Last week when I was heading out to the farmers market, my friend Zoe 
said, “You should make something with figs”. Zoe, mind you, is 14 years old. How many 14 year olds do you know think about figs let alone have tried them outside of maybe a Fig Newton bar? 

Zoe was so right and luckily there were figs all over the market — ripe, sweet and something that really feels like a great treat, so why 
not feed them to your little one?!
 I realize it’s not the most common first fruit to give babies, but 
they’re one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber and have 
the highest overall mineral content of common fruits. Their soft 
texture and the crunch of their teeny tiny seeds will give an interesting mouth 
feel for little ones.
Being the crazy frugal shopper that I am, after paying $4 at the 
farmer’s market for 8 perfectly ripe figs, I wanted to see how much they were at my local supermarket. $8 for 6! I was kind of shocked, but it’s proof again that when you shop at your local farmer’s market not only is the produce you’re getting superior to what you can buy in a store, but you’re also saving money.

I served this puree to Kenya by itself and he loved it. I even had him try 
it on top of yogurt and cottage cheese, again a total hit!


Fig Puree (Makes 10 Baby Servings)

8 Figs, stems cut off and quartered

1. Place the figs in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

I can’t stop buying cherimoyas….wait, do you know what a cherimoya is? I didn’t until recently and I’m so happy we found each other. A cherimoya is a fruit that Mark Twain called “the most delicious fruit known to man”. So, as I said, I can’t stop buying them and wanting to mix them with every
 fruit to make purees for Kenya. I got one at the Santa Monica Farmers
 market yesterday that was so ripe and sweet, I couldn’t resist buying it. Now
 that peaches are in season and finally starting to pop up again at the market, I feel like
 summer’s bounty of fruit is finally here.
Cherimoyas are high in fiber, iron and niacin. Make sure to pick ones
 that are soft when you give them a light squeeze, a good sign that
 they’re ripe. You can cut them into 6-8 pieces, pick out and throw
 away the big black seeds and then pull away the flesh from the skin
 which you can feed to your baby straight or puree.
Peaches are high in potassium, vitamin A and C. When they’re soft and
 ripe there is nothing like it. I waited until the peaches were very ripe,
 peeled them and then pureed them with cherimoya. I’m not exaggerating
 when I tell you that Kenya ate the entire bowl of puree that I made
 for this recipe (do you get the sense my son eats everything?!)

Peach & Cherimoya Puree (2-3 baby servings, unless your baby is like Kenya and eats the entire puree in one sitting)

1 Peach, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 Cherimoya, seeds removed, and peeled

1. Place both ingredients in the food processor and puree.
2. Serve

I’ll never forget being a little girl, probably 4 or 5 years old, and
riding around in the grocery cart at Winn Dixie, the market near our
house. My Mother pushed the cart along and picked up this brown fuzzy
thing in the produce aisle. She held it like a jewel and said “it’s a
kiwi, they’re hard to get and it’s very exotic”. I didn’t even know what
that meant at the time, but it sounded mysterious and special. Now
remember, this was in Kentucky in the 70’s, so we didn’t have the kind
of accessibility to produce that we do now. So, from that point on I’ve
always regarded kiwis with great esteem.
Kiwis have more vitamin C then any other fruit. It actually has almost
twice the amount as an orange. To help increase the absorption of iron,
which is important for brain development, feed your baby a vitamin C
food, such as kiwi’s, at the same time you feed them egg yolks or
cereals, which are high in iron.
No only are kiwis delicious, they’re beautiful to look at. This puree
has a gorgeous color and thick body from the addition of the peaches.

Kiwi & Peach Puree (10 Baby Servings)

2 Kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 Fresh Peach, chopped or 1 Cup Frozen, defrosted or cooked for 4
minutes in a steamer pot over boiling water

1. Place both ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
2. Serve.

I actually got the idea for this puree from a friend. She was giving her
grand-daughter this puree out of a jar and I asked her how much it cost.
$1.49 for a tiny jar of food! I was kind of blown away at how the costs
could rack up knowing how much food Kenya eats and how much he loves
variety.
If you are busy and working full time, I get it. Your baby is lucky to
be eating healthy, organic food. If you could make it fresh (the benefit
being it would retain more vitamins since it’s not living in a jar for
weeks — maybe even months) and it would cost a fraction of the price,
wouldn’t it be better to make your own?!
I bought three organic items for this recipes. The mango was $1.69, the
bag of carrots was $1.39 and the apple was 69 cents. That’s a total of
$3.77 and I had 3/4 of the bag of carrots and some mango leftover. There
are 10 servings in this recipe which means it would cost give or take
$14.90 (that’s a savings of $11.13).
This puree has a heavenly flavor. The mango and carrots are packed with
Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene which your baby’s body converts to Vitamin A
which is needed for healthy skin and vision. Trust me, this won’t be a
hard puree to sell to your little one.

*A NOTE ON MANGOES- There are tons of contraptions and different ways to
cut mangoes. I peel the mango with a carrot scraper and the cut around
the pit. Figure out approximately where the pit is placed and cut a big oval off
one side and then the other. Turn it and cut the remaining strips off
the long side. This way it comes right off the pit and you won’t waste
any of the delicious mango.

Mango, Apple and Carrot Puree (10 Baby Servings)

1/2 Cup Baby Carrots, chopped
1 Cup Mango, chopped
1 Cup Apple, peeled and chopped

1. Put carrots in a steamer pot over boiling water for 3 minutes.
2. Add mango and apple for 2 minutes or until everything is fork tender.
3. Put in a food processor until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

I feel like “eat your greens” rings through my ears when I’m cooking. Didn’t everyone have a parent who said that to you as a child at the dinner table?! Well, here I am now, the parent, trying to get my son to eat his greens. He’s actually amazing about it. I don’t think he knows yet that it’s a right of passage as a kid to deny them whenever possible.
The mix of vegetables in this puree is colorful and bursting with vitamins and minerals. I added the carrots and sweet potatoes to give it a little more body and sweetness. Even a baby who turns his or her nose up at greens will love this mix.

