SHAPE SHIFTING IN 2011

2010 has been quite a ride.  I almost think that's enough said, but I do like to blather on so: 2010 was the year of letting go.  Lot's of what let go was necessary, but isn't always easier to walk away first?  That way at least you feel like you had some CONTROL.  Well ladies and gentleman maybe I will finally begin to wrap my mind around the truth that there is nothing to control.  We don't control our lives and in fact the more I try to do so the less my life seems to "work", by that I mean flow.  This year I said goodbye to friends, colleagues and clients, savings and LOU.  A clean slate.

 

This year instead of writing resolutions,  I am focusing more on what my intentions are for the year ahead.  These intentions will shape the year of 2011, but also reflect how I want to anchor the bigger vision of my life path.  These intentions arise from the understanding that I can no longer try to manifest the MAHA or BIGGER -THAN-ME reason that I am on the planet unless I step back and take some time for RADICAL SELF-NOURISHMENT.  Simply said, in 2011 I want to take really good care of myself.   Instead of making a list and checking (and ignoring it) twice,  I’m going to focus on three intentions geared toward radical self care. THREE: BODY, MIND and SPIRIT.  Rather than burying my intentions in one of my many journals (that way if I slip up no one will "know"),  instead I’m sharing them here and I am also planning a to spend a good portion of New Year’s Day creating a super-powered Vision Board.  This is something I’ve been wanting to create for a while and as I am learning from my reading of the WAR of ART (Big Holler to James Abel), “procrastination is the most common manifestation of resistance because it’s the easiest to rationalize”.  This way I’ll be reminded of the three pillars that will serve to  uplift my life each and every day, in 2011 and beyond.

BODY : There are two intentions here, but they go hand in hand, and I need one to kick start the other.  First I have committed to undertake a juice feast, for at least two weeks and up to the full month of JANUARY.  I prepare and guide cleanses for people several times a month, so many people think this will be a natural for me, but I have found (as I believe many people in the healing arts do in one way or another) that it is actually much easier to care for others than it is to care for oneself.  The more ongoing intention, one that will be carried through 2011 and beyond is that I am recommitting to my own personal asana practice and (gasp) I am actually going to hold that paramount to booking clients.  It’s not that I am going to let it get in the way of my teaching, quite the opposite.  These commitments to myself will help replenish the well from which I can draw and share my teaching from.

MIND: This one goes hand in hand with the Juice Feast I am embarking on. (So I didn’t really slip an extra one in, as many of you know I do like to take on a little too much).  I am not going to go this journey alone, so I have engaged the guidance of a very experienced Juice Feast coach.  In fact he is the “creator” of the JUICE FEAST process.  This gentleman is David Rainoshek, MA.  David and I will speak every day to support not just the process of the juicing, but more importantly, how this process will peel back extraneous layers of ideas I have held about myself (who I am /what I do) and how those concepts may be keeping me back from shining more brightly in my life.  This MIND part and these coaching sessions are about the intention of deep self reflection.

SPIRIT: This is the intention to saying “YES”.  Saying Yes to my life and saying Yes to leaning into things that might not feel entirely comfortable, simply because I don't identify with them.  Instead of digging the same groove (samskara) more deeply I want to choose to lean into the possibilities that life is presenting. So saying YES to the letting go so that I can say YES to the opportunity that reveals itself in the space that the "letting go"created.  If I am going to learn anything from 2010 it’s that life really does REQUIRE that we "let go and let GOD".  Above all saying “yes”  opens me up to my life and all the people and experiences that remind me that LIFE IS MAGICAL.

THE ART OF GIVING

“Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.”



What does it mean to give?  This is a question on all of our minds in some way or another this time of year. 

I was just with my father and family on his side to celebrate his 70th birthday. It was wonderful to be with his siblings, 4 of whom are now officially in their 70‘s, as well as our cousins and their kids.  Everyone contributed something to the meal, especially my brother Guy (who also has generously gifted much of his time and gifts, over the years, to my work via his photographs) and my sister-in-law Kate. This love of sharing stories and laughter around a meal is the gift I have received and continue to receive from my family.  It seems to be my calling to to pass this on to others.



