Memory Maker - Grandparents.com

Chef and cookbook author Joyce Goldstein says summer is the best time of year to create recipes that may become treasured heirlooms of time spent in the kitchen with her grandchildren.

Building that catalogue of memories, she says, has everything to do with teaching children how to look at, smell, taste, and feel food. Creating an experience around the process from farm to table creates a lasting impression on young minds, and Goldstein, offers these simple, summery steps based on her new book, Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings, out this month from W. W. Norton.

Tasting Trip: Head to the farmers' market where vendors put out samples and the children get to taste and sample. “My grandkids like to go from vendor to vendor and evaluate the products,” says Goldstein. “They develop their palates in this way and they learn something about the different produce, too.”

Save It for Later: The second thing on Goldstein’s list is to put up preserves. “My grandkids discovered they love making jam and chutney too. Last year we made apricot, strawberry, and peach,” she says. “They help me clean fruit, seal jars, do labels. Later, when they give me the empty jars to reuse and I take them out of storage, it’s sweet to see the cute labels written when they were just learning how to print.”

Aesthetics Matter: Let kids be part of the decision in how foods looks and teach them that food that looks appetizing is more appealing. Even items as simple as salads and deviled eggs deserve a critical eye. Children can make choices about the greens or nuts to use in a salad or whether the deviled eggs deserve a dash of paprika. Let them make the vinaigrette. “Measuring, whisking and giving their opinion about whether a dressing needs more salt or vinegar gives them confidence,” she says. “Plus, if you are a kid, it’s great fun to get your hands in there and toss a salad.”

Tuck It In: Anything that you can tuck into a bun, tortilla, or pita is fun because the children can hold it. At Goldstein’s house, where fish is increasingly a staple, the chef grills fish and vegetables then serves it up with salsa, allowing her grandchildren to each make their own. “It’s fun to make and eat. Plus it’s messy which makes it better,” she says.

Twist and Pull: Consider making special versions of old favorite recipes as a way of creating something new and unique with your grandchildren. Goldstein, for example, likes to serve kefta, a spiced Middle Eastern meat patty instead of same-old burgers. Another option is to widen your options when it comes to kebabs. “Anything on a stick is incredibly popular with kids,” she says. This means you can slip fish, fruit, or unusual vegetables into the mix.