Lafond cookbook preview

savory sacred RECIPES AND BLESSINGS a Cookbook connecting the pleasures of real food with mindful gratitude

Kathryn Lafond

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Contents Acknowledgements 5 Introduction 7 Basics 20 Things to know before you begin Breakfasts 38 Sustenance That Sustains Us Fruits,Vegetables, Protein 39 Scones, Biscuits, Muffins, Pancakes 59 Beverages 62 Drinks to Heal, Enjoy, Refresh Appetizers 98 Great Beginnings, Great Solos

Starters 109 Hors d’ oeuvres For a Crowd 116

Snacks 121 Soups 128 Liquid Elixirs for Body and Soul

Stocks 146 Light Purées to Robust and Filling 165

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Salads 172

Desserts 301

Well-Dressed Greens and Grains

Classic and Innovative Endings

Light Fare 181

Main Meals 189

Menus 28 Options For Provisioning

Vegetables 219 Earth’s Treasure Chest

The Well-Stocked Kitchen 30 Cooking Staples 31

Grains, Beans, Pastas 231

Condiments 35

Behind-the-Scene Props Index 315 Entrees 249 Main Attractions for Every Taste Vegetarian 255 Seafood 267 Meat 278 Poultry 288

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Introduction: The Journey

A c o ok knows there is magic in marrying flavors and textures; whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours. It is often a savory experience; meaning appealing to the taste, but also a sacred experience in that we are working with life! There is a miraculous transformation that occurs that lies beyond defining. The Earth and all her inhabitants are involved - eating, digesting, composting and creating life out of life. In preparing food we fully participate in this miraculous process. And by giving thanks we consciously remember it is the “living” that supply our every need. Savory & Sacred reminds us of just how precious this task can be.

In exploring my relationship with this miracle I discovered food is how I ground and center myself. By preparing and sharing meals, I celebrate community and the wonder of living on the earth. By choosing seasonal and local ingredients, I align with the cyclic rhythms of nature. In my journey of life, I’ve grown from being a child who took for granted that food was always available to being a chef and caterer, mother and herbalist, farmer and gardener, healer and health coach who is deeply grateful for all the life-forms that share our planet, and who takes joy in mindfully preparing food with respect and love.

Childhood Memories My journey has had many unexpected twists and turns. Like many people, my first fond memories of food come from my childhood. I grew up in a Catholic family in southwest Washington - the fourth daughter in five years. Dad was a teacher and school administrator in a fairly poor district, so Mom fed us on a shoe-string. There were times when she said we couldn’t get bread or milk until pay day. Credit cards weren’t common and most grocery stores didn’t allow credit at that time. I also remember there were many

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treats we took for granted: homemade dill pickles; marinated asparagus; big jars of canned applesauce, peaches and pears; and cookies and (usually) milk for after school. Best of all were the days of making home-made root beer and bottling it on the back porch. The cases would then get stored in the warm, attic room where bottles occasionally exploded due to the heat. The whole family and sometimes family friends, got involved in making it. We kids loved sitting on our front steps, on one of the main corners in town, drinking root beer out of beer bottles and impishly raising a toast to the town policeman as he drove by.

We lived fairly seasonally without really being aware we were doing it. Every summer the whole family worked the local strawberry fields. Mom and Dad drove the buses and worked as checkers or field bosses. My sisters and I picked berries, made friends with the other kids and even flirted a little with the boys. I can still feel the squish of accidentally kneeling on a hidden strawberry. Northwest weather, always being unpredictable, we even worked during summer squalls. I would get so wet I gathered layers of mud on my pant legs. I think I’ve always secretly liked getting well soiled in order to fully experience the contrast of a clean, hot shower. And to this day I still love the sour-lemony taste of the wild sorrel (see Nature’s Salad recipe) that grew abundantly amidst the strawberry plants.

Once berry season ended we visited our grandparents’ Neptune Beach home on the Georgia Straits between the mainland and the San Juan Islands. This was where we learned to crab. We had two rules we employed while wading in icy-cold water: wear your tennis shoes, and carry a big stick. Tennis shoes protected the toes from crawlers with pinchers, and the sticks gave the crabs something to grab, making deportation to the bucket much easier. We always checked the sex of the crabs, throwing females back to rejuvenate the stocks. After crabbing, Dad’s job was to build a fire on the beach and to put an enormous metal pot full of water on to boil. Later, after the crabs had cooked and cooled, we cleaned them beginning with cracking the crab backs off. I remember being totally grossed-out by the green slimy guts. Cleaning crabs was easier if we just stepped back into the chilly sea – in that way we didn’t have to closely examine the innards. (Much later, working in domestic seafood sales for a Japanese firm, I was introduced to people who consider the innards a I N T RO D U C T I O N S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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delicacy, although I was never convinced to try them). To reach the succulent meat within, we still needed to crack the hard crab shells. This collaborative effort normally took place on the front porch over a picnic table covered in newspaper. Hammers, pliers, nut crackers, and picks were all employed, along with happy-hour beers for those of age. We ate them in massive crab salads with grandma Lafond’s special Thousand Island dressing or in an occasional crab cocktail. Now, I much prefer them as Dungeness Crab Cakes with Wild West Sauce.

Grandma Carrie, on another side of the family, had a raspberry patch and an orchard.

I remember walking around her yard with fingers capped with red berries as if raspberries were the latest nail-polish. She also had a huge vegetable garden, which offered both crunchy produce and bounty to preserve. Her cellar offered a feast of smells and sights … the musty smell of cold, damp concrete, and shelves with rows upon rows of canned beets, shell beans, green beans, plums, pears, peaches, apple sauce, chicken meat, and homemade broths, and soups. Other items such as potatoes, onions, carrots, and a variety of fruit were tucked into wooden boxes filled with straw to keep them dry and fresh. Grandma Carrie loved to fish for trout. She could be found, early in the morning or well into the evening, out in the boat on Lost Lake or down by the creek. You could go along but you needed to be quiet, so you wouldn’t scare away the fish. It was truly a holy experience sitting out in the middle of a high mountain lake for hours, with just the sound of the birds or an occasional plop of a leaping fish. And if you were lucky, you brought home a rainbow or cutthroat trout to be fried in butter and presented on the morning plate – another taste of heaven in my memory bank.

Early Experience As I share these early memories of treasured foods I’m aware I didn’t prepare them.

As the fourth daughter, my job while growing up was to dry the dishes. I also mowed the lawn and helped with outside chores, which meant gardening. Thankfully so, as I still love getting my hands into the soil and sampling tasty weeds. These same “weeds,” which in those days I discarded, I now enjoy in such dishes as Dandies and Eggs.

After leaving home at the age of 19, I had to learn to cook. Disasters were common. I made cookies hard as rocks that tasted like salt blocks. And jello! How did I ever manage to make Jello wrong? About the only things I could prepare before the age of eighteen were canned-tuna fish salad, and of course, the popular baloney-and-cheese melt. Do you remember those awful things? Mustard on bread, a slice of baloney and a slice of fake American cheese on top that wouldn’t melt even under the broiler, but just sizzled and blackened like plastic, while the baloney curled up. Yuck!

Once in my early twenties, I tried to make a spaghetti dinner for a boyfriend. Unfortunately - and I’m not certain why - the sauce ran away from the noodles and he was so disgusted he threw the whole thing off his balcony. On another occasion, I tried to cook a 30th-birthday turkey dinner for a friend. When it was time to put the bird in the oven I realized it was frozen. After great effort (running hot water over the bird, which you are never supposed to do), I eventually pried open the frozen cavity of the 20-lb bird and was

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able to remove the neck and giblet bag and get the bird into the oven. Hours later, at slicing time, we ran into another bag in the butt-end cavity that I hadn’t even been aware of. You just don’t forget these humiliating moments! If you prepare my Holiday Brine and Thyme Turkey you’ll realize I finally did put these failures behind me.

I have my love affair with sailing to thank for my becoming a serious cook. I was working in seafood marketing and quality control in Seattle and am grateful for its influence in maturing my tastes and knowledge, but as an avid racer-sailor I rarely had time to cook. While taking a vacation in the Bahamas one spring, I was invited to help transport a 50 foot steel-hulled schooner from the Bahamas to the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is one of those mysterious, life-changing events that played a key role in igniting my love of cooking.

I said yes, flew back to Seattle, resigned my job, sold my belongings and left. After the delivery of the schooner, I met a Danish family involved in the charter-boat scene. They needed a chef for the charter season and asked if I was interested. Knowing this was my ticket to staying in the Caribbean I jumped at the offer, then panicked as I realized how very little I knew about cooking.

Charter Chef A charter chef is expected to prepare 21 gourmet meals plus appetizers each week! So back to Seattle I flew to practice on friends and family for the next forty days. They paid for the groceries and I cooked the meals. Even my old friend who had discovered the giblet bag agreed to help out! This was the crash course of all crash courses. Thankfully my brotherin-law was really into cooking and shared some of his favorites which included delicious and easy omelets, frittatas, and stir-frys. Besides cooking, I also had to learn provisioning – how to work with the limited raw ingredients available while sailing the Caribbean. Island produce often looks like what we throw away in the States; and initially I would be using a galley with only an ice box. Also, I needed to fully stock the bar and learn to prepare all the wild and wonderful island drinks. It was truly a steep learning curve, but I was cheered by learning Julia Child didn’t begin to cook seriously until she was in her thirties and was nearly fifty before she published the first of her eighteen books.

It was a challenging time as I was now based out of an international, tropical port far from my Northwest roots. The good news was I was now being exposed to another culture – the Danes! It was a treat to learn their preferences and their suggestions enlarged my narrow repertoire. I enjoyed cooking in a small space where everything had its home.

I secretly believed that the magic of fresh air, tropical waters and sailing helped to make everything I cooked taste better. All in all, it was a wonderfully satisfying first run at being a chef on charter.

After six-months of this on-the-job training, I moved to the British Virgin Islands to work for The Moorings, a well-known BVI charter company. Their boats had full galleys with refrigeration and freezer space. During the next four years, I worked as chef and first mate and spent time revising the company’s provisioning options. I was asked to elevate their offerings to meet the expectations of the charter guests. Protein foods were generally I N T RO D U C T I O N S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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high-quality, pre-portioned, and pre-wrapped. Fresh foods, however, were a problem. This was when I had to learn to take sparse ingredients and make them into gourmet meals. I might have a great mustard to work with, but no matter what you do, you can’t turn spam into pate de foie gras. Luckily, thick beef tenderloins, seasoned well and wrapped in bacon and grilled under a starry warm night were always a hit. I’d also have to say it was during these chartering years when I developed a love of breakfasts: big breakfasts with all the trimmings – such as An Omelet Affair with Lemon-Ginger Scones on the side or Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon and Potato Vegetable Sauté. Succulent tropical fruit platters were also always appreciated.

One summer we were chartered by Sperry Top-Sider Corporation to run company guests out to watch the preliminary America’s Cup races from Newport, Rhode Island.

