I’ve been trying to decide what to write about all day. There is such a diverse list of subjects I want to address that it is like staring at a huge buffet filled with so many colors and smells that I can’t decide what to savor first.
Last night I made dinner for a couple of friends. A spring salad with crunchy red and green leaf lettuce, tender frisee, and soft spinach. Next I added a couple of salad turnips diced small and snow peas cut into quarters and thirds for a hearty crunch. I sautéed some beautiful asparagus cut into half inch long pieces. On top I placed a 4 ounce piece of baked salmon. From my garden I harvested some young rhubarb shoots, cut them into small pieces and cooked them over a low heat until they got soft, then I added a couple of chopped up strawberries right at the end to balance the tart. This rhubarb and strawberry chutney topped the salmon. The salad was delicious, it barely needed any dressing although we each used a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My friend said the salad, eaten with friends in a comfortable space felt like home. This is what whole foods do. They connect us on a deeper level; they take us home.
Tomorrow I am speaking at the Voorheesville Library on the topic of food. I have been preparing for weeks trying to find a way to describe this connection. I have been watching as everything has been exploding in countless shades of green in my yard. The fig trees and grape vines in my garden have started unfolding their shy leaves while the lungwort has already fed the bees with her flowers that shriveled a week ago and now is solely focused on doubling her root size for next year so she can feed more of the hive. The bleeding heart bush is giving it her all before the summer heat causes her to faint, and the bridal bushes have bloomed almost overnight. Soon their blossoms will loosen and the breeze will cause the petals to fill the yard with “snow” for a precious few hours. It is a beautiful site if you are lucky enough to be watching. I look to these flowering plants as a guide for my presentation. Let my words and passion capture the attendees attention. Let them be inspired. Help them noticed the details and feel the magic of food. Feed their souls with the potential that partnering with food provides.
Today my soul was fed and honored. My book found its way into the hands of Nikki via another friend Tim whose gift is shining a light on others. Nikki wrote to me “(I) found (your book) to be an essential text connecting factors that often are not connected all at once.” “This is helping to lay the foundation for future work I plan to do.” Nikki is beginning work on a Master’s degree in MSc Clinical and Public Health Nutrition this fall. I am so grateful to Nikki for the validation. This is a topic that impacts both our survival and our ability to embrace and enjoy life on a much deeper level. The more awareness we gain as a connected part of everything around us, the more the whole will benefit and grow together.
There are many more flavors on the buffet to taste, but I feel satisfied and don’t want to ruin the “meal”. It’s time for a cup of nettle tea (Thank you Saratoga Tea and Honey!) and a moment of gratitude for the abundance that spring provides after the lean months of winter.