Eating With the Seasons

"Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe inspired me to make my own food from scratch. I had a very small kitchen in a rented apartment in the 1970s. There was a four-foot counter next to a double porcelain sink. On the other side was a stove and a fridge and a small kitchen table. At one end of the counter was a large hand grinder. That's where I began to make food from scratch: pressing my own soy milk from organic soy beans, making seitan by grinding whole wheat, making soy burgers before they were available at a supermarket. I brought organic carrots using the tops and the root.

I was already contemplating how not a single plant or part of a plant should be wasted. Using only hand tools, my small kitchen was actually a laboratory.

When I had a chance to move, I chose a house that had a double lot even though the whole yard was covered by tarmac. I had to pickax through it and sift through thousands of stones and pebbles, but I kept going until I finally reached soil because I knew I had to grow my own food to get to the source of good ingredients."

Spring

Green Delight Minty Pea Soup

This unique soup tastes like spring in a bowl. I use two or three types of mint from my garden. The miso adds umami; the cashews add body.

2 cups frozen peas (choose the most tender ones you can find, we like petite peas)

2 T lemon juice

2 1/2 cups coconut water

1 cup toasted cashews

1 t soy sauce

¾ cup fresh mint leaves

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

1 T white miso (if you don't have miso, use 2 T grated Parmesan)

Blend everything in a blender or Cuisinart until creamy. Adjust consistency as you like, by adding more coconut water. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Serve in a small bowl with a sprig of fresh mint or minced scallions, for a bit of bite, as garnish.

Optional: Add a teaspoon of coconut cream, plain whipped cream or Greek yogurt on top of soup.

Yield: 6 servings

Winter

Best (and Easiest) Cheese Biscuits Ever