Along with a 5-person crew, I helped deliver the boat up the eastern seaboard. Once in port, I acted as both caterer and first mate and, boy, did I have my hands full. It was common to do a light breakfast snack and a lunch each day. Back at the dock, at the end of the day, the boat had to be scrubbed down, dried, and re-provisioned for the next day’s duty. This meant late nights, early mornings, and the stamina to do it all over again day after day. It was during these charters that I really got my caterers feet under me. I was preparing foods for around twenty guests daily, and was able to provision from state-side grocery stores.

What a relief!

It was during these charters that I realized I had had enough of the sailor’s life. I decided to return to Seattle to study culinary arts. I had fallen head over heels in love with cooking and wanted to know the skills and secrets behind professional expertise. Culinary Arts school was the perfect next step. It opened my senses to what I loved most about the world of foods. I wasn’t interested in competing with the next guy in class or seeing how fast I could produce a clever dish. It was the texture, scents, colors, and variety that made the kitchen the place I wanted to be. Fellow students knew to call on me if they were squeamish about the squid or crab they needed to clean. To me, that was just part of the joy of cooking. It also became clear just how much I had learned in my years cooking on board in an international environment.

To help pay the bills, and because I’d already had experience working as a chef, I concurrently took on a restaurant job. It was a notably American menu with items such as Garlic Flank Steak (my version is Celebration Flank Steak) and Prawns Madeira (both later became my family’s favorites). Oddly enough at the age of thirty, I found myself, once again, cooking in full view of customers. I learned about prepping foods correctly so it was easy to cook them when orders rolled in, but it was stressful always working under pressure around hot burners and scorching oil.

La Fond Associates Catering The fast paced restaurant scene did not bring me the satisfaction I sought. I most wanted to indulge in the sensory aspects of live foods – such as opening a refrigerator door and meeting the cacophony of voices and scents, all waiting to be transformed. So I started

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La Fond Associates Catering. My last name fit perfectly - La Fond is French for a good, strong base or stock.

At that time the real estate market was booming in the greater Seattle area. I specialized in providing food for Broker’s Openings, catering hors d’oeuvres for groups of anywhere from 100 to 400. I relished discovering new recipes as well as working in such a creative environment. Holding a big dinner party at your home can be a challenge, but imagine doing this: a party for 300 on bare land at the top of a mountain soon to be developed. We hauled up everything that might be needed including water for clean-up. Fortunately for me, I had already met the man I was later to marry. He was a great cook with catering experience, and most willing to prepare dinner for us at the end of that long day.

I soon discovered catering can be just as intense as restaurant work, yet it offered better money and more flexible hours which was great when I had my children. What are the best things about catering? Developing your own unique style; creating amazing recipes; working in a fragrant atmosphere; sampling one’s concoctions until you find just the right blend of flavors; and preparing elaborate displays that someone else pays for. When you cater, you make food that’s a piece of art both for the eye and the palate. For a creative type like me, it doesn’t get any better than that. The down side is that much of the work must be done at the last minute. A job for 300 people might take only four days of purchasing, prepping, cooking, and layout - but they are 16 hour work days!

It was during one of my crazier moments that I decided to cater my own wedding.

Looking back, I would never recommend this. The problem was that my friends liked my cooking. They liked the flavors and spiciness, the bountiful variety and colorful displays.

At the time, it seemed ridiculous to try to teach or pay someone else to present what I was well-known for.

Luckily, by then I had developed a working relationship with another

caterer and she backed me up. We prepped together and she set-up while I said my “I do’s.”

The only downside? At the reception hall the guests spotted the food and bee-lined for plates, so we had to abandon the traditional reception line.

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Family Dinners Six years into my catering career, with two small children and a home-building project under construction on Bainbridge Island (a ferry-ride away from Seattle), I needed to re-think catering as a business. I packed my catering tools away in storage while we lived in temporary housing. After completing the house, I promptly became pregnant with our third child, and my attention shifted to cooking for my family. That meant nurturing them with good tasting, healthy foods - a playful job I could involve the young ones in. How many different ways can we eat peanut butter? Or cut vegetables? Or make soup? (The only big catering events I’d take on were family weddings or school fundraisers).

I noticed that eating out often meant we had to forgo the organic and sustainably-raised choices we ate at home. At home I didn’t have to be concerned about dangerous excitotoxins such as MSG (monosodium glutamate). Keeping our diet pure meant we lived healthier lives and probably spent less on doctor bills. Food could be our first medicine. By addressing dietary issues, I found I could make a difference in our kids emotional and mental well-being. I’d ask myself – is he getting enough protein and fats so he isn’t craving the quick energy fix of sugary carbohydrates? Eating nourishing home-cooked meals meant no hidden sugars, salts, toxic dyes or pesticides which are common in processed foods and known to contribute to diseases of both mind and body.

I observed how my three kids actually enjoyed watching things grow and taking a part in the life of the garden. This gave them a sense of the rhythm of the growing seasons.

We began to celebrate earth-based holidays through the cycle of the year based on Celtic traditions - setting out small plates of food for our ancestors on the Day of the Dead (Samhain) or coloring eggs from natural plant dyes at Spring Equinox as a symbol of new life.

Traditional celebrations always included foods of the season and those meals centered and grounded us in our relationship with the land. For example, on Easter I knew I would be in alignment with ancestors from many cultures, by serving fresh lamb (try Chevre-Spinach Stuffed Lamb, or Roasted White Beans and Lamb). On Easter morning we often enjoyed the bright green colors of spring in an Easter Egg Bake. On Winter Solstice, when eggs are not as abundant, we might breakfast on Sutter’s Gourmet Granola or on the warmth of Good Morning Soup.

Every meal offered both physical nourishment and spiritual nourishment. We began a ritual of blessing our food before every meal, acknowledging the sacred source of life. By simply encouraging this awareness, and a grateful attitude, we had found yet another way to nourish ourselves.

Studying Herbs Years earlier, during cooking school, a friend introduced me to the art of meditation.

While gardening I experienced some deeply meditative times when the spirit of the plants communicated with me. I might be drawn to a particular plant without knowing why, only to discover in its message to me that it was the perfect medicine for what ailed me. When I

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looked at the physical abundance of produce at the grocery store or the bountiful displays at a farmers’ market, I recognized this as a realization of the Creative-Life Force. Looking with the eyes of my heart I could see that everything – every color, every shape, every smell, every plant and animal – is an expression of divine source.

When my children were young, I chose to home-school. I wasn’t home-schooling for religious reasons; it was because I wanted to offer each child time to find what they loved within themselves. We became heavily involved in the Home-School Support Program within the Bainbridge Island School District. I spent nearly nine years on the board there helping to create alternative classes to fit our community’s needs. I studied Wise-Woman Herbal ways with various mentors: Susun Weed, Adrienne Whitman-Roanbear, Cha das ska dum, Eaglesong and others. I started to build a small farm of animals and we teamed up with other families to do various crafts and to share the home-schooling load.

One winter day in meditation I received inspiration to build a 60-foot double spiral herb garden. Along with the massive labor of pulling scotch broom and digging out the form, I also began researching the lore behind medicinal herbs. Later while studying Flower Essences and learning more about subtle energy fields, I taught Plants as Medicine and Plant Communication classes in this very garden. Even today I regularly turn my kitchen into a classroom for students of all ages who come to make potions, foods, and medicines from the wild herbs we forage. I often tell these students – look for what (herb) is knocking at your door. That is the medicine/food you need.

Showing Gratitude Indigenous peoples and my own herbal teachers have taught me various ways to show gratitude for all that is given to us. Many creation myths include stories of how plants and animals came to the people, how they gave the people sustenance and became sacred to the very core of their lives. People were instructed as to how they should reciprocate. A gift of corn meal or even a piece of one’s hair might be left as thanks for a plant’s offering of sustenance. Hunters would perform a dance before a hunt to honor the life of the animal, and call forth its spirit. After the kill, every ounce of the animal was used to fully show respect.

When eating or preparing food, I find it wise to ponder the Being-ness of what I am working with. The carrot in my hand began as the tiniest seed…

What a miracle it is to be this big, strong carrot capable of nourishing others. Full of water, sugars, and fiber I send up my tart green shoots as my roots suck up the nourishing minerals from the soil. Isn’t it amazing how orange I can become, all the while hidden from the sun.

In this book there are prayers – or as I like to think of them: blessings - beside each recipe to remind us to show appreciation for that which we are receiving. By pausing to consider the human efforts and the symbiotic relationships between species, we can honor the circle of life, with every meal we eat.

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Raising Animals Chickens and Ducks After studying herbs and wild plant foods, I got interested in raising animals. During our years of home-schooling kids, we raised chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and goats. Each and every one of them had something special to teach us. I quickly discovered every growing thing is a miracle whether it starts as a tiny seed or a baby calf born from its mother’s womb.

From the chickens, I learned they prefer foraging in nature. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, author Michael Pollan describes his visits to various chicken farms where he observed that ‘free-range’ is not actually free-range. The chickens may have a tiny door to an outside yard but they are only allowed out that door during the last two weeks of their lives. When we kept our chickens penned for even a couple days, they’d storm the door trying to get out. The eggs of truly free-ranged hens have a bright yellowish orange yolk – the color varies slightly depending on the season and the herbs they feast upon. Fresh yolks also stand up, the whites don’t spread all over the pan, and any way you cook them they never smell nasty.

Don’t be fooled by the old story that chickens are dumb either. They have quite a sophisticated pecking order and a rooster takes his job mighty serious keeping his hens serviced, fed, and in line. Some of the older hens might blow him off, but generally there is order to a hen house.

For many years, I housed our ducks in with the hens for protection. They learned to walk up the plank and to lay in the hutch along with the chickens. This made it easy to gather the eggs. During this experiment, we discovered that hens are much better mothers than momma ducks. Our hens would set on all the eggs without discriminating and when the eggs hatched, the hen (and whoever assigned herself the Auntie position) would take the babies around to teach them the laws of the free world. It was quite delightful to see baby ducks and chicks peeping out from under the feathers of a plump hen. We also found that duckling survival rates increased immensely with surrogate mothers.

The ‘sitting duck’ phrase is absolutely true. We lost many ducks to coyotes and raccoons. At least with coyotes they eat the whole bird whereas coons tend to eat only the innards and leave the mess for others to clean up. I’ve buried more ducks with tears and services than you could imagine. I’ve also eaten my share of duck eggs and it does seem to make a difference what type of ducks you raise. Ducks are proficient layers and their eggs are excellent for baking. Our Blue Swedish produced wonderfully mild-tasting eggs.

Rabbits Rabbits grow fast and are a ready supply of meat, if you are so inclined, that actually tastes much like chicken. They are quiet animals that can be raised in small spaces, even in the city. We began our rabbit-raising years by keeping bunnies as furry pets but that quickly turned into rabbits-as-manure-producers. Their manure provides a rich compost ingredient. It’s important to combine different manures in compost as each animal’s manure offers particular nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth.