Birthdays and holidays are always a time when we think about giving.  But I have always sensed (and to a large degree practiced) that Gifts and Giving are really two separate things. The first consideration is the fact that a gift is a noun and giving is a verb.  Gifts always come wrapped in paper and bows of some sort. They range from lovely confections of elaborate and extreme means to the thing haphazardly purchased and wrapped because we felt obligated to give a gift. Yet the act of giving comes in many different guises.  For me the distinction is that when you give, there is always something from the heart of yourself extending toward the heart and well being of the person who is receiving.  In the best circumstances, it’s a co-creative process, because you are actually being inspired by the other person to share something with them.  The GIFT then almost finds its way to you. 



After the party Kirk and I went to the Long Valley abode and set up cozy camp.  We made dinner together, the highlight being a few choice pieces of fresh venison. This meat was something we were GIVEN from a friend who hunts.  Venison is not something I would normally buy, for many reasons, but being given some fresh meat was a nourishing gift.  We savored the venison with a celery root pure, fresh cranberry compote and mustard greens.



In the morning after all good intentions to sleep as late as possible I finally succumbed to being awake and went downstairs to greet the day.  I curled on the couch with a mug of tea and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  I was very moved by his PASS IT ON initiative.  In the book Jamie asks each person to learn a recipe from each section of the book and then teach it to someone else with the intention that they will in turn "pass it on".  I love this idea and the truth of it and also believe that it is a NECESSITY.  So much of the time in the act of giving what we are really doing is consuming, but think about the possibilities and doors and windows and landscapes you could open up if you were to share a skill you had, teach another person a useful and sustain able skill.  Where does the effect and depth of that gift end? 


This practice of " pass it on" also brings me back to my yogic roots. In the yogic tradition the student is ultimately receiving lessons from the guru.  The Guru, literally the remover of darkness, is the teacher or the guide who lifts the veils Maya, or illusion,  to illuminate highest potential that exits within each and every one of us. It is vital that each of us begin to recognize that this inner teacher is here to guide us on this journey and hopefully begin to use this awareness to guide us in the choices we make about our every day life. Then we begin to understand the powerful influence the choices we make every day have toward creating effective and lasting change in our world.  It is imperative that we not only begin to understand this, but to take action.  

If we apply this to the practice of giving or gifting we can extend ourselves in many ways.

So, this Gifting Season,  I invite you to take a few moments to think well on what experiences, people or teachings have moved you personally and find a way to share or gift that to some one near and dear or with someone you are just beginning to know.

WINTER SLAW

1 head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
Celtic Sea Salt
1 cup mung bean sprouts

5 scallions, thinly sliced
1 chili pepper, seeded and finely diced
2-4T ginger, finely diced   
¼ cup hemp seeds
2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Sesame-Miso Dressing

1/4 cup sesame oil
2T shoyu

2T white miso
filtered water as needed

½ cup cilantro, chopped

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and salt with course Celtic sea salt.  Massage the salt in to cabbage and let stand for about 15 minutes to help soften the cabbage.  When softened to your liking, rinse well and drain. 

While the cabbage is standing blend the dressing ingredients.
 

Combine the cabbage with the mung beans, scallions, hemp, black sesame seeds, chili pepper, and ginger. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss the cilantro leaves in.
 

SQUASH

Roasted Squash Soup with Coriander-Spiced Yogurt

1 butternut squash, (about 2 lbs)

2 cloves of garlic

a small handful of thyme sprigs

2-4T extra virgin olive oil

2 leeks

1 medium bulb of fennel

1.5 qts light vegetable stock or filtered water

Celtic sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place a few sprigs of thyme and 1 garlic clove in the hollow of each squash.  Place cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender. 

While the squash cools, slice the leeks and thoroughly rinse to remove any grit.  Cut the fennel bulb in half, core and thinly slice.  Heat a small amount of oil in a 3 quart pot, add the leeks, cooking until translucent, then add the fennel and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add the saucepan.  Add about 1.5 quarts of water or light vegetable stock and simmer lightly for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to mingle. Meanwhile prepare the coriander-spiced yogurt.

When the soup has cooled, lightly puree in a blender.  Gently reheat adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with a dollop of the coriander-spiced yogurt and grate some fresh nutmeg on top.

