Bless the falling of the rain, Bless the sun that shines on me, God bless you and God bless me. — Children’s blessing Fall is so beautiful this year! My children and I are amazed at the rich purples and golds as we thread our way through the streets. There’s frost in the morning and crisp late afternoon sun. At night we’re more drawn to the hearth (the television put away until the weekend), and we start to feel like doing quiet things like read or do handiwork. Like the plants outside, our vital energy is being drawn in and down, and we crave heavier, more warming foods that reflect this seasonal change. Although we are mostly out of touch with the actual experience of agriculture, we still see — and depend on seeing — evidence of its reliable rhythms. Pumpkins stacked at the supermarket, strange squash in the produce aisle, chestnuts and cranberries offered up fresh — all fill us with the unmistakable flavor of fall. Many wise food traditions teach us to make up the bulk of our diet with foods that grow near us and which have matured naturally. In other words, they tell us to eat regionally and seasonally. Of course, before modern refrigeration and transportation, these were the only foods we could eat. But remarkably, these are the very foods our bodies thrive on, simple and whole. Indeed, our elders’ elders were expected to "put up" their own foods each season, canning and jarring what wouldn’t last, storing and drying the rest. In autumn, this meant stashing pumpkins and potatoes in large bins, hanging onions in a cool, dry place, and using up the last of the apple crop, not to mention the intense labor invested in gathering and threshing the grain. Harvest was an incredible yearly undertaking, and families were uneasy about the approaching cold weather until their winter stores were in place. Gratitude for the bounty was natural, as it represented the very continuation of life. Even though our lives don’t center on agriculture as they once did, there are still many immediate, sensate ways we remain linked to our past — instinctual ties to the cyclical rhythms of the natural world — that find us doing the same things our great elders did. For me, this translates as a renewed desire to get into the kitchen and start cooking. As the evenings get cooler, I feel a great creativity working through me as I begin to use the beautifully colored, nutrient-dense foods like winter squash and root vegetables that are coming into season. It’s no accident. Earth is offering me her antidote to fall’s chill with these foods, which actually thicken my blood a little and warm me up during this time when I don’t move around as much. Dark, leafy greens grow prolifically now, too, and I visit the market for fresh, organic bunches of kale, collards, mustard greens and Swiss chard for use as side dishes or in soups and entrées. There was a time when I was unfamiliar with these foods, and perhaps not coincidentally, was off-kilter in my own life. I found that adding just one new type of food to my diet not only gave me a feeling of accomplishment, but also made me feel more connected with the seasons. If you haven’t already incorporated greens into your daily diet, go ahead! If they’re prepared well, you’ll grow to love them and appreciate the vitamins, iron, and highly absorbable calcium they lend your body. Try this: heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When warm, add a tablespoon or two of high-quality oil, such as organic olive oil (always try to use cold-pressed, unrefined oil if possible). After a minute or two, add two cups of clean, dry dinosaur kale (a particularly delicious green that’s easy to find in natural food stores). Quickly toss the greens so they are coated with oil, then turn heat to low for five or ten minutes. Watch that they do not dry out and become discolored. For variation, sauté with onions or garlic. If you prefer not using oil, they can be steamed for just a couple of minutes instead. If you’re just learning to eat greens, experiment! Many people splash a little apple cider vinegar on their cooked greens; some love a little sea salt or white pepper. Find a way to add them to your diet in small amounts every day. Eating a little bit regularly is much better than downing a lot occasionally. Other ways to heighten a sense of settling in and concentrating your energies inwardly are to simmer foods a little longer than usual and add a sour food to the meal once or twice a day. Vinegar and pickles, sauerkraut, and sourdough bread are contractive foods that help us heed the pull to go inward. If your energy is scattered and you need to become more grounded, use more sea vegetables like kombu or wakame, or add a little miso (fermented grain or bean) or tamari (a type of soy sauce) to your food. Here’s a great fall-winter dish to try several things at once. Layer a casserole dish in this order: on the bottom, place wakame you’ve soaked for ten minutes, then add 1" cubes of turnip, carrot, squash, and onion that you’ve sautéed in oil for a few minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of finely diced ginger and/or garlic to a mixture of ½ cup each of maple syrup, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix well and pour over the top of the vegetables, cover, and bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until done. This dish lends itself to many seasonal variations; I sometimes add two cups of steamed tempeh (a wonderful fermented soy food with a nutty, crunchy consistency) to add more protein and texture. Use your intuition to create a dish that’s really good for you. As I take the time to consider the food on my plate, all the people who’ve had a hand in bringing it to me come to mind. Especially at harvest, my thoughts turn to all the people involved in food production. Americans share an archetypal image of the farm as a wholesome place where the good farmer seasonally performs the ritual of burying dormant seeds in the dark, fertile earth to tend and nurture until they bring forth fruit. But there are unseen others, including those who gather the crop (often among the poorest and most isolated people in a society) and those who process and transport it. Yet another person brings it to market, where someone displays it until it is chosen and taken home to be transformed into a meal. So many lives, so interconnected! How can I not pause to acknowledge the labor, the sacrifice, and the gift of being nourished? As I resign myself more and more to the slower, more internal rhythms that fall asks of me, I am grateful that my food choices are in tune with Earth’s needs. Eating tropical foods in the winter, for instance, not only gives my body the miscue to cool down, but also sets in motion a scenario involving tremendous energy for food production, a dependence on toxic ripening agents, and huge transportation costs. The simple act of eating a banana in February! There are larger issues I can’t ignore, either, such as the quality of life for the banana farmers who are forced to grow the same crop over and over to satisfy foreign demand, with no seasonal break to replenish the land or grow other foods for themselves. I now find that, more often than not, it no longer feels right — or satisfying — to enjoy a food that asks such a high cost. I observe the seasons, my palate changes, and I begin to accept simpler fare, tasting it better and appreciating it more. I don’t always succeed in eating in harmony with the seasons, and sometimes I need to check in with myself to see how the food I eat is affecting me, and how, in turn, I am affecting my world. Am I calm or unsettled? Am I satisfied after eating, or somehow wanting more? Did I rush through the meal or savor each bite? Was the food I ate whole, or nearly so? Or was it overly processed, frozen, or canned? My energy will tell me. If it is clear and focused, I am in harmony. If I am dull and lethargic, perhaps I’ve overeaten or mixed too many foods at the meal. No matter. I have another chance, tomorrow, to eat foods that nourish me at the deep level where, daily, I am recreated. May your meals reflect the balance of the natural world, and your part in it! Lori Lively has worked in the natural foods industry for 15 years and is the education director for Marlene’s Market & Deli stores in Federal Way and Tacoma. In addition to freelance writing and public speaking, she homeschools in the Waldorf tradition. Lori can be reached at (253) 564-1668. |
Bless the growing of the grain,