Along with the gift of their rich manures, one thing that I most admire about rabbits

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is their ability to change direction at the flick of a whisker. Can you imagine people being capable of changing that fast? Studying the animals around us can give us clues to how to live life. Rabbits can live above as well as below ground and are great shamanic teachers from that stand point. They are also quite the study of hyper-vigilance: while rabbits forage, they can suddenly stamp a message of warning and take flight. I share these teachings because I believe we exhibit the tendencies and energy of that which we eat: that the essence of our food then becomes part of who we are.

Goats Of all the animals we raised, goats were the most challenging. Our Nubian goats – almost 4 feet high - stood nearly as high as my shoulders and I often needed to remind them that the one feeding them was officially the boss. They perform an exquisite dance when they choose to rise up on hind-legs and challenge one another by butting heads. But they will do that to the one who feeds them too if they’ve got an attitude going.

Goat meat is the most popular meat used world-wide. It is a traditional food in countries in the Middle East, the Caribbean, India, Asia, and Africa. It is one of the only meats in the world that has minimal religious taboos associated with it. We milked our goats and made goat cheese. We also used goat meat as a weekly protein. I found that mixing goat with other meats makes most dishes taste even better. It is excellent with ground turkey in meatloaf or Thai dishes such as my Thai Larb appetizer; with ground beef in spaghetti sauces and lasagna; and as the sausage in Black Bean, Eggplant, and Sausage Stir-Fry. Goat has a flavor somewhere between the wildness of lamb and the blandness of beef. Having given up goat-raising, I still enjoy this rare treat but now I have to order it on-line.

Raising goats comes with its challenges, as I mentioned. They are tricksters when it comes to escaping a pen. I’m certain they can work open any latch given a bit of time. First they head for the feed bins where they steal into the grain and alfalfa supply. Then they eat whatever is in sight. Our goats were great herbal teachers in this regards. I’ve spent many hours trying to heal them from the illness of binging after escapes. I would bring them an assortment of wild herbs and they would decide what was appropriate to their healing.

One day they preferred evergreen huckleberry; at other times it might be salal, blackberry, raspberry leaf, fireweed, or comfrey.

When we first got the goats, we followed instructions in a book which told us to separate the does from their newborns, milk the mothers and bottle feed their kids. Our first two does had one kid each and we brought the little ones into a blocked off portion of the kitchen. Along with cleaning up their messes hourly, we had to listen to the 24/7 bawling of the mothers out in the pen. The whole thing was much too hard on all of us so during the next spring, we decided we’d let the mothers do the work and just milk out what was leftover for ourselves.

The funny thing was, the inexperienced mothers were afraid of the kids and would butt them away when they naturally tried to nurse. We had to teach them the process.

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being on call. At one point I made a deal with the does: I promised them we would always leave enough milk for their babies. It took me awhile to recognize that nature does provide.

The goats produced enough milk to feed us and their kids and never again did we separate mothers and kids.

Although goats are a challenge to raise I’m convinced they do love us in return. I remember once watching the movie Babe, and then walking out to the pen to have a talk. I said to the goats, “You know exactly what I’m saying don’t you?” They both burst into big toothy smiles.

I admit I got attached to our goats, and, when it was time to put a goat or two down I did plenty of prayer work to prepare them and myself. On a physical, as well as emotional level, I had waited on them: by feeding, cleaning, and providing care. Now it became their turn to give back. I was watching the day our last one was killed. I actually saw his Spirit rise as if he were dancing over the pasture. The voice I heard said, “I am free,” and I knew he was now able to feed us in return. Even today, many years later, I tear up as I remember this communion. Raising farm animals allowed us to step fully into the cycle and circle of life.

During my animal raising years I discovered there are gentle ways to create characteristic lives for caged animals. If I had to confine the animals to a particular pen or cage (usually for safety), I would bring wild treats daily from around the land. We live on nearly five acres so along with garden weeds and kitchen scraps, we fed our animals the plants in areas we were clearing.

By raising animals our children learned that milk did not originate in the grocery store. They also learned that each item we ate had a life-cycle and eventually became food for another; even when the act of becoming food meant that it died and became living soil for growing more food.

My children, who are now young adults, ponder how to honor the life and death of animals in order to feel OK about eating them. My youngest recently wondered if he might need to kill an animal if he wanted to eat its meat. As someone who loves to eat meat, he wants to be strong enough not to have to depend on someone else to do the difficult task of

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killing his food.

It is a complex issue and one that most people, other than hunters, ranchers, and farmers, never address. I believe that if we were more open to the natural web of life it would be easier for people to find balance in their eating choices. Ponder this: If you had to experience killing or at least seeing your animal protein killed, wouldn’t you be more willing to: 1) Honor the life of the animal that is providing your meat?

2) Eat a greater proportion of your food from vegetables, fruits, and grains?

3) Balance your existence with other life forms?

No matter whether I am eating a plant or an animal, something that grows in my yard or something that was grown thousands of miles away, the ingredient I am using in my cooking was once a sacred life and still is.

The Conscious Consumer When we go to our local grocery outlets many of us try to be conscious consumers. We try to buy organic and local items. But it’s hard to know what’s right. I might buy an organically grown item and then discover that the item has been flown 5000 miles, so the gain of buying organic is canceled (although it is still less toxic), by the waste of fossil fuel for transport. I might buy organic milk or yogurt, not realizing that it comes from cows still on factory farms. They may be fed organic grains but organic doesn’t always mean humane or natural.

Recently I went online to find out how a dairy farm qualifies to be considered “organic.” It means their cows graze at least 120 days per year. Hmmm… I wonder where they eat the other 245 days? Dairy cows are primarily grass grazers who need to be milked once a day. In many dairies, they are almost never allowed out to grass-feed, and are sometimes hooked up to milking machines three times a day. The best way to assure that animals are raised in a “humane and natural” way is to raise the animals yourself or to know your farmer. Raising cows may not be practical for most of us, but whether you have five acres or half a lot, you can raise at least a portion of your own food.

Many of us look for bargains when buying groceries but live in expensive houses or drive the finest cars imaginable! That is “ass-backwards thinking,” as my mother would say.

And I agree. The quality of what we eat affects the quality of life we experience. And I’m not talking about having access to enormous varieties of foods. I’m talking about what most of us could grow in our back yards, in community gardens, or even on our balconies. Why not turn your back yard into a mini-farm? Eating food we have grown has enormous benefits nutritionally, as well as psychologically and spiritually.

Energy Healing As I was becoming aware of the subtle energy of plants, I met a healer who taught me how to read the subtle energy patterns of people. During our first meeting I realized I could feel what she was describing. Now, over fifteen years later, after numerous trainings and work with mentors I am an intuitive healer myself, working with individual clients both in-person and by phone. Yet, what good is any of this training if one doesn’t apply it to ones I N T RO D U C T I O N S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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own mental, emotional, and spiritual growth as well?

Five years into the intuitive healing work, at the age of 48, I became seriously ill and had to do just that. In the fall of 2002, I was experiencing severe brain fog, generalized pain, loss of balance, extreme chills and fatigue, attacks of hives, heart palpitations, numbness in my feet, face, and fingers, and the list went on. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and Systemic Candida but it took even more sleuthing to discover the root cause behind these. My teeth! I had nine old amalgam fillings in my teeth. Amalgam fillings are approximately 50% mercury – one of the most toxic metals we could ever ingest. These toxins actually have shelf-lives in our bodies; sometimes 25-35 years worth as I learned from reading Dr. Sherry Rogers, Detoxify or Die. I tried every form of medicine that I could imagine: acupuncture, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, naturopathy, massage, traditional Western medicine, endocrine specialists, oncology, colonics, specialized lab tests, and FOOD. Since I was experiencing allergies to just about everything I ate, it was a challenge to know what to eat. After studying what European healing spas offered, I discovered it was best to eat only live foods, steamed or juiced.

I also had a friend turn me on to a potassium broth which I craved. Gradually over the course of a year, I had my fillings replaced, detoxified from the heavy metals, and regained my health. Looking back, I realize that if I hadn’t had such a drive to find answers I might have ended up in a wheel-chair-- or worse, dead. One doctor actually recommended I become a guinea pig for modern medicine!

Two lessons were most apparent in my healing. One, I needed to take responsibility for my own health. “Self-Care is Health-Care.” And two, eating well was the greatest healing tool. Of course I took mountains of supplements along with well-considered foods as my body struggled to receive the nutritional vitamins and minerals it needed. But this was not the time to challenge the digestive system with any processed foods, invented foods such as soy products, low fat foods, or even much in the line of animal protein.

Health Coaching As I became healthier, I wanted to share what I had learned with others. For six years, I wrote a quarterly newsletter, Nature’s Lessons Health News. I researched and described the roots of modern diseases such as heavy metal toxicity, chemical sensitivities, mold, systemic Candida, and the body’s inflammatory response. None of these are easy to address without a variety of forms of medical wisdom, nutritional supplementation, lab analysis, and foods. I also advocated for flexibility. In certain situations, I discovered, we need to put aside our ideology around food and eat what will renew health to our cells. A long-time vegetarian might need to eat meat for a healthy pregnancy. Or a strong carnivore might need a vegetarian or macro-biotic diet when healing from cancer.

Health coaching became an integral part of my intuitive energy healing sessions. I don’t focus on calories or diets but help clients find answers to chronic illness and remind them to listen to their own body’s needs, often teaching them how to listen. Pain is generally the first messenger that says we need to change something we are eating, doing, or

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both. I know from personal experience that it is easy to override the body’s messages, but it certainly doesn’t pay to ignore them.

Food-System Realities The more I learned, the more I realized that I had to be informed in my food purchases. Toxic pesticides had no place in my diet (or anyone else’s for that matter). Pesticides eventually kill the farm workers who are working in the sprayed fields. They also kill other life forms from soil microbes to the good bacteria living within us. These toxins land in our internal systems and cause auto-immune diseases, hormone disruption and infertility as well as cellular damage that we later label cancer.

Some experts maintain that we need pesticides to feed the world’s population. I believe it is time to stop believing this lie. Plants that have to defend themselves from pests produce high levels of phytochemicals, including carotenoids and polyphenols, necessary for healthy cellular function. What works for the plants also works for us when we eat them. If they are not stressed, they don’t develop these defenses or pass them along to us.

Our health is intimately woven into the health of Mother Earth.

Soil depletion is an enormous and long-term cost of using pesticides. After extensive use of pesticides, the soil is so barren that the vegetables grown in it provide only half the nutrition as they once did. This means we must eat twice as much to gain the same nutritional benefit. The USDA has been tracking nutrient content declines in 43 crops since the 1950’s. Vitamin C declined 20%, iron declined 15%, calcium declined 16%, riboflavin down 38%, etc. It doesn’t take a wizard to see the harm taking place. Can you imagine how our body’s cravings spin out of control as we struggle to get the nutrition we need to stay balanced and healthy?