Coriander-Spiced yogurt

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt

1-2 teaspoons ground coriander

Celtic sea salt to taste

Fresh nutmeg

Whisk the yogurt until smooth.  Stir in about a half of a teaspoon of coriander and a pinch of sea salt to taste.

CARAWAY

According to The Spice Bible, by Jane Lawson, caraway is "thought to be the oldest cultivated spice plant from Europe".  I find the sharpness of this aromatic, warming spice to be a wonderful foil for the sweeter qualities of cool weather vegetables like winter squash, turnips, beets and carrots.  Caraway seeds were valued by ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures for both their culinary and medicinal uses. Caraway is in a family of spices, along with fennel and ajwan,  known as a useful remedy for digestive trouble and indigestion. It is, in fact, often combined with foods that are known to be difficult to digest, such as cabbage, and fatty meats, like pork and duck. I have also recently read that, in Elizabethan times, apples were baked with caraway as a stomach soothing dessert

CARAWAY DIGESTIVE
Bruise a teaspoon of caraway seed in a mortar and pestle.  Pour two cups of boiling water over the seeds and let stand for 15-20 minutes.  Sweeten with a little raw honey if desired and take about a half cup 3-4 four times during the day to settle your digestion.


I've taken to tossing it with sweet carrots and shallots for a satisfying autumn side dish

Roasted Carrots with Shallot and Caraway

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Gather about 12 4" long carrots, I like a variety of colors, ranging from crimson to yellow and deep purple.  Cut them in half lengthwise, not too thin, but cut in half again if they are very thick.

Peel and thinly slice 3-4 shallots
Toss the carrots and the shallots with some fruity olive oil and season with 1/2 t salt and 1 t of caraway seeds.  Add a bit of freshly ground pepper if you like, but I often do that after they are roasted.

Roast for about 20 minutes or until you are able to pierce with a fork.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.  This is also delicious with a crumble of goat milk feta

AUTUMN EATS

Squash.  Persimmon.  Figs. Concord grapes.  Kale. Walnuts. Cauliflower. Fennel.  Keith's Rocambole Garlic. Turnips. Pears.

The list goes on.  Most of these foods I source from the Union Square Farmers Market, some are not native to the East Coast, but so evocative of this time of year, that I know adding things like figs and persimmon to some meals is as good for the soul as choosing my greens from the market is for the local farmers. And anyway, Keith, of the eponymous, Keith's Farm, did grow some miniature persimmon last autumn.   The yield was so low he actually limited you to two or three on any given trip.  But the fruit was so distinctive of musk and that fifth flavor, umami-fleshy and ripe, you were happy to get the few mouthfuls available.

This Autumn I've been enjoying the fruit in a very different way at Il Buco, a place that has become a second home over the last 15 years.

Here is my riff on their Persimmon Salad

For Two
Choose one slightly under ripe Fuyu or Hiro persimmon, slice into 1/8" rounds.  Drizzle with cold pressed olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of Himalayan salt.  Next core and cut a bulb of fennel into 1/4-1/2" wedges. clean some mint and reserve some fennel fronds. Toast a small hand of hazelnuts or walnuts.  Finally toss the persimmon, fennel, walnuts or hazelnuts with a bit more olive oil and a dash of champagne vinegar.  Top with a few shavings of Parmesan cheese and  mint and fennel fronds.

AUTUMN WEEKEND

We were able to grab a rare weekend by ourselves in the Hamptons this past weekend.  The weather was glorious and we spent the days doing things that we wouldn't normally do in the summer months, when the crowds are fierce.  On Saturday we went to the North Fork to check out some Long Island wineries.  We drove into Sag Harbor and took the ferry to Shelter Island then hopped the North Ferry to Greenport. After orienting ourselves at the Southhold visitors center we promptly found The Northfork Table & Inn.  This lovely spot is owned and run by Claudia Flemming and Gerry Hayden.  While I worked at Gramercy Tavern, Claudia was the award-winning pastry chef there.  We were able to catch up with Claudia outside their newly launched Lunch Truck, her version of a roadside stand, tucked behind a lovely mural of the kind of old fashioned pickup truck she was looking for but could not find. Kirk  took a fabulous lobster roll for the road. There is no better treat when it is done right in the Hamptons, and this one was. He was in heaven. Claudia suggested we visit McCall Vineyards in Cutchogue. Although they have been growing and harvesting Pinot Noir and Merlot grapes for close to 15 years there, they just bottled their first eponymous wines in 2007.  Compared to some of the more established vineyards, they have just started tastings in their converted barn. The simplicity of the space was perfect. The wine was beautiful too. We tasted their 2007 Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Reserve and Merlot. We enjoyed a bottle of the 2007 Merlot that evening with Lava Lake lamb rib chops, grilled eggplant and spicy mustard greens. 

