boy a scant ¼ of my original piece. Much to my surprise, he was quite happy with the smaller piece, and ate it with gusto. It was the first time I gave thought to portion control for kids; in the intervening 7 years, I've found that controlling how much my kids eat can be as significant as monitoring what they eat.

 

By Kathy Lundquist

It may be summer, but there’s still lots of running around to do. Between school, camp, sports practice, we’re not quite in the lazy hazy days just yet. For families on the go, we’ve got a great little dinner idea – quick and healthy sandwiches. 

 

We’re not talking lunchmeat, hot dogs or hamburgers. They’re fast and nutritious, using a cut of meat you might not hear people talk about much – cutlets. Cutlets aren’t actually a cut of meat – they are meat cut or pounded thin, usually 1/4" thick. They cook up quickly, generally about 6 minutes total. Following are 3 easy recipes for your family, including a meatless one vegetarians will enjoy.

 

Eric Tsetsi

GateHouse News Service MEDFORD - On a sunny mid-week afternoon, when most of his peers were outside, reveling in spring vacation, 10-year-old Lev Snyder stood in the kitchen of Bistro 5, shelling edamame beans while waiting for his next order.

A waiter soon appeared with a small piece of paper — handwritten instructions for pleasing the restaurant’s newest hungry patron.

“Okay, wake-up call, now you’re on,” said Vittorio Ettore, chef and owner of the popular Italian restaurant at 5 Playstead Road, Medford.

By Karen Kolp
This sounds harder than it is but all that’s needed is a bit of time and a few tools:

• Get a good book about making baby food. My favorite is “Super Baby Food,” by Ruth Yaron. The author describes all things relating to babies and food, which can be overwhelming. My advice: take only the information that speaks to you (guidelines for what foods to start when, and allergy issues, for instance) and leave the rest.

By Karen Kolp

One way to feel better while in “The Land of New Baby” is to take care of your body, as best you can – meaning, stay hydrated (especially if you’re nursing) and eat well. There are extra food considerations for you nursing moms, too; if you have concerns about food sensitivities passed through breast milk, be sure to check with the doc.

Since time for cooking is limited, making double batches of your favorite chili, stews, and soups when you do have time will make for nourishing, quick future meals. But if you’re like me, at 3 a.m. breakfast foods are more the ticket. Good thing that they can be so good for you!

By Karen Kolp
So much food is so good for kids, and delicious too. My sister-in-law has found a great way to feed her boys nutritiously and be honest with them. In that spirit, this month's recipe is my Mom's tried-and-true zucchini bread, the only way I willingly ate zucchini as a kid.

When you share it with your family tell them about the zucchini.

By Natalie Kim
I don’t even need to look….mac and cheese, chicken fingers, hot dogs, pasta in butter…..The kids’ menu is always pretty much the same whether it’s a fast food place or a very fancy restaurant. Sometimes they put the menu on the back of a children’s picture book, or give the food funny names and cut things into silly shapes. But no matter where you are or how it’s served, it’s always the same old boring food! I know what you’re thinking: a lot of kids like these things. In fact, some are friends of mine. But there are lots of other kids like me who really enjoy food.   I admit I’m not a full-fledged foodie -- just thinking about foie gras gives me nightmares. But an herb-roasted chicken with truffled mashed potatoes, or tender handmade gnocchi in brown butter…..now, that’s good kids’ food!