the AcroYoga Lunches....

So...

Over the course of this weeks worth of lunches, we spanned a range of world cuisines while utilizing a group of specific items that reflect the dietary needs of the season. Most of these ingredients are available the world over with little variation and are harvested during the same season. Hmmmm....I looks to me like Panchamama is trying to help us out here by making available the ingredients we need when we need them. Yet, that even sounds a little backwards. And we as a culture did get a little ahead of ourselves with technology that allows us to have "heirloom" tomatoes no matter where on the planet we are. So, lets back up and say, Eating the produce of a specific season is essential to the health and wellness of the eater during that season.

Example: Turnip. Sown in Early summer, harvested during fall in the temperate regions of the globe (the majority of occupied land mass). Fall is the season of Metal in Chinese medicine. It is also the season associated with the lungs and the color white. During fall the body is in retract mode and needs to release the heat accumulated during the intensity of the summer time. It is a time of detoxifying and protection in preparation for the winter. Our bodies are looking for pungent foods that dispel heat, moist and mucilaginous foods that nourish and protect the lungs and colon, and beta-carotene rich foods that nourish the immune system. As for the turnip, it is pungent! A member of the mustard family, it is high in sulfur that aids in purifying the lungs. In its pungency, it is very effective in moving stagnant qi that can create blocks in the body as the temps cool off and we slow down. Fall and winter are the best times to harvest turnips and the best times to eat turnips. Tell me...Have you ever craved a turnip during the summer heat? No? Watermelon? Yes.... exactly.

Wednesdays meal incorporated some beautiful Scarlet Turnips...YUMMMM!!! And most of you had never even thought about using a couple Scarlet turnips before, huh. It was actually my first time too!
Tuesday was all about the Beet! And We Rocked Some Beets too! Good for the heart, liver, rooting, grounding, loving.... :)

So lets look at tuesdays meal...
Tuesday:
The Weather: Sunny, Chilly morn, leaves falling...
Body Needs: Warming, grounding, detoxifying. Day 2 of workshop, purge stagnant qi that has come to surface in first day and pacify wind/vata energy rooting qi in Lower dantien.
Menu: Golden and Bulls Blood Beet Borscht with Scarlet Yams and Carrots, Herbed Red Quinoa, Kale and Avocado Salad
Borscht: Classic Eastern European Soup. Loved and revered in the lands of really cold temps. Beets build blood, strengthen the heart thus rooting the shen or spirit, and helps clear liver stagnancy. The yams buils spleen qi and root qi in body in general.
3 medium beets, scrubbed, cut into small cubes(not perfect)
3 meduim yams, same as above
3 carrots, same as above
1 bulb fennel, same as above
1 lg onion, peeled, cut into small pieces
4 qt water or veg stock or water with bullion
2 sprigs of rosemary
1/2 cup Apple cider Vin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch Dill to garnish
Take first 7 ingredients and place them in a pot over high heat. Bring up to a boil and then turn down to simmer until beets and carrots are soft but not mushy. Timing depends on how large the cut is. remove the rosemary sprigs. Blend as much as you like. I like half and half. This is how I did the tuesday borscht. Add the ACV, salt, pepper and dill. POUR a whole bunch of love into it, and enjoy. It really cant get any simpler.

The quinoa is cooked in a grain 2:1.5 water ratio. When it is done, it gets olive oil, salt pepper, Vinegar and herbs to season. I do this all to taste depending on quantity. trust your palate and your hand!

The salad is mainly prepared with Kale which is massaged first. Massaged?! Yup, a little oil and a dash of salt and it gets gently worked with the hands until it begins to soften. Just like us...minus the salt! The avocado is added in gently and then a little ACV gets added in. Also very simple to prepare and soooooo good for the body! we also added a little chopped dandelion greens and celery.

Another seasonally smart, nurturing meal.... Wednesday coming...