Sunday we drove out to the surfer's beach at Ditch Plains and soaked in the warmth and wind, the beauty of the changing light, waves and surfers.  Later we drove to Gosman's Dock had some steamers and went to the fish market there to pick up some local day boat scallops.  The scallops were destined to be grilled for dinner.  I served them with a beet and red cabbage salad loosely adapted from a recipe by Fergus Henderson. We finished the meal with a simple salad of green figs, fennel and parsley and a bit of Le Chevrot. McCall's 2007 Pinot Noir was a lovely accompaniment to this meal.

Beet & Red Cabbage Salad with Crème Fraîche
adapted from “Beyond Nose to Tail Cooking” by Fergus Henderson.
Serves 4-6

For The Salad
2 beets, peeled and shredded in food processor, or grated by hand
¼ small red cabbage with its core cut out, very finely sliced

1 small red onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced

fresh thyme leaves
2T capers in salt

For The Dressing
Extra-virgin olive oil
A modest splash of sherry vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For Plating
a few spoonfuls of crème fraîche

a handful of parsley leaves

Combine all the elements of the salad adding a generous sprinkling of thyme leaves.  Add a few splashes of olive oil and a modest splash of sherry vinegar.  Toss well and allow the flavors to mingle for a bit.  Taste and season with a few generous grinds of fresh pepper and a bit of sea salt, if needed.  I find that the salt from the capers adds enough on its own.

To Plate: place a pile of the salad on the plate with a healthy spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of parsley leaves.

HEIRLOOM INSPIRATION

One of the magical and vital movements occurring in our local farming has been the slow, sure and steady revival of reclaiming the planting of heirloom varieties of plants, grains and legumes.  What is magical about this practice is how it transforms and educates our palates and senses.  Tasting an heirloom tomato is an entirely different experience from eating a vine-ripened tomato from Holland.  It is also a visually expansive experience.  Take these beautiful flame colored eggplant I came across again (I worked with them last fall as well) at Stokes Farm stand in the Union Square Farmer's on Saturday.  Last year they referred to them as heirloom variety, this year they are calling them Moroccan eggplant.  Either way, visually you are feeding your senses and the taste is markedly different for more familiar varieties; a little more spicy and earthy.  I really wanted to work with them in a way that would preserve their natural beauty.  Here is the first variation.

Heirloom Eggplant with Walnuts, Thyme and Sumac

6-8 small heirloom eggplant, halved
2T walnuts, chopped
1T sesame seeds
2T currants, roughly chopped
1 hearty clove of garlic, minced
2T shallot, minced
a generous handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1T salted caper berries, roughly chopped
1T fresh thyme leaves
1/2t sumac, optional
lemon, fresh pepper and olive oil to season

Preheat the oven to 350 degress

Scoop out the seeds and a bit of the flesh from the eggplant.  With small eggplant you should be mindful of not breaking the skin. In a medium bowl combine the "meat"and seeds of the eggplant with the remaining ingredients.  Season and moisten with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a touch of freshly ground black pepper.  Mound a spoonful of the filling into the cavity of each eggplant.  Place in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with a little more olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with sauteed greens and a little crumbled goat's milk feta.

THIS IS NOURISHMENT

The angle of the sun changed suddenly.  It's cool and rainy after a summer of oppressive heat. Autumn is in the air and we are getting a taste of my favorite season.  My meal tonight is a single bowl containing the following:  mustard greens and black kale sauteed with garlic and cumin seed,  a garnet yam, steaming as I cut into it, its creamy texture is comforting.  After adding some raw, julienned beets, Seth's amazing sunflower sprouts, a sprinkling of spicy sunflower and pumpkin seeds, I drizzle some good olive oil and add a few pinches of Celtic sea salt.  At the last minute I put a forkful of Hawthorne Valley's lacto-fermented red cabbage into the bowl.  I sit alone, listening to some music and I am deeply satisfied.  