The Environmental Working Group, (www.ewg.org) continually updates a list of the most and least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables. I have found the following table – EWG’s Dirty Dozen - most helpful in directing my purchasing decisions. The table’s ranking is from highest to lowest in each category:

Most contaminated Least contaminated Apples Onions Celery Sweet Corn Sweet bell peppers Pineapples Peaches Avocado Strawberries Cabbage Nectarines – imported Sweet peas Grapes Asparagus Spinach Mangoes Lettuce Eggplant Cucumbers Kiwi Blueberries – domestic Cantaloupe – domestic Potatoes Sweet potatoes Source: Environmental Working Group’s 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce ™

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Did you know vegetables and fruits grown under non-organic (conventional) conditions can affect our home compost bins when we try to be good stewards of the earth and recycle them? A friend of mine told me about how she came back from a trip to find that all the worms in her worm bin were dead. She struggled to find answers to this mystery until one day she was listening to a speaker on organic gardening who said, “Never put a conventionally grown banana skin in your compost bin or it will kill all worm life.” Sure enough, this is exactly what had occurred: the house sitter had accidentally put a non-organic banana peel in with the garbage for the worms.

Recent studies indicate that Genetically Modified crops (crops whose seed DNA has been scientifically manipulated to block reproduction and never fully tested for long-term consequences) are further depleting soil ecology. Unfortunately genetically-modified crops – also known as genetically-engineered (GE) crops - such as corn, soybeans, and cotton currently occupy the majority of planted acres in the U.S.A. In 2009, Chief Scientist at the Organic Center, Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., published a 69-page report titled Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years. In this he used the USDA’s own data which compares average pounds of pesticides applied on genetically-engineered crop acres to acres planted in conventional, non-GE varieties. His discovery was profound: GE crops are pushing pesticide use upward at a rapidly accelerating pace.

In 2008, GE crop acres required over 26% more pounds of pesticides per acre than acres planted to conventional varieties. According to Benbrook, over a 13 year period 318 million more pounds of pesticides were necessary for GE crops versus those conventionally grown. So much for the belief that genetically engineered crops will be our saving grace for feeding the masses. They also affect the health and ultimate demise of insects, birds, worms, and other populations that have lived in ecological harmony with plants and each other for millions of years.

I often question whether pre-packaged foods truly make my life easier. I also question their food value. Greens are washed in chlorine before being stuffed in bags with extra carbon dioxide. These chemicals give them longer shelf-life but the potential vitamin and mineral content has been greatly reduced, and you still should wash them before using! A secondary problem with pre-packaged produce is the possibility of carrying colonies of E. coli bacteria from improper handling. This becomes a hazard especially if they have spent time out of chilled storage where warmer temperatures can enhance bacterial breeding.

When it comes to true nutrition, many of our grandmothers probably knew more than the scientists, doctors, packaging specialists, and nutritionists we rely on today. Our grandmothers worried about the “health of their families.” Most nutritional research is done by those who have a financial interest in their outcome. Unbiased nutrition reporting is difficult to find, especially from doctors who are too often treated to weekly visits from their friendly pharmaceutical representatives who have drugs to sell, not groceries.

Every month, experts promote a new fad diet. Eat high carbohydrate diets for more energy. Eat protein with vegetables. Eat no carbs. And so on. We were told to reduce fat in our diets, which is possibly the worst lie ever marketed. Is it a coincidence that both heart

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and brain disease has increased during this same time period? Thankfully our obsession with fat free foods is at last being challenged. Fat is crucial for a healthy brain and memory.

It’s always been our heart’s preferred food. You won’t find me being on fat patrol other than the man-made hydrogenated ones.

After fat, cholesterol became the big culprit due to a well developed diet-heart hypothesis that appears to have no evidence backing it. But thankfully we are now beginning to recognize its true importance. It is critical to both brain and heart functions. Cholesterol helps the brain, by serving as a receptor for serotonin and according to Dr. Joseph Mercola cholesterol is “critical for synapse formation, i.e. the connections between your neurons, which allow you to think, learn new things, and form memories.” Cholesterol aids the heart by acting as an anti-oxidant and by helping plug arterial damage and stabilize cell membranes. Manufactured primarily by the liver, cholesterol is truly the body’s ‘band-aid.’

Interestingly, a 2009 study, levels of LDL cholesterol were measured with 137,000 people involved and 541 hospitals reporting. The study results found those with lower than average cholesterol had the greatest incidences of heart disease. Scientists are now beginning to have concern over the damage we have done to our hearts and brains by seeing cholesterol categorically as a villain. For more information go to these websites - statinnation. net or jm@mercola.com.

We have also been misled about soy. At one time in China, soy was consumed only by people who were starving. Yet in the United States in the 1980’s, soy was promoted as the best thing since sliced bread. We were told it could solve all our hormonal problems as well as take care of our protein requirements. Mega money came pouring in to develop all manner of new soy foods. Then soy was genetically modified and now GM soy is grown worldwide. Animals grown for food are eating this as their main diet and farmers are now experiencing illnesses in their flocks and herds, such as diarrhea (meaning more antibiotics must be used). They have also reported some illnesses which were eliminated after changing to GMO-free soy. Studies are also indicating that soy foods are breaking down our endocrine systems and need to be backed out of our diets; or at the very least eaten with moderation.

If we were to return to eating live foods, grown sustainably, with reverence for what they (plants and animals) need for quality of life – fresh, clean - air, water, soil and sunlight - we wouldn’t need to read weekly articles on what new and improved food we should buy.

We would feel fairly certain that we were doing well with a variety of organically produced foods grown as locally as possible.

Coming Full Circle Funny thing about being a chef is you never truly retire. You entertain as much to cook as to see your friends. And with a family of five I was always preparing something.

In many ways family cooking is community cooking. I’ve enjoyed doing fund-raisers for non-profits and along the way, I’ve cooked alongside many great cooks who volunteer their skills, simply because it is their passion and how they give back to their communities. Over the years, I’ve also prepared special meals for others outside my family. When a friend was I N T RO D U C T I O N S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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challenged with bone cancer, I made and brought her bone-broths weekly. I have prepared nourishing meals for families in the midst of grieving the loss of a loved one. These offerings have been as important as the celebratory meals I’ve made for birthdays and weddings, anniversaries and graduations.

I realize now when I cook all of me cooks…my hands, my heart, my senses, and my spiritual nature. Like a sculptor I ask to see what is speaking to me; how I can best honor the beauty of the ones giving their lives – the baby seeds of those stalks of rice or wheat; the fruits of the blossoms; the fertile or unfertile eggs; the flesh and bones of winged, furred and finned. I try to engage all my senses to reveal what any given plant or animal might offer.

Every time I make a dish of anything it is a life made new and it will never again be created in exactly the same way. This is how I leave room for the Mystery – the sacredness of the plant and animal beings who are offering me nourishment.

Why not hold that ripe fruit in the palm of your hand, inhale its scent and let it take you on a sensuous journey even before you experience your first bite of the juicy treasures within? Why not eat what gives you pleasure and what feels good inside you? Delight in licking your fingers and lips may be one of your many demonstrations of sublime gratitude.

Preparing meals is an honor in all traditional cultures and hopefully it will find its way back to an honored position in our homes. For lingering over a good meal with enjoyable conversation is truly a gift from the gods. When a meal has been prepared with love and eaten with reverence for all that has gone into the making, the very flavors are enhanced, and it becomes a sacred act. Let that be your next meal. May these recipes and blessings bring you to a place of both reverence and irreverence for The Holy loves your gratitude and your delight!

Kathryn Lafond June 2013

Photo by Martin Bydalek

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Breakfasts

SUSTENANCE THAT SUSTAINS US FRUITS VEGETABLES PROTEINS

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Food is Our First Pharmacy: Juicing Fruit Fruit Fruit Fruit from the Freezer and Pantry Breakfast Pie – Bouquet of Flavors Good Morning Soup Breakfast Salad for One An Omelet Affair Boiled Eggs and Tiny Toasts Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese Red Pepper & Dill Greek Leek Scramble Spring Dandies and Poached Eggs Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon “Easter Egg” Bake Southwestern Frittata Sautéed Greens and Eggs Rice Beans and Eggs Breakfast Indian Shepherds Pie Sausage Breakfast Patties Pie Crust for Basic Quiche Am:Pm Vegetable Quiche Potato Vegetable Sauté

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Radiantly

fresh from the garden, full of sun, moon, rain and fresh air, I too become what I have eaten.

Food is Our First Pharmacy: Juicing Amazing health is ours when we juice. Vibrant organic foods possess all the vitamins and minerals necessary for healing. In fact food is our first pharmacy and should be a major part of every healing plan.

Classic vegetable and fruit juice combos: 2 carrots 2 beets 1 apple

2 celery stalks 1 cucumber 1 1/2 inch piece ginger

Or: 2 carrots 1 beet 1 orange

2 celery stalks 1 zucchini 1 bunch parsley

Your choices are only limited by your automatic juicer’s capabilities. All fruits and vegetables have benefit.

Use juicing as a necessary step to heal from any chronic or auto-immune illness while remembering it takes a great deal more vegetables and fruit – that is, more resources - to make one glass of deep cleansing juice then it does to fill up by eating a single carrot, piece of celery, or cucumber.

of breathing through the right nostril when we eat.

The solar current, the positive prana, speeds up the process of metabolism, and we can digest and extract all the energy from the food we eat. We have to eat much less to be satisfied because we get so much more out of our food. On the other hand, in case you have to undergo a fast, plug up your right nostril and breathe more through the left. You will not be so hungry because it will slow down the metabolism in the body.” — Hanna Kroeger, Heal Your Life with Home Remedies and Herbs,1998, Hay House, Inc., Carlsbad, CA.

“ W e r e a l ly s h o u l d m a k e a h a b i t

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And when you crush an apple with your teeth,

Say to it in your heart, “Your seeds shall live in my body, and the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart, and your fragrance shall be my breath, and together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.”

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Fruit Fruit Fruit Fruit, a cooling, yin food, is also a friend to healthy digestion. Indeed, it can act as a “cleanser” to the bowels. Fruit is generally alkalizing to the body and as researchers discovered a long time ago the body works best on a diet high in alkaline-forming foods.

Caution: We need not go too alkaline or we invite an overgrowth of yeast.

Try including at least 3 fruits daily in various forms.

