Victory Garden Soup and a Review of Food Fight by Tanya Steel

Today I'm serving up a bowl of delicious Victory Garden Soup that I made from one of the recipes in Tanya Steel and National Geographic's new educational book, Food Fight, intended for kids 10 +.

:Review of "Food Fight" by Tanya Steel

Tanya Steel, award-winning food journalist, outdid herself with this educational kid's book that explores important periods of history through the food they ate. An interesting read for both kids and adults alike, this colorful hardback book includes thirty delicious global recipes that focus on real food and healthy eating based on food eaten throughout history.

Starting with Prehistoric cave-kids and ending with present day, the author addresses food, politics, culture, class differences and economics of major periods of world history. There are lots of photos, quizzes, and fun woven into the written material.

There are interesting facts and trivia in sections like "A day in the Life of Paris 1793", " Menus of the Rich and Famished," "Bite-Size History" and "Common Foods eaten in Ancient Rome". It's a read that foodies, future chefs, and history buffs of all ages will devour!

The book is large, colorful, well illustrated, well written, and interactive. It was published in conjunction with National Geographic Kids whose mission is to help teach kids about the world and how it works. National Geographic Kids targets young readers through award -winning magazines, books, games, videos and their website."Food Fight" is recommended for ages 10 and up.

About the Author: 

You may recognize Tanya Steel's name as a leader in the global food industry. Tanya worked with First Lady Michelle Obama to start the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and the annual Kids" State Dinner" at the White House. In addition, the author is a former editor of Bon Appetit and Food and Wine, former editorial director of Epicurious, Clean Plates and Gourmet.com.

How I decided on this recipe

While browsing through the book,  I enjoyed reading about food during  the Prehistoric Era, ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Medieval Times, the Renaissance, The French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, World War I, American's Great Depression, WWII, and the 1960's.

There were many interesting recipes that sounded appealing including  Heavenly Humus, King Tut's Not Fishy Cakes, and Revolutionary Potatoes. 

I eventually selected "Victory Soup" from World War II section. I selected this recipe because I am a backyard vegetable gardner at heart and love a good bowl of soup. This is a simple vegan and gluten free vegetable soup that would be easy and fun to make with your kids or grandkids!

I liked this tidbit from the WWII section about kitchen tools.

        " Amazing technologies were invented during the 1940s including the first microwave                            (weighing in at 600 pounds), the first crockpot, and the trash compactor. But none of these                   were available to the home consumer until after the war."

   

Victory Soup  - A recipe from the book
(which called for vegetables from people's victory gardens during the war )

Ingredients: 
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas or edamame
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernals
2 quarts vegetable broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro or parsley

Directions: 
Ask an adult to warm the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for two minutes. Add the carrots and potato and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, peas, and corn and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the broth and vinegar and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cilantro. Divide into bowls.

It turned out to be a very easy and delicious soup

Shared on Weekend Cooking where anyone can share a food related post.

Also sharing on Souper Sunday where anyone can share a soup, salad, or sammie recipe.

Disclaimer : I received a copy of " Food Fight" from the author and publisher for review on my blog.  I was not compensated for this review and the opinions are my own.