Baby Gourmet

My latest area of concern with my baby's food is texture. Recently, I have been trying to make the transition from purees to actual solids.

Sure, I may be getting a wee bit ahead of myself seeing as my 10-month-old only has 6 teeth (though his 6 are probably stronger and sharper than my 32), but the keyword is gradual. So as time passes, I make my purees thicker and thicker. Occasionally, I'll even leave some chunks, but it is very important to be cautious with chunks, as something that seems too small for your baby to choke on may turn out to be a hazard.

With really tender fruits and vegetables like bananas or cooked potatoes, a fork is my utensil of choice for controlling texture. But when it comes to certain other things, an immersion blender, or simply pulsing a few times in a food processor, works well to reach the desired consistency.

I left my latest concoction quite thick, and the little guy didn't seem to mind...

Gardener's Bounty
yield: 1 1/2 cups

6 oz organic summer squash, small dice
4 oz organic carrots, small dice
1 cup organic frozen peas
1 cup water
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

Place vegetables and water into a medium pan or saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cover, and continue to simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are fork tender. Add the parsley and mint, and cook for another minute. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid. Puree the vegetables with about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid (add more if you want the puree to be thinner).