The following list of acid and alkaline fruits comes from author Elson M. Haas, M.D. in Staying Healthy with the Seasons:

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Alkaline forming:

Acid forming:

Apples Bananas Citrus Dates Grapes Cherries Peaches Papaya Mangoes Blackberries Huckleberries Boysenberries Persimmons Coconut Melons Pears Plums Pineapple Raspberries Elderberries Apricots Olives Figs Raisins

Cranberries Pomegranates Strawberries Sour fruits

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to contain amazing curative powers. Examples include: Cherries/cherry juice prevents cavities, heals conditions of gout; apples – kills infectious viruses, reduces appetite, lowers blood cholesterol; cranberry – prevents urinary tract infections, kills viruses and bacteria; grapefruit –protects arteries, lowers blood cholesterol, reduces risk of cancer. Source: Jean Carper in The Food Pharmacy

F RUITS HAV E BEE N K N OW N

Praise be the elements who supply the creative conditions.

Praise be the seed that strives to bring forth its fruit.

Praise be the farmer whose efforts we rely on.

Praise be the truckers who deliver night and day.

Praise be those who work the fields enabling continuous supply.

Fruit from the Freezer and Pantry Fall and Winter Unless you live in tropical areas, you will be limited to what you can buy that hasn’t been shipped thousands of miles or by what you can store or put aside – for instance, apple sauce and other fruits such as pear, peach, rhubarb, and berries you may have frozen or canned. It is a treasure to reach into the freezer or pantry at the end of winter and find something you had forgotten. The following simple, no-recipe breakfasts are reminders of those stored items: Warm applesauce and buttered toast A low-sugar fruit crisp Rich berry-filled jams or jellies on biscuits or scones Berries in plain yogurt Peaches with half & half and a sprinkle of granola Oatmeal with dried cranberries and chopped nuts Warm stewed rhubarb Sour-plum sauce or jam mixed with plain yogurt Fruit smoothies Spring and Summer For the freshest produce, look for items that are local to your region. Produce grown at the same latitude and longitude as you adds an energetic resonance to your own that results in the greatest health benefits. The selection is only limited to your weather and the rhythm of ripening in your local area. (Of course the grocery stores back us up).

Try using a wide variety of fruit in your diet, including the wild ones. By staying true to the seasons with your fruit intake, you honor the seasonal balance within you as well.

In the wild ... Salmon berries, raspberries, huckleberries, blackberries, salal berries, evergreen huckleberries…

In the garden and orchard ... rhubarb, cherries, plums, grapes, kiwi, peaches, pears, tomatoes, melons, watermelon, apples and citrus such as grapefruit, limes, lemons, oranges, tangerines, Satsuma’s and many more that are varieties of the above.

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“What’ll you have?” God said. So I ordered from my humble place in this heavently banquet hall ... something moist and chewy and packed full of flavors. Enjoy!

I dreamed a dream of making this pie, and when I awoke and actually made it, it was even better than in my dream.

Breakfast pie–Bouquet of flavors blackberry, raspberry, beet, and Coconut Crust for 9-inch pie: 1 1/4 cups 4 tablespoons 1 tablespoons zest of 1 1/4 teaspoon

Filling:

5 cups

1 cup 1 cup 1/2 cup zest of 1 1 tablespoon 1 1/2 tablespoon 4 1 teaspoon 1/4 cup 1 teaspoon

wafer cookies, crushed unsalted butter, melted brown sugar lime salt blackberries and raspberries (frozen is fine but thaw ahead) beets, shredded (about ½ large beet) shredded coconut (best if not dehydrated) brown sugar orange lime juice tapioca eggs vanilla Half & Half cinnamon

B Serves 8-12

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine crust ingredients then pat into pie dish to form pie shell. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon tapioca.

Mix fruit with coconut, beets, sugar, orange zest, and lime juice. Sprinkle in balance of tapioca and blend lightly.

Beat eggs with Half & Half. Add vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour fruit mixture into pie shell and very gently smooth out. Pour in liquids, and very gently draw lines from edges to the center with a rubber spatula (not touching the bottom crust) to allow the liquids to partially blend into the berry mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 40 - 50 minutes longer or until toothpick test comes out clean.

Let sit 10 minutes on a rack then serve warm.

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May this food nourish not only my body but my soul.

Imam Jamal Rahman

Good Morning Soup was created by my son Kevin, who ate it for breakfast, five days per week, for quite some time. This soup is best made the day before.

Good Morning Soup 1 1/4 pound 5-6 cups 5-6 cups 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 3 tablespoons 3 tablespoons 1 5 5 1 1/2 teaspoon 1 1/2 teaspoon 1 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon 1 1/4 cup 2 cups 1 tablespoon 8

chicken thighs, diced boneless, skinless (1 3/4 pound bone-in) chicken stock water coconut oil olive oil fresh ginger, minced fresh garlic, minced yellow onion, chopped carrots, diced celery stalks, diced thyme rosemary paprika red pepper flakes (more if you like hot!) barley kale, thinly sliced apple cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste eggs, 6-minute boiled (1 per bowl) Serves 8

B

Add oils to a large soup pot on medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, onion and sauté for 3 - 5 minutes. Add diced carrots and celery and allow vegetables time to ‘sweat’ together. Their own moisture will be enough. Add chicken, thyme, rosemary, paprika and red pepper flakes along with stock, vinegar, and water. Bring back to a boil. Add barley and cook 20 minutes. Add kale and cook until barley is tender approximately 15 minutes more. Kale can even be added in the final 5 minutes if you wish for it to be bright green and al dente.

Add one whole peeled, boiled egg per bowl and ladle soup over top.

often eat soup for breakfast. In fact, it is common in cultures around the world.

In Japan and Thailand, people begin their day with a bowl of fish broth and rice; in Mexico, tripe soup is a popular breakfast item.

THE F RE N C H

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Thank you for the gift of this new day and for all that supports life and living fully.

I am grateful for the bounty that lies before me. As I take each bite I am reminded that I too am a living, breathing part of the natural world.

Who says breakfast must look like pancakes, fried eggs and bacon? Eating light reduces stress on the digestive system and allows the body to heal acute and chronic conditions. In each meal it is important to maintain a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Eating colorful foods helps you receive more vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy body. This breakfast salad is simple, filling, and nutritious!

Breakfast Salad for One 2 cups 1 1/3 cup 1 handful

mixed greens — romaine, spinach, red cabbage.

Or start with last night’s leftover salad mix egg, boiled and chopped pickled beets, chopped sprouts (optional)

Dressing: 1-2 ounces 2-3 ounces 1 tablespoon

apple cider vinegar olive oil soy sauce or tamari

B Serves 1

For dressing, mix the vinegar, oil, and soy sauce. Or use your left-over house specialty dressing plus 1 tablespoon Flax Oil for its nutritional benefit of essential fatty acids.

You might add a small handful of raw nuts to increase the protein, and/or a complimentary fruit such as grapefruit. Cut grapefruit in half, width-wise, and around outer edge to release skin. Slice along each vein on both sides to easily release the juicy sections.

blood-thinning medications say don’t eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice if taking this medication? Why not use natural blood thinning foods daily to support healthy blood flow so you can avoid medications altogether?

Ev e r wo n d e r w h y

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Holy Mother

Precious Father We come with reverence for the lives that were given in order to make life anew in us.

We bring our gratitude past the gates of this home into the homes of all who received nurturance this day, acknowledging the sacred mystery of each gift.

AN OMELET AFFAIR 9 4 tablespoons 3 6 1/2 1/4 cup 1 cup 3-4 ounces 1 medium 3-4 strips

organic eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water butter green onions, trimmed, cut ½ inch pieces mushrooms (try using a new type if you’re tired of common Crimini) red bell pepper, sliced in long strips, each cut in half kalamata olives, pitted and sliced baby spinach or a mix of greens, barely chopped feta cheese (or goat cheese), crumbled tomato, cubed as garnish bacon, cooked and chopped ¼ inch pieces (optional)

B Serves 4 In a large omelet pan heat 2 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add green onion, mushrooms and after 1 minute of stirring, the red bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes more at most and set aside. If using bacon, cook till crisp and drain on paper towels. Wipe out skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to warm pan and swirl to coat bottom and sides. Turn burner to low, pour in eggs. Let sit briefly; swirl pan to allow eggs to spread around edges. Gently lift sides with soft spatula to allow unset eggs to move to bottom. Once egg appears slightly firm, layer ingredients on half of omelet placing cheese on last. With 2 spatulas gently lift the open side over the filling, then cover your pan. There is no need to flip omelet, the bottom will be golden. When done to your liking, slide onto platter, garnish with tomato and cut servings at the table.

individually or split for two. This recipe offers a family sized version. It’s bulky but doable if time is a constraint. Otherwise, use 4 large eggs for every two people and divide your ingredients to serve four with two omelets. Remember: you can put most anything into an omelet as long as you precook what takes longer to cook than warming it in eggs.

OMELETS ARE N ORMALLY C OOKED

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Bless the master of this house and the mistress too and all the little children that round the table go.

Traditional English C arol

A simple pleasure, this egg dish is a good one for serving kids...and big kids too.

Boiled Eggs and Tiny Toasts 1-2 1 teaspoon 1 piece 1 shake

organic eggs flax oil sprouted grain bread, or any favorite cayenne (my kids like it hot!) salt and pepper to taste

B Serves 1 Bring pot of water to boil. While bread is toasting slip eggs into the boiling water and note the time. Add flax oil to your serving bowl. Break toast in bite size pieces into the bowl.

Once eggs are done (average 5 minutes for soft) crack open with a table knife and using a spoon, scoop egg from shell into the bowl. Sprinkle with cayenne and salt and pepper.

For added nutrition try a side dish of local, seasonal fruit. Even in the middle of winter you can bring out homemade applesauce.

O N C E W HE N I HAD BEE N V ERY ILL ,

while recovering from having allergic reactions to nearly all foods, I found my system could handle sprouted grain bread when all other breads drove me to hives. It was a life saver!

in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1500 miles.”—Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, A Year of Food Life, HarperCollins Publishers, 2007, N.Y., N.Y. If you were to eat eggs from chickens you or your neighbor raised; applesauce from apples you picked off a nearby tree; and bread baked by a local bakery you could greatly reduce that statistic. “ E ac h f o o d i t e m

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Into the dark forest of winter I am brought gifts

from the fishermen long in from the sea; from the precious offerings by the ladies laying; from the 4 legged who give of their last milk before the new calves arrive; and the stored herbs harvested in the peak of summers light.

An easy Christmas breakfast sprinkled with reds and greens! The addition of cream cheese offers a softer scramble in general.

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Red Pepper and Dill 14 4–6 ounces 4 ounces 3 1/8 2 teaspoons 2 tablespoons

organic eggs smoked salmon, broken into ½ inch pieces cream cheese green onions, minced red bell pepper, chopped (or 2 oz canned pimento, chopped) fresh dill, minced (or ½ teaspoon dried) butter

B Serves 6

Break eggs in bowl and beat to frothy. Melt butter in skillet on medium-low.

Add red bell peppers, green onions, and sauté briefly. Add eggs, sauté 2–3 minutes gently lifting and stirring. Half way through cooking sprinkle in smoked salmon pieces and dill. Gently stirring add cream cheese breaking it into pieces as you add it. Briefly cook to incorporate until eggs just barely begin to set.

For those who like softly scrambled eggs this is the time to serve. For others who enjoy their eggs firmer, continue to cook for a minute more.

if snipped right before flowering and frozen to preserve freshness. A good trick for keeping herbs like dill, parsley, and cilantro fresh is to put them in a glass of water and cover the whole operation with a plastic bag to create a makeshift greenhouse. This can extend the life of your fresh herbs for a week or more! Take out only what you need and cut with scissors to mince into your recipe. Dill often grows wild on the roadsides in southern Europe, but is commonly cultivated in northern areas and here in the U.S. Medicinally the plant aids digestion and increases appetite. It loves to partner with fish, egg and potato dishes but do not hesitate to explore using dill with apples, cucumbers, carrots, spinach or even poultry.

Dill keeps best

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As winter turns to spring I too turn my

attention to the new growth within me.

I am thankful for the food that supports my welcoming of the season ahead. By the eating of these tender greens I cleanse and purify my body and return balance to my inner nature.

From the wild side: fresh spring dandelions taste great and are a nutritious addition to the diet! Pick a plate full from an area that is known to be pesticide-free. Rinse lightly and pat dry.

Spring dandies and poached eggs 1 handful 1 teaspoon 2

fresh dandelion greens, torn bite size vinegar for poaching organic eggs

Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup 1 clove 1/2 cup 1-2 slices

balsamic or herb-infused vinegar garlic olive oil salt and pepper to taste bacon, cooked and chopped (optional) croutons (optional)

B Serves 1

To poach eggs: Bring a 1 quart pot of water to boil. Add vinegar and turn boiling water to low.

Crack eggs gently into pot. Skim pot surface of foam so you can see your eggs.

Cook approximately 3 minutes to set whites and retain a runny yoke. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain briefly and place on top of dandelion greens.

Add balsamic vinaigrette.

Fresh Dandelion greens offer nutrition you won’t find in most refrigerated foods. Numerous vitamins— A, B, C, D, K—and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, are readily available to enliven and tonify. Dandelions are one of the best liver medicines you can eat.

By using dandelion leaf and/or root tincture you can support your liver all year round.

ODE TO F REE F OOD !

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May I be the doctor and the medicine

And may I be the nurse for all sick beings in the world until everyone is healed May a rain of food and drink descend to clear away the pain of thirst and hunger And during the aeon of famine may I myself change into food and drink May I become an inexhaustible treasure for those who are poor and destitute May I turn into all things they could need And may these be placed close to them.

Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life

This dish was created by my son, Ian, who loves to put lots of spice in his morning eggs. Adding curry is another one of his favorites, along with lots of chopped greens!

Greek Leek Scramble 4 tablespoons 3 1 1/2 cup 4 2-3 ounces 1/4 cup 2 cloves 1/8 plus 1/8 teaspoon 1/8 teaspoon 1 handful

olive oil or coconut oil green onions, chopped leek, trimmed, halved, washed, slivered kalamata olives, lightly chopped eggs, beaten feta cheese basil, chopped garlic, pressed dried red pepper flakes paprika grape/cherry tomatoes (optional)

B Serves 3 Heat olive oil at medium high in a large skillet. Add leeks, 1/8 teaspoon pepper flakes, and green onions. Sauté for 5 minutes to soften. Stir in Kalamata olives and turn heat to medium low. Add eggs and paprika and gently scramble. After 2 minutes add feta and basil and additional 1/8 teaspoon pepper flakes if you like it hot! Eggs may need a couple more minutes – but don’t turn them into rubber!

Just before serving add pressed garlic, give it a good stir and turn off heat. This adds extra garlicky flavors.

You may wish to garnish with grape or cherry tomatoes to balance the spiciness of these eggs.

pungent flavor, plus nothing is quite like the aroma of leeks cooking. Unfortunately, in soups and various dishes they can also be a culprit to creating a gaseous feeling afterwards. However, due to the combinations in this dish, there is none of that nasty reputation. One of their many benefits are that leeks are considered an astringent vegetable and can help counteract loose stool issues.

LEEKS HAV E A DISTI N C TLY

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Holy Mother

Precious Mother Take our hands this day to make ever more bountiful the beauty of your world

A tribute to Northwest culinary elegance.

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon 8 8 ounces 1/4 1 cup 1 4 2 tablespoons

fresh eggs, to be poached smoked salmon, shredded red onion, slivered baby spinach, slivered beefsteak tomato, cut into 8 slices english muffins, separated into halves, and toasted parsley, chopped as garnish

Hollandaise Sauce: 1 stick 3 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 1 pinch 1 pinch

butter, preferably unsalted egg yolks fresh lemon juice capers cayenne white pepper salt to taste, if using unsalted butter

B Serves 4 (the edible flower buds) and caper berries (the fruit) come from the plant Capparis Spinosa. They are normally bought and used in a pickled form. The plant itself prefers harsh growing conditions or at least semi-arid. Consequently, capers are commonly found in Mediterranean cuisine. Locally, Dandelions buds and Nasturtium seeds, once pickled, can be used as substitutes for capers.

BOTH C A P ERS

are a complete protein offering a rich source of iron to strengthen the blood, immune system, and mental development. Eggs contain a balanced ratio of protein to fat. They contain sulfur, a mineral needed to protect the body from infection and toxins. Eggs provide vitamin A, D, selenium, thiamine, choline (B vitamins) carnitine and tryptophan for a healthy nervous system.

F RESH E G G S

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Ahead: Set up plates with toasted English muffins. Set approximately 2 tablespoons of spinach on each muffin along with 1 slice tomato, 1 ounce smoked salmon, and a sprinkle of red onion.

Ready pot for poaching eggs: heat water with 1 tablespoon vinegar in a 2 quart pot set on low heat.

Hollandaise Sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan and set aside to cool a bit.

Mix egg yolks and lemon juice in top of double boiler.

Fill bottom of double boiler with 1 inch water. Bring to simmer and turn down heat. Do not let boil. Place top of double boiler over bottom and begin to whisk eggs and lemon juice gradually adding butter in a slow steady stream. If water begins to boil, take pot off burner immediately while continuing to whisk to avoid scrambling eggs.

Poaching: Crack open first 4 eggs and carefully drop into simmering water. Cook for three minutes.

Return to whisking sauce. Add cayenne, pepper, capers and salt if needed. Continue whisking until sauce is thick.

Place 3-minute poached eggs on prepared muffins, ladle 2 tablespoons sauce over each. Add parsley garnish.

Repeat poaching.

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Our true home is in the present moment.

To live in the present moment is a miracle.

The miracle is not to walk on water.

The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, To appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.

Peace is all around us—in the world and in nature— and within us—in our bodies and our spirits.

Once we learn to touch this peace,we will be healed and transformed.

It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice.

Thich Nhat Hanh

This dish offers the most beautiful Spring green eggs you can imagine. It’s easier than coloring Easter eggs and just as bright plus they are never wasted!

“Easter Egg” Bake 6 3 large handfuls 3 cloves 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1/2 1 cup 1/2 cup 1 tablespoon 1 1/2 - 2 cups 1/4 cup 2

eggs fresh spinach, washed garlic, crushed cream, heavy or Half & Half water salt and pepper red onion, chopped broccoli flowers, chopped mushrooms, sliced or chopped olive oil cheese, cheddar, gruyere or others mixed to your liking fresh basil, slivered (optional) flour tortillas, 9-inch

B Serves 6 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Blend top 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper in blender. Set aside.

Sauté red onion, mushrooms, and broccoli if desired - in olive oil on medium high until softened.

Place 2 tortillas on bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle sautéed ingredients over tortillas. Pour in egg and spinach blend. Spread grated cheese and basil evenly over top. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Nice accompaniments are Cinnamon Rolls and/or simple peeled orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon.

tells only half the story of nutrition. The other half is, You eat what you are. That is, whatever we already are will determine the kinds of foods we reach for, and the body we will help create.” —Marc David, Nourishing Wisdom, ©1991

“ YOU ARE W HAT YOU EAT

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B r e a k fa s t s S AVO RY & S AC R E D

The whole Universe conspires to feed and to nurture.

May I be ever aware of this profound grace and to return the good which flows my way.

Southwestern Frittata 8 1/4 pound 3 medium 1/4 1/4 4 larg 1/2 cup 3-4 Optional toppings:

organic eggs, beaten and set aside Italian breakfast sausage, casings removed, chopped into ¼ inch pieces red or yellow potatoes, diced green pepper, chopped yellow onion, minced mushrooms, sliced jack or cheddar cheese, grated chives, chopped fresh chopped tomatoes salsa hot-sauce, crème fraiche or sour cream parsley

B Serves 3-4

On medium heat, stir-fry sausage. Drain off most of the grease, leaving 1-2 teaspoons. Add potatoes and stir to scrape up sausage bits that may have stuck.

Turn heat to low and cook 5 - 6 minutes stirring as needed; add green pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Once vegetables are softened pour in eggs and stir gently; let settle for 1 - 2 minutes. Gently lift eggs with spatula to move uncooked portion to bottom of skillet. Cover for 2 - 3 minutes; return and repeat process if needed. When eggs are close to being set, spread grated cheese and chives across top and cover with lid to aid the melting. Leave only 1 minute.

Eggs can be served immediately or left covered briefly.

Slice into pie shape pieces for serving.

Accompany with biscuits, thick slices of dense chewy toast and jelly, or fresh fruit compote!

grew 4,000 varieties of potatoes yet now they grow only a few dozen. How are whole species of foods being lost? We’ve allowed ourselves to become dependent on a handful of large agri-growers. What we can do to bring diversity back to our food crops is to: use our own back yards as growing grounds, join a community garden, support local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

AT O N E TIME A N DEA N FARMERS

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From the bounty of Thy garden I am filled and fulfilled.

When the bounty of the garden is overflowing and the chickens are laying, this is the time to enjoy the freshest of breakfasts.

Sautéed Greens and Eggs 1 large bunch 3 cloves 1/4 small 4 2 tablespoons pinch 1 tablespoon

swiss chard, trimmed garlic, minced red onion, minced eggs coconut oil or butter cayenne salt and pepper to taste fennel greens, minced (optional)

B Serves 2 Melt coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onion.

Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes. Chop chard, separating largest stems. Add chard stems and sauté briefly turning heat to low to add more time for the flavors to marry; include fennel now if using it. Add balance of chard, and cook down, stirring often, for 5 - 7 minutes. Once thoroughly wilted, use a spoon to make four slight indentations in greens, keeping bottom of pan covered in greens. Add 1 egg to each indentation. Salt, pepper and add cayenne. Cover pan and cook on low heat approximately 2 - 3 minutes to set whites while leaving yolks runny.

