On my first visit to the farmer’s market this year, I was overjoyed to find some lovage. It was on my radar from years past and I never see it in stores, fresh or dried, so I was super happy to find it. A mere $2 bundle contains an outrageous amount of flavor ~ and medicine!
And honestly, this little bundle alone would have made the trip worthwhile. But I did manage to leave with a heap of green goodness, including turnips, garlic scapes, snap peas, kale, fresh dill, spearmint and sage, beautiful micro-greens, and some super tasty Buckwheat Amaranth bread from one of my most favorite bakeries.
When I spotted the lovage, I had to make a real effort to contain my enthusiasm for turning it into lovage soup immediately. But we had friends coming over the next day, and I decided it would be best to make it fresh for the occasion. Plus I still needed to make broth.
I came home from the farmer’s market totally inspired.
I washed the dishes and scrubbed the sink, making it beautiful and shiny.
That’s how excited I was to dive into the washing of and tending to the vegetables I’d brought home.
I cleaned out the vegetable drawer, sorting things out and setting a few veggies aside for a fresh batch of broth.
Broth is a staple in my cooking; a delightful ritual I return to once every week or two, all year round. I love everything about the process. I love making use of onion skins and carrot greens and celery tops and random scraps of herbs that are kicking about. I love having it going while I’m diving into whatever else I’m making that day in the kitchen. I love the way it makes the house smell. And, perhaps most of all, I love that it is liquid nourishment, made by me, with not a single scrap of packaging involved.
I started this batch as I continued cleaning the hydrator, washing greens, sorting out all the goodies from the market. This one used quite a lot of carrot tops, some onion and onion skins, carrot, celery, a few garlic scapes and a little fresh dill and lovage from the market. For dry herbs, I added thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, plus a little salt. I vary the exact ingredients from one batch to the next. I use what I’ve got and what I’m inspired to include each time.
This started smelling amazing pretty fast. I wish I could share the aroma with you. It was heavenly!
Meanwhile, I washed and dried the vegetable drawer itself. Then I lovingly arranged all the clean, fresh vegetables in the drawer.
This is another ritual I perform regularly. About once a month, farmer’s market or not, the vegetable drawer gets emptied, cleaned, and generally shown some love. It’s a big part of setting up my environment to support me ~ and my family ~ in eating the way I want to eat. I am approximately 1000 times more likely to steam some greens or make a salad if the greens are washed ahead of time, and easily accessible in the vegetable drawer. And having steamed greens (and plenty of greens in general), regularly, feels Very Very good in my body. This I know. So this vegetable drawer/ green washing ritual is a wonderful habit to have automated.
As I put all these goodies in place, and return the drawer to the fridge, I experience a feeling of deep satisfaction.
I washed loads of greens, the peas, microgreens, etc. I put lunch together: some white bean hummus I’d already made that week, on local sourdough, with local lettuce and micro-greens fresh from the market. (Seeing a theme here?)
I also added red beet sauerkraut to ours ~ this one (below) was my son’s plate, sans kraut.
The broth simmered as we had lunch, and I let it sit for a while longer to get extra flavorful. When I strained and jarred it, I pulled out the carrots, some celery and onions to use in our supper.
That evening we had a coconut green curry with asparagus, turnips and snap peas ~ all local. I threw in the veggies salvaged from the broth. We had it with some rice noodles. Lovely.
Nicely full, I finished the day with a meal plan for the week ahead. This is yet another ritual that the whole family typically takes part in, that makes a huge difference in my experience of preparing food, feeling nourished and maintaining a sense of balance in my days ~ physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I started by jotting down a few meals I was inspired to make with the fresh ingredients from the market (pesto! quick lentil soup with fresh dill!) and weaving in some recent favorites: amaranth porridge, lemon parsley quinoa, and more green soup.
The next day, I was bursting with excitement to make that lovage soup. Since the broth was already made and the greens and vegetables were all washed already ~ and because the soup itself is so simple ~ it came together beautifully.
And that’s why I spend a little extra time once a week or so in the kitchen. Having a few things in place ahead of time ~ homemade broth, a seasonal spice mix, greens washed, maybe a tasty dip or dressing and a fresh batch of ghee ~ makes it possible for simple, deeply nourishing meals to practically fall into place on their own.
And that’s also why I get so excited about local, fresh, seasonal ingredients. These simple, real foods speak for themselves. There’s no need to get fancy when the ingredients themselves are so flavorful and satisfying.
Inspiration and enthusiasm are states I experience just about every day. I didn’t always feel this way. But I have learned to connect the dots between the seemingly small choices I make and the way I feel in mind, body and soul. Feeling inspired and enthusiastic about life is partially a result of seeking out experiences ~ and even ingredients ~ that match that vibration. In this way, we are what we eat, think, and repeatedly do.
I love cooking. But I’ve come to learn that favoring ingredients that are full of vitality on their own frees up a lot of time ~ not to mention digestive energy ~ for me to spend doing other things that truly matter to me. I used to find myself overcomplicating things left and right, meal-times included. Embracing, and celebrating, simplicity makes so much more sense to me, and has been an integral part of my own healing.
This approach gives me the mental and physical space to enjoy and be present with whatever is on my plate, and brings so much delight to the entire process ~ from market to table, and back again.
