Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle is a feast for the senses. While the text draws readers into the rhythms of a year on a farm, the illustrations provide sumptuous, colorful detail and are as informative as the text itself. Each page details one task that a farm family must complete to prepare their farm for winter. Often, the illustrations on one side will show the farm at the height of the summer, while the other side shows the farm being “put to bed” for winter. This contrast allows children to follow the seasonal cycle of crops while watching the farm prepare for winter. I was not surprised to read that the author of Sleep Tight Farm, Eugenie Doyle, owns an organic farm in Vermont, as she is obviously intimately familiar with the rhythm of seasons on a farm. Yet, she is able to explain these cycles in a way that is simple and accessible for children.
Buy the book:
Several years ago, a survey done by the British Nutrition Foundation found that 1 in 10 children think tomatoes grow underground, and almost a third of primary students think that cheese comes from a plant. At a time when we are increasingly separated from the sources of our food, Sleep Tight Farm is a valuable resource for familiarizing kids with how much work goes into growing our food and where those foods come from. In that same spirit, the recipe I chose to accompany this book is meant to get families to the farmer’s market and connecting with local food sources. This recipe for Honey Garlic Roasted Vegetables can be used with almost any vegetables. I have used Brussels sprouts and carrots in this version, but green beans, asparagus, pea pods, squash, zucchini, beets, or almost any vegetable would work equally well. If you can find Brussels sprouts that are sold on the stalk, that would be a great opportunity for showing kids an interesting way that food grows, as well as a fun opportunity for them to help in the kitchen by popping the sprouts off the stalk. I also used honey in the comb for this recipe, as the family in Sleep Tight Farm tends beehives and are shown preparing the hives for their winter hibernation.
Buying honey in the comb (available fairly cheaply at Trader Joe’s or some farmer’s markets), is another easy way to connect kids to their food and show them a less-sanitized version of the products we consume. Also, the sweet honey offsets some of the bitter flavor in the Brussels sprouts that can be off-putting to some kids. Have fun experimenting and let your child help with choosing the vegetables. You might be surprised at how eagerly they eat their vegetables!
Discussion Questions:
- What is your favorite vegetable?
- If you could only eat one vegetable for a year, which one would you choose?
- Would you rather grow pumpkins or have beehives?
- What kind of farm would you most like to visit? (take some time to discuss different sorts of farms and agricultural businesses and maybe some specific farms in your area)
Honey Garlic Roasted Vegetables
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Trim the brussels sprouts by cutting off the stem end and removing any dead or browned outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half. Peel the carrots and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Spread the trimmed sprouts and carrots out on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until well-coated. Put the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables just begin to brown.
After 10 minutes, remove the vegetables from the oven. Sprinkle the chopped garlic over the vegetables and drizzle 2 Tablespoons of the honey over them. Toss to combine. Return the pan to the oven and roast another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden brown and garlic has browned just a little. Remove from the oven, drizzle the last Tablespoon of honey over the vegetables and serve immediately.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Trim the brussels sprouts by cutting off the stem end and removing any dead or browned outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half. Peel the carrots and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Spread the trimmed sprouts and carrots out on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until well-coated. Put the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables just begin to brown.
After 10 minutes, remove the vegetables from the oven. Sprinkle the chopped garlic over the vegetables and drizzle 2 Tablespoons of the honey over them. Toss to combine. Return the pan to the oven and roast another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden brown and garlic has browned just a little. Remove from the oven, drizzle the last Tablespoon of honey over the vegetables and serve immediately.
