Before I knew it, Louise started refusing food; she seals her lips and turns her head to the side. I know this happens to children, they evolve from being adorable unfussy eaters to about 18 months, when you start wondering whether you should send your toddler to bed without dinner.
But Louise is not even 1; it’s much too early for her to become picky. Until I realized it’s not the taste she is rejecting, it’s the delivery. So I let her pick at her own dinner and make a giant mess – and it works. She eats with her fingers meals she’s shunned from a spoon.
These carrots passed the finger-food test brilliantly.
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6-8 carrots
1/2 untreated orange
Fresh thyme
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Bring a small amount of water to the boil.
Peel and slice the carrots fairly thinly at an angle to create larger slices.
Cook the carrots in boiling water (covered) for about 10-12 minutes, until soft. Drain water and return the carrots to the pan. Grate orange zest and squeeze the juice over the carrots. Cook for another minute or so until the carrots have absorbed the juice. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.
Serve in slices, coarsely mashed up with a fork, or puréed in a food processor.
Nettle and Quince 