by Peggy Kingery, from the September 2000 Newsletter

From my kitchen window in our trailer in Deary, I have a beautiful view of Bear Valley and the eastern slopes of Moscow Mountain. While preparing dinner each night, I'm treated to some awesome sunsets that are as much an indicator of the changing seasons as the vegetation around me. The sun has been going down at a point on the horizon a bit more to the south with each passing evening, telling me that summer will soon be cycling into fall.

But not quite yet.

Asian scholars noted the importance of a short season that occurred just after the heat of summer but before the chill of fall—the time of year we North Americans call "Indian summer." It's usually a calm time when we still spend many hours outside but are happy to be home after summer travels. The gardens we've been tending over the past four months are thick with luscious produce, ready for picking. The expanding energy of summer is starting to dissipate, and we begin preparing ourselves for the colder months ahead.

In my June 2000 article, I introduced the concept of the five transformations: cyclic energy changes that are generated by the interplay of yin and yang tendencies in our universe. Indian summer is associated with the transformation known as Soil or Earth. The Soil transformation represents a grounded, centered energy and is one of the most balanced states in the cycle. It's the season when movement begins to settle and condense. During Indian summer, the natural world seems on hold; the energy in plants becomes focused in a more inward, or yang, direction in the seeds and fruits as they ripen.

The color associated with Soil is yellow, the color of the harvest. Mildly sweet (from naturally sweet foods) is the flavor that enlivens this energy, that relaxes and calms the body and makes us feel satisfied and nourished. Indian summer is the time to return to the stove and to prepare foods by stewing or boiling, techniques that warm and relax us.

Foods that enhance Soil energy nourish the organs in the middle of the body—the spleen, pancreas, and stomach. When these organs are relaxed and healthy, our emotions are too. The grain most nurturing is millet, a tiny yellow grain that is alkalinizing to our digestive tract. It's easily digested, leaving us feeling relaxed and comforted. Sweet brown rice and mochi are also healing. The beans that nourish these organs include azuki (adzuki) and especially nutty-tasting chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Vegetables that grow close to the ground and contain seeds (squash, cucumbers) or wrap their leaves around their core (cabbages) possess energy that focuses on the middle of the body and are especially nourishing this time of year, as are root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips. When cooked, they sweeten deliciously. Mildly sweet fruits such as apples, grapes, melons, raisins, and cherries can be enjoyed occasionally. Cook these fruits with a pinch of sea salt to soften them, to make them easier to digest, and to gentle the sugars a bit. Almonds and pecans strengthen Soil energy particularly well.

When our spleen, pancreas, and stomach are functioning efficiently, our cravings for sugar decrease, our blood sugar fluctuations are minimized, and stomach upsets are rare. We feel calm and fulfilled. I hope like me you can think back on your summer activities and smile at the memories, looking forward to a less hectic pace during the shortened daylight of winter. Enjoy this season of reprieve and celebrate the return to a cooler kitchen with these soothing and satisfying recipes.

Chickpeas With Vegetables

(serves 4)

1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked 6-8 hours
3-inch piece of kombu
3 cups water
1 large carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cups cabbage, chopped
1 Tbsp. miso or shoyu
1 tsp. cumin

Soak kombu for 5 minutes to soften and dice. Place in a saucepan with chickpeas and water. Boil, cover, and cook over medium-low heat about 45 minutes or until chickpeas are almost tender. Add vegetables. Cover, and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Stir in miso and cumin. Simmer 5 minutes more and serve over brown rice.

Four Grain Medley

(serves 4)

This is a yummy combination of summer and Indian summer grains.

1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup couscous
1 cup corn kernels
3 cups water
2 Tbsp. toasted sunflower seeds
pinch of sea salt

Place couscous in a medium sized bowl. Bring water and salt to a boil. Add corn and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour off 1 cup water through a strainer and add to the bowl containing the couscous. Cover with a plate and set aside.

Return remaining water and corn to a boil. Stir in millet and quinoa. Cover and simmer for 20-25 min or until water has been absorbed. Gently mix grains and seeds together and serve.

Peggy Kingery doesn't miss the heat and humidity of her childhood summers in New Jersey. She, husband Jim, and canine buddy Hannah divide their time between their home in Moscow and farm in Deary.

 

Copyright: Copyright on articles and recipes are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

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