I am often asked about what I eat on a daily basis and also what I consider to be optimal nutrition, but I would rather ask:  What does it mean to be truly nourished? Yes, we are nourished or not nourished by the foods we eat, but nourishment is not confined to the foods we eat. The foods we eat, any physical or spiritual practice we engage in, the people we surround ourselves with and the overall climate of our environment all play a part in nourishment.  It does not matter if we are consuming the most pristine, organic food if we are rigid in our body, static in our mind and troubled in our heart when we eat.  So everything leading up to that moment, the very quality of your life affects your ability to receive nourishment. As we become more conscious about the foods we choose to eat and more sensitive to the effects those foods have on our body, we then begin to become more sensitive and refined in the choices we make about other things in our life. Our lives unfold from these choices.  So, curiosity, flexibility and responsiveness in the mind and the body are vital to true nourishment.

More important than labeling an approach to food, is the practice of being open and developing an intuitive sense of how your needs may change over the course of a week, a month and a lifetime. It is vital that we seek the resources to educate ourselves and continually cultivate the knowledge that we have the potential to be nourished by the choices we make and the life that ultimately unfolds from these choices. This is what I consider to be optimal nutrition.



LACIENTO KALE with CUMIN SEED & GARLIC
1 lg bunch Laciento Kale
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Himalayan salt, to taste
1 lemon
Oil cured black olives

Slice the kale in ribbons about 1/2" wide and chop the stems into 1"pieces if they are not too woody.   Rinse the kale in plenty of water. Drain well.

Heat a large sauté pan and add olive oil and cumin seeds. when the seeds become fragrant and "pop" add the garlic.  After about two minutes, when the aroma of the garlic merges with the fragrant cumin add the kale and saute for about 5 minuts until the greens are softened. sprinkle a few pinches of salt on the greens and a squeeze of fresh lemon; toss to combine and serve with olives and hummus.

BEACHES: SUMMER'S END

After being confined in the dense, unrelenting heat in NYC, for most of the summer, the last three weeks of August found us spending time at three distinct beach locations on the East Coast. Each experience was shared with different friends yet the theme that ran through was farmer's markets, what's for dinner, the beach, and shedding the accumulated stress from spending most of the summer in NYC.

First Stop: Martha's Vineyard- Chilmark

Up Island on Martha's Vineyard is one of the most magical places for me. Vast expanses of beach, rough-hewn terrain, the clay bluffs at Aquinnah and, of course, the produce grown and foraged here is vibrant. We drove up with a cooler stocked with certain things, but saved the best part for last: shopping at the West Tisbury farmer's market and Ally's Farm Stand just behind Ally's General Store. Highlights were rainbow chard, tender haricot verts, slender yellow wax beans, abundant fresh herbs, foraged rose hips and beach plums, raisins on the vine.  I turned the tiny sweet-tart beach plums and the raisins into an impromptu compote that we served with grilled duck breast and rainbow chard.  The meal was fitting for the rainy days we had and the almost autumnal feeling in the air.

BEACH PLUM and "RAISIN ON THE VINE" COMPOTE
This recipe would also work well with the beautiful plums available at farm stands this time of year

about 1 cup beach plums or black plums, pitted and chopped, if using larger plums

1/3 cup raisins, coarsely chopped

1/2c red wine

2T raw sugar

rind from 1 orange

a few spring of thyme

a pinch of sea salt-to taste

In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, and orange rind and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Add the plums and raisins and the thyme. Bring the poaching liquid back to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the plums are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Next- Rhodes Island, Matunuck Beach at the Willow Dell Beach Club

We traveled lightest to Rhodes Island to visit our dear friends, Thom and Catherine at her family home in Kingston, Rhodes Island. Rest assured though, our first stop was a fish market out on Point Judith. we gathered up scallops, lobster, and swordfish all fresh from the dock.