“Eat Your Greens” Puree

1/2 Cup Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Baby Carrots, chopped
1/2 Cup Green Beans, ends removed
1/2 Cup Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup Peas, fresh or frozen

1. Put sweet potatoes and carrots in a steamer over boiling water, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and steam for another 3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Put in a food processor and puree.
4. Cool and Serve.

I’ve been making this puree for Kenya since he started eating yogurt. I add a tablespoon to his yogurt for breakfast everyday. All the “baby” yogurt on the market, even the organic brands, are filled with sugar. By purchasing a huge container of Organic Whole Milk Yogurt and making this delicious puree, I’m saving money and giving him a snack with a sweet all natural flavor.
Make sure that you buy apricots without sulfur dioxide which can cause allergic reactions. The apricots won’t have that gorgeous bright orange color that most grocery stores carry, but they’re better for baby and just as delicious.
This puree can also be added to savory dishes such as Chicken Tagine with Apricots.

Apricot Puree (makes 2 Cups)

1 lb Bag Unsulphered Apricots
2 Cups Boiling Water

1. Put apricots in a glass bowl and cover with boiling water.
2. Let stand for 15 minutes or until soft.
3. Puree in a food processor adding water from glass bowl until smooth.
4. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

When you go to farmers markets, you think about getting the freshest produce possible. I could eat peaches and apricots until I’m blue in the face, and truly mourn when the last crop of O’Henry’s finishes for the season. What better way to satisfy a craving then by eating dried peaches and apricots.
I buy the most delectable Golden Flame Raisins from the owners of Peacock Family Farms. They’re so plump, juicy and have a gorgeous flame color. Make sure to buy unsulfured dried fruit which is darker in color. The bright orange fruit you buy at the grocery is treated with sulpher dioxite which can cause allergic reactions.
This is one of the bases that I always keep in the refrigerator. It lasts for weeks and you can add it to all kinds of purees, yogurt and cottage cheese.
Dried fruit is naturally sweet and a fantastic sources of potassium and iron, which helps the blood carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Without sufficient iron, your child will feel tired and be more susceptible to infection.

Apricot, Peach and Raisin Puree (2 1/2 Cups)

1 Cup Dried Apricots , Unsulphered
1 Cup Dried Peaches, Unsulphered
1/2 Cup Raisins
Hot Water

1. Put all fruit in a bowl and cover with hot water.
2. Let sit for 15 minutes.
3. Puree in a food processor. Add hot water from bowl a tablespoon at a time or until puree is smooth.

Getting your baby to eat his vegetables is a never ending challenge. Let’s be honest, what would you rather have, cheesy chicken casserole or broccoli and cauliflower puree?
I personally love any vegetable, maybe the reason is that my Mother made us eat them at every meal. Regardless, this puree is smooth and sweet. It could just be in my head, but the organic broccoli and cauliflower I get at the farmers market is somehow sweeter. Also, broccoli, pound for pound, has more vitamin C then oranges. At least I know there’s no pesticides in organic produce and Kenya is getting the freshest vegetables possible.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Puree (12 Baby Servings, freeze 1/2)

1 Cup Broccoli, florets and stem pieces peeled
1 Cup Cauliflower

1. Put vegetables in a steamer pot over boiling water.
2. Steam for 5 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Put vegetables in a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. Cool and serve.

There are two foods, in my experience, that kids almost always turn their nose up at. Beets and brussel sprouts. Why is that? Did we over hear our parents saying “yuck, beets,” or are we programmed not to like it? At our farmers market we have orange, red, yellow and candy beets. They’re gorgeous and sweet as sugar. I use beets and the greens in salads and other warm dishes, but when I make them, half of my friends say “yummy, beets” while the other half turns up their nose.
I made them with great trepidation for Kenya and was shocked that he liked them. Nothing makes me happier then when he enjoys something I never thought he would.
Beware, though! Pull out your biggest bib or tape a plastic garbage bag all around your baby because beets do stain and can make a mess, but trust me, they’re worth it.

They’re rich in calcium, important for healthy bones and teeth, are full of flavonoids and other anti carcinogenic compounds as well as a great immune booster in your babies diet.

*Steam the greens and eat with your dinner

Beet Puree (12 Baby Servings)

2 Beets, washed (any color)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Take a piece of tin foil and fold it in half.
3. Place beets on one side of the foil and cover the beets like a book. Pinch the edges to fully seal the package (this way they will steam in the oven).
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Open foil, let cool beets to the touch.
6. Take a ziplock or a gloves and peel the beets (this prevents your hands from getting stained). The skin should slide right off.
7. Cut beets and puree in a food processor until smooth.
8. Cool and serve.

One of my favorite things about baby food is that it’s just pure, wholesome and delicious. When these fruits are at their ripest, it’s so heavenly tasting, you don’t need to add anything.
Whenever I look at baby food jars in the grocery with artificial colors, preservatives and additives I think “do you really want your baby eating that crap”. I wouldn’t want it in my body, so why would I knowingly feed it to Kenya?
There’s nothing sweeter then a fresh banana, pear or peach. Even at this time of year, when peaches are out of season, I defrost frozen organic fruit and in an instant I can make this puree. This is the best dessert or breakfast food a baby would want.

Banana, Pear and Peach Puree (12 Baby Food Servings, freeze 1/2)

1 Banana
1 Pear
1 Peach (or 1 Cup Frozen Organic Peach Slices, defrosted)

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Serve.