Eating with the cycles of nature –WINTER FOOD
Stock image obtained via Squarespace - This image is similar to the description of the Rustic Bean soup
Winter invites us to embrace stillness, and introspection. As the coldest, darkest and in some places wettest time of the year it’s time to take a step back, rest and recharge. This is the season for hibernation, storage and restoration, just like nature. In the past winters were seen as the most arduous time of the year, where we were forced to sustain ourselves with limited fresh ingredients as nature slowed its production of edible foods, it was a time of preservation, especially energy and keeping the body well fed until the days lengthened and grew warmer.
Today we have the luxury of seemingly endless supply of fresh foods to eat, obtainable at various supermarkets, but I’d love to urge you to support your local farmer and buy local during this time, not only are you getting food produced with love but mostly produced free of pesticides and toxic elements, that produce harm in the human body.
I’ve taken $20 to show you that it’s possible to spend wisely to obtain nourishing ingredients for a slowed cooked meal for a family of 5. See my recipe below:
RUSTIC BEAN SOUP
Beans for a large part of the winter diet, not only do they possess a wealth of nutritional benefits, but the longer cooking time needed for beans makes them extremely warming in cool weather. If you chose to use packet beans, soak them overnight to improve digestibility and reserve some of the cooking liquid to add to this hearty soup for more flavour. This dish can be served with a homemade seed or sour dough bread if you desire.
Ingredients:
Olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 leek chopped, 3 carrots chopped, 2 cloves garlic chopped, 1 tomato chopped, 3 celery stalks chopped, ¼ cup parsley chopped, 1 turnip peeled and chopped ( or ¼ cup of daikon radish), 2 potatoes peeled and chopped, 2 cups butternut chopped, 2 cups cooked kidney beans, I love to add 1 cup butter beans right at the end too. Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
1. Heat oil in large pot, add onion and leek. Sauté until tender and then add carrots, garlic, tomato, celery and parsley, stir well after each addition.
2. Add turnip, potatoes and butternut, and cover with water. Simmer for 10 mins before adding kidney beans.
3. Continue cooking until all vegetables are tender. Mash lightly with a potatoe masher, add butter beans and season and serve. You could add some grated cheese to the soup for added fat content, but leave out if you have a dairy sensitivity.