The Organic Family Cookbook: Growing, Greening and Cooking Together

As she did in Ice Pop Joy—making popsicles with kale, mascarpone and other atypical ingredients—Daulter concocts some surprisingly kid-friendly treats in this beautifully crafted guide to organic family living. The recipes for every meal, snacks and desserts, and tips for involving kids in organic gardening (“potted parties,” school gardens), food preparation (family cooking days), conservation (repurposing, composting) and community action (herbal tea stands; baking for the homeless), come directly from Daulter’s experience with her four children. Her creativity ranges far, from sneaking vegetables into homemade fruit leathers and mixing leftover sweet potato baby food into a savory flatbread to making a “stone soup” that grows into a feast with each guest’s addition to the pot. Daulter, who studied cooking at the Tassajara Zen Buddhist retreat in Carmel, Calif., takes a spare but deep approach to meals. For example, the addition of chia seeds, wheat germ, flax seeds or hemp seed powder transforms simple dishes into nutritional powerhouses, and the saying of blessings during preparation and at the table unites a family in gratitude. (Oct.)