My husband served goat three ways a few months ago... ménage à goat. There was a sliced loin, some spicy ribs, and a little chili served on a bed of cauliflower purée. It was our first experience cooking goat meat, and it was lovely.
Friends were visiting that evening, some old and some
new. And there - at the head of
the table – was The Child. She’s
six years old. She was not
complaining about eating what was put in front of her, not pitching fits in
front of the new stranger joining us, and generally being a delightful addition
to the dinner party. My little
omnivore makes me proud.
We’ve eaten a lot of goat this fall. Friends of friends with a CSA connection shared one with us, and it turns out half a goat is about 15 pounds of butchered and shrink-wrapped scrumptiousness. But that first evening stuck with me. It served as counterpoint to all the other picky eaters out there, grownups and kids alike. I’ve always been aware that most kids eat differently than mine, but since we started eating goat, more people initiate the conversation. “Wow. Your kid eats well!!”
One of the most striking things I’ve noticed is that other parents are wistful. There is desperation out there people!! There are parents who would give anything to have their kids cheerfully sit down to a plate of something unrecognizable, and take a bite before offering commentary. Parents whose desperation has pushed them past caring about the eating so much as the drama and effort which now surround food in their home. So I’ve been thinking about what choices we made that set us up for success on this one, and decided to start writing about it.