Even if you overcook your eggs it is OK. This dish is just as flavorful with hardcooked eggs.

fresh out of the garden is that they are incredibly versatile. By adding them to breakfast, lunch, or dinner you increase vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, plus Vitamin A, B’s and C. Even more importantly, by eating deep greens you are supplying your body with an abundant source of natural Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been studied by research scientists, and even surgeons, and has been found to have positive effects for healing wounds, restoring iron imbalances, healing inflamed colons and ulcers, and even more importantly, for the current, critical need for drawing out toxic heavy metals.

THE WO N DER O F G REE N S

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Grateful for all that it takes to bring beans

and rice to parts of the world that cannot grow them; I no longer question who holds the riches of the world.

Farmers do!

A great way to use leftover beans and rice is to incorporate them into breakfast.

Rice Beans and Eggs 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 2 1 tablespoon pinch

cooked beans - pinto, red, or black cooked rice, white or brown eggs vinegar salt and spices of choice

Optional toppings: 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 1/4 1 tablespoon 1/4 cup 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons

sour cream salsa avocado, diced green onion, minced fresh tomatoes, chopped cheddar cheese, grated cilantro, chopped

B per serving

Mash leftover beans with fork or hand blender and add spices that suit your taste (cumin, cayenne, paprika, salt, basil, etc). Reheat gently adding extra water if too dry.

Reheat cooked rice by adding 2 - 3 tablespoons water to prevent burning or becoming dry.

To poach eggs heat 4 cups water to gentle boil. Add vinegar and pinch of salt.

Crack fresh eggs and slip directly into pot. Turn burner down to simmer. Cook approximately 3 minutes or until whites are set. Place rice with beans atop on serving plate. Using strainer, lift eggs from simmering water and place atop beans. Add whatever optional toppings you’d like.

overnight before cooking them breaks down the hard-to-digest sugars and neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors. Always drain and add new water before cooking them. Eating beans regularly has been found to lower cholesterol if that is of concern. Beans in general are a rich source of B vitamins, minerals, omega 3’s and 6’s. But don’t get carried away using canned beans – they may have missed the long soaking and therefore contribute to gastric disturbances.

SOAKI N G RAW BEA N S

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Blessed are we to share in this bounty.

May we take these gifts forward in our day’s journey bringing a groundswell of appreciation wherever we go.

For meat and potato lovers. Not everyone likes eggs or other more traditional breakfast foods. Why not use leftovers from the night before to enhance a whole new meal? Uses leftover mashed potatoes.

Breakfast Indian Shepherds Pie 1/2 pound 2 cloves 1/8 3 tablespoons 1 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon 1-2 shakes 1 large handful 3/4 – 1 cup

ground Lamb garlic, minced yellow bell pepper, diced fresh mint, chopped turmeric ground cumin cayenne baby spinach salt and pepper to taste mashed potatoes

B Serves 2

Using a small frying or omelet pan on medium heat, sauté ground lamb and garlic. Cook till browned; drain off extra oil and add yellow pepper, mint, and spices. Stir to allow fragrant seasonings to merge well with meat. Add spinach and continue stirring and turning till wilted.

Gently press meat and spinach mixture down to cover bottom of pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then spread mashed potatoes over all. Cover and reduce heat to low.

After 5 minutes, check to see if potatoes are heated through. If not, continue to cook till heated thoroughly.

with its warming nature. When one has been weakened by pain in the low back, anemia, or other general deficiencies, lamb can help one overcome such conditions.

LAMB I N C REASES HEAT I N THE BODY

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As I become what I eat

I rise up strong aware of the air around me aware of the ground beneath my feet aware of my communion with all my relations Indigenous peoples prayer

Tasty yet still works for an anti-inflammatory diet of no pork, beef, wheat, or dairy.

Sausage Breakfast Patties 1 1/4 pound 4 tablespoons 2 cloves 1/2 cup 1/3 cup 1/4 cup 1/2 teaspoon 1/8 teaspoon 1/8 teaspoon 1 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons pinch

meat — try mixing organic ground lamb and turkey raw almonds, finely chopped or ground garlic, minced onion, minced parsley, minced fresh basil, minced (or 2 tablespoons dried) thyme cayenne coriander, ground egg, beaten lightly olive oil dried red pepper salt and pepper to taste

B Serves 6 Combine all ingredients including just 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Shape into approximately 12 patties, 2-inch in diameter. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet. Brown patties on both sides over medium heat. Turn heat to low and cover pan for 5 minutes to cook through.

Sausages can be prepared ahead of time and kept for months in the freezer, just waiting to be taken out and cooked! Simply wrap each one tightly in saran wrap and freeze.

of “If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.” —Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, A Year of Food Life, HarperCollins Publishers, 2007, N.Y., N.Y. “ W e r e a l ly s h o u l d m a k e a h a b i t

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Beloved

It is with your hands Your Hands! that I make this crust.

That We make this crust.

How could I have ever doubted You? Preparing pie crusts intimidated me for years until I finally rewired my thinking to believe I could make a good one and then it became as “simple as pie!”

Pie Crust for Basic Quiche 2 cups 1 teaspoon 8 tablespoons 4 tablespoons 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon

unbleached flour – or mixed with whole wheat pastry flour salt butter, chilled, sliced into tiny cubes shortening * ice cold water

B Makes two 10-inch crusts Sift flour with salt. Blend butter and shortening into flour until corn-meal texture is established. Add water slowly.

Save the last tablespoon. Add only if you know you need it to gather all the dough. Gently mix dough until it comes away from sides into a ball.

Knead 4 - 6 times with long tearing strokes to incorporate the butter thoroughly.

Divide dough into 2 balls and chill for 10 - 15 minutes or longer (Or roll out dough, place in pie pans, prick with fork and then chill). If only making 1 crust, wrap 2nd ball tightly and freeze.

Roll out dough, place in pie glass, and cut away excess dough. Create edging per your desire. Prick bottom with fork. Cover with foil and add dried beans to hold pie dough in place. Bake in upper 1/3 of oven at 400 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes. After 8 - 9 minutes, carefully lift out foil and return to oven to continue baking the bottom crust.

Cool completely (about 15 minutes) before adding filling. *Shortening adds tenderness while the butter adds flavor. You could of course use all of one or the other.

Julia Child gives the best hints to baking the perfect quiche: An 8-inch shell holds 2 1/2 cups of filling; serves 4 - 6.

A 10-inch shell holds 3 3/4 to 4 cups of filling; serves 6 - 8.

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Infinite Giver

Quiche is one of those dishes I tend to make in duplicate as it is time consuming, but absolutely delicious.

Or – I choose to use the extra crust to make pie at the same time.

Thank you You are the source of all supply.

Beloved, Your grace is alive in every moment.

There is not one thing I can cast my eyes upon that is not from your loving hands.

Am:Pm Vegetable Quiche 4 1 1/2 cup 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon 1/3 teaspoon 1 1/2 cup

Vegetables: 1/2 large head 1/4 pound 1/2 medium 2 tablespoon

eggs cream or half and half dried thyme dry mustard nutmeg, fresh grated salt and pepper as desired gruyere, grated (or mix with Asiago)

broccoli, chopped into tiny pieces shitake mushrooms, sliced red onion, chopped butter

B Makes one 9- to 10-inch quiche Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sauté vegetables in butter until most of their juices are released. After sautéing you should have 1 ½ to 2 cups. Let cool before adding to egg mixture.

Mix eggs with cream, dry mustard, thyme and nutmeg and add cooled vegetables. Sprinkle bottom of crust with cheese and pour in filling.

After filling your crust 3/4 full, set in oven for 35 - 40 minutes or until puffed and browned. Timing varies due to the amount of moisture in the vegetables.

THREE NOTES: • Blend 2 tablespoons of flour into the cream and eggs to shorten cooking time.

• Three other tasty filling choices to add to your egg and cream:

Left-over roasted vegetables and goat cheese

Spinach, wild mushrooms, cooked bacon

Baby Shrimp, cream cheese, dill

• For an 8-inch quiche: Blend 3 eggs, with 1½ to 2 cups Half & Half. Amount of liquid depends on quantity of vegetables.

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May the beauty of the colors before me enliven the colors within me, and spur the ship of my soul’s growth.

If you don’t have all these ingredients don’t worry, just use what you have, but do add greens if at all possible!

Potato Vegetable Sauté 8 medium 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/3 6-8 medium 2 large handfuls 2/3 cup 2 tablespoons 1

red or yellow finn potatoes green pepper, cut into 1-inch squares red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch squares red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices mushrooms, halved baby spinach or chard, stems removed sharp cheddar cheese, grated olive oil or coconut oil avocado, pitted, cubed (optional garnish)

B Serves 4

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces.

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a heated skillet and add potatoes. Sauté 2 - 3 minutes stirring as needed to prevent sticking. Add a bit of water and cover for 5 - 7 minutes to steam cook.

When potatoes are almost tender, add peppers, onion, and mushrooms. Stir occasionally as they cook another 5 - 10 minutes uncovered.

Once potatoes are fully cooked, add spinach and turn until wilted. Sprinkle grated cheese over all and cover pan briefly.

Serve with cubed avocado on top as garnish, and then marvel at the colors!

cabbage, sprouts, parsley, and peppers are also an excellent source of Vitamin C. According to Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods, eating the white insides of peppers provides bioflavonoids which “work synergistically with C to strengthen blood vessel walls.” This is also true of the core of cabbage and pulp and inner peel of citrus; so be careful not to over-trim as professional chefs often teach.

ALO N G W ITH C ITRUS F RUITS ,

The Doctrine of Signatures is an ancient theory used in the field of medicine to define the corresponding link between the microcosms of the body with the healing agent in the macrocosm of the larger world. Look at all the color you bring in to your diet with peppers! This is one way to feed the lower chakras - energy centers of the body - and the organs that are centered there. Red, orange, and yellow are generally the colors associated with the root (base of spine) chakra, sacral 2nd chakra (below naval, including sexual nature), and the 3rd chakra (solar plexus) accordingly.

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Soups Elixirs for body and soul

S O U P S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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Light PurĂŠes to Robust and Filling

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S O U P S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

We who are here present thank the great Spirit

that we are here to praise Him. We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.

We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products to live on. …We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant occasion

From The Thanksgivings

By Harriet Maxell Converse

Beet the Blues Borscht 4 large 3 large 1/2 medium 1 inch x 1 inch 6 cups 1 large 1/2 cups 3 tablespoons 3-4 tablespoons Pinch 2 cups

beets, peeled and sliced or chunked tomatoes, Heirloom or otherwise onion, chopped ginger, peeled and thinly sliced water russet potato, peeled and diced cabbage, thinly sliced and cut 1 inch long butter lemon juice sugar salt and pepper to taste whole milk yogurt

(Straus brand is excellent due to its tanginess)

B Serves 6 Bring top 5 ingredients to a boil in a large soup pot. Cook on low for 30 minutes or until softened. Cool slightly and puree.

Add butter to pan, sauté on medium low potatoes and cabbage for 20 minutes or till softened. Add to pot with beet puree. Add lemon juice, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes more to fully cook potatoes and cabbage. Stir often.

Re-season if necessary before serving.

Pass yogurt at table. Drizzle a healthy 1 – 2 oz in each bowl of borscht.

Borscht is just as good or better served the 2nd day!

B o r s c h t ac t ua l ly d o e s help us to beat the blues as those beets smooth the way for easy elimination. And when the bowels are working easily, nutrients are assimilated properly and in a timely fashion, then the serotonin that is produced by the bowels helps the mood receptors in our brains. Remember, over 95% of the body’s serotonin is found in the gastrointestinal tract.

S O U P S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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Entrees

MAIN ATTRACTIONS FOR EVERY TASTE VEGETARIAN

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V E G E TA R I A N E N T R E E S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

B roccoli—You have waxed and waned

with the light of the moon.

You have slept in the dark and risen with the sun.

May I too honor the growing seasons within and the rhythm of my life’s journey.

Savory Broccoli Cheddar Pie Pie shell: 3/4 cup 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 cup 1 cup

whole wheat pastry flour, sifted salt ground mustard butter, melted sharp cheddar, finely grated

1 cup 3 tablespoons 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 2 large 1 cup

onion, chopped butter broccoli, cut into flowerets mushrooms, sliced potatoes, diced small eggs, beaten whole milk salt and pepper to taste sharp cheddar cheese, shredded mixed dried herbs of choice: basil, thyme, oregano ...

Filling:

1 cup 1 tablespoon

B Serves 4-6 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pie shell: Add flour, salt and mustard to bowl. Stir in cheddar cheese and melted butter. Mix well and press onto bottom and sides of deep dish 9 or 10 inch pie plate.

Filling: Briefly sauté onion in butter, then add diced potatoes. Cook 5 - 7 minutes. Add broccoli and cook 3 minutes or so. Add mushrooms next and cook to brown slightly.

Remove from heat and let cool. Spread vegetables over crust.

Add milk to beaten eggs and herbs. Salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables.

Cover top with grated cheese. Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until custard is set. Remove and let cool slightly. Can be served as vegetable dish or as a vegetarian main dish at larger gatherings.

TO P O N DER : Mushrooms in nature eat bacteria; which brings up the question—Do they reduce or control bacterial levels in meat when we pair them together?

V E G E TA R I A N E N T R E E S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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POULTRY

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P O U LT RY E N T R E E S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

Is not our meal a sacrament of communion?

A communion of hungry travelers on the pilgrimage of life.

A communion of cook with plant and animal.

A communion of ingredients and the marriage they make.

A communion of loving intention to serve and to honor life.

In the western world we have the possibility of coming into communion 3 times each day. Thank you for this blessed opportunity!

There is something about this recipe that calls us back for more!

Deviled Thighs and Vegetables 4 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 2 medium 1 cup 1 cup 1 large 1 piece 1/2 teaspoon 1 shake 1/2 cup

chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in salt and pepper grainy dijon mustard butter olive oil carrots, diced green beans, cut into 1/4 inch lengths red cabbage, chopped similar to beans shallot, minced fresh bread made into breadcrumbs dried thyme cayenne dry white wine

B Serves 4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put all four vegetables into a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons mustard. Use enough mustard to give the vegetables a slight grainy appearance.

Rub salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon mustard into thighs – pull up skin and tuck some underneath to really get the mustard flavor locked in.

Mix thyme and cayenne with breadcrumb. Set aside.

In medium-large, oven-proof skillet set on medium heat; sear thighs in butter and oil to brown. After browning both sides, add vegetables and mix into skillet with chicken. Sauté for 3 - 4 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to boil. Sprinkle seasoned breadcrumbs over all.

Place in oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until chicken thighs are cooked through, showing no pink meat when cut into.

Serve chicken with vegetables poured over top.

in this dish does not make them evil – only ‘devilishly’ delicious! The term deviled in regards to food originated in the 1700’s or earlier from what I can gather. It initially described a food as being highly seasoned or fiery hot with spices. It later came to mean an item was coated with condiments or breadcrumb and highly spiced.

THE TER M “ DE V I LED ”

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The reason this dish is such a wonder is because it is easy, gourmet, fragrant, and is a left-over-eaters favorite! The long, slow cooking process dares us to make dessert at the same time and to fully utilize the gas or electricity we are using. To serve fewer, such as 3, you can use the exact same ingredients but only 2 ½ lbs of beef shanks. It will appear saucier but still hold all the rich flavors.

Osso Buco with Fragrant Gremolata 3½ - 4½ lbs 4 tablespoons ¼ cup 1 2 2 2 cloves 2 cups 1 ¼ cup 28 ounce can 1 teaspoon x cup 8–12 ounces Gremolata: 2 cloves ¼ cup zest of 1

beef shanks (about 5 large shanks) olive oil or butter flour yellow onion, finely chopped celery, finely chopped carrots, finely chopped garlic, crushed beef stock dry white wine whole fire-roasted tomatoes, strained and chopped thyme parsley, chopped salt and pepper to taste pasta of choice (or great bread for dipping)

B Serves 6 garlic, finely minced parsley, finely minced lemon

Prepare Gremolata by blending above ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. (If there are left-overs, cover and place in refrigeration. Use to sprinkle on pizza, soup, eggs or whatever fits your fancy).

is the top of the leg or thigh. It is fairly reasonably priced and delicious for creating long, slow, deeply flavored sauces with very little effort needed on the part of the cook. Excellent served with orzo or casarecce pasta to soak up the sauce.

THE SHA N K CUT

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M E AT E N T R E E S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

A spoonful of thoughts

a forkful of ideas my knife cuts through all interactions, aware of the underlying prayers of gratitude for all that is present.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 12 - 14 inch oven-proof skillet to medium high. Add oil. Brown shanks which have been rolled in flour; searing on all sides. Once browned, set aside.

Add onion, carrots and celery to skillet. Sauté to soften.

Next, add garlic and deglaze pan with wine, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes, thyme, broth, parsley and shanks. Salt and pepper and bring to boil. Cover pan and place in oven. Cook 2½ - 3 hours, basting 2 - 3 times.

If serving over pasta: About ½ hour before meat is done begin heating pasta water with 1 tsp salt. Cook pasta per direction, drain, then place back in warm pan. Splash with a bit of olive oil to avoid clumping problems and cover. Do not place in serving dish until meat is ready.

Once meat is done, remove from pan to serving dish, placing meat over pasta and cover with aluminum foil.

Place pan on burner and reduce sauce for approximately 5 - 10 minutes to thicken.

Pour sauce over shanks and place extra sauce - if there is any - in a gravy bowl.

Don’t forget to pass Gremolata garnish for each to enjoy.

Second-Day Osso Buco: An absolutely delicious dish to try! Add to left-over Osso Buco and pasta: • 1 large handful of mixed greens, chopped: arugula, watercress, spinach, etc.

• ¼-½ cup whole milk or half and half, depending on quantity of left-overs.

The point is to avoid ingredients sticking to the bottom of the pan or becoming dry as you reheat; and to add a creaminess to the sauce.

Heat and serve as a one-pot meal.

M E AT E N T R E E S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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For all that is visible and invisible, we give thanks.

For the constant theater of life, we give thanks.

For the wonder of the earth, we give thanks.

For the secret story yet to be revealed in the seed, we give thanks.

Pan Asian Rockfish 2 pounds 1 tablespoon each 2 tablespoons

fresh rockfish (halibut works, as well) fresh ginger and garlic, chopped coconut oil or olive oil

Salsa: 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 large 2 large 1 1 1/2 large 1/4 cup 2 teaspoons 1/2 small 1 teaspoon 1/3 cup 1 1/2 cups 3 cups 1

nectarines, pitted, chopped into Âź inch pieces avocados, pitted, sliced into Âź inch squares scooped from skin cucumber, skinned, seeds removed cut Âź inch dice tomatoes, chopped orange, juice only limes, juiced rice wine vinegar sugar red onion, diced ginger, freshly grated cilantro, garnish short grain brown rice water star anise soy sauce (passed for individual servings)

B Serves 6 Bring 3 cups water to boil, add rice and star anise. Cover and turn to low. Cook 45 minutes.

Prepare salsa mixture by combining nectarines, avocadoes, cucumber and tomatoes all in one bowl.

In a separate bowl, add lime and orange juice, rice wine vinegar, sugar, red onion and ginger. Set aside to marry the flavors.

De-bone and cut rockfish into 1-inch chunks.

Once rice is done, heat coconut oil in wok on medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and ginger. Add rockfish and stir-fry gently. The fish is done in minutes when it turns white.

To serve: place rice on a large platter. Add vinegar blend to salsa mixture. Top rice with rockfish and half of the salsa. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with soy sauce drizzled on individual servings and remaining salsa as a side dish.

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S E A F O O D E N T R E E S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

Salads Well-Dressed Greens and Grains MAIN MEALS

M A I N M E A L S A L A D S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

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Thai Beef Salad – Hot & Spicy Barbequed Chicken Caesar Light Chicken Pistachio Salad Thai chicken, Sprouts, & Cabbage Cajun Fish Salad with Greens Indian Turkey Salad Curried Rice Salad Red Quinoa,Vegetable Salad with Roasted Garlic/Lemon Dressing Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Couscous Black Bean Salad Chinese Noodle Salad Versatile Vegetable & Chicken Pasta Salad with two dressings Grilled Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce

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M A I N M E A L S A L A D S S AVO RY & S AC R E D

We shape clay into a pot

but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.

Tao Te Ching 11th verse, Stephen Mitchell version

Thai Beef Salad – Hot and Spicy 1/2 - 3/4 pound 1/2 large 1 1/2 large 1/2 cup

flank steak or london broil red bell pepper, thinly sliced cucumbers, peeled if bitter, halved lengthwise, cored and sliced fresh mint leaves, chopped

Thai Beef Dressing: 1/3 cup 3 tablespoons 2 teaspoons 1 1 teaspoon

fresh lime juice fish sauce sugar Thai chili, minced fresh thyme

B Serves 3-4 Prepare grill.

Combine dressing ingredients in medium-sized bowl. Add bell peppers, cucumbers, mint and toss.

Grill meat to medium rare, approximately 3 - 5 minutes per side. Let rest a minimum of 5 minutes. Slice meat thinly across grain and cut to bite size.

Add meat slices to salad and toss.

Serve at room temperature immediately or let sit up to1 hour.

Anybody can grow mint; it grows profusely. Use what you have whether grown on your rooftop apartment or corner of the garden. Mint is a general tonic. It will calm the nerves. It will also soothe anxieties along with coughs, bronchial difficulties, and asthma. Mint is an excellent digestive aid for calming the weak stomach, stimulating appetite, relieving flatulence and relieving headaches. It is both antispasmodic and antiseptic. A mint infusion or tea can be used as a gargle to relieve toothache, sore throats, and other mouth sores.

MINT:

M A I N M E A L S A L A D S S avory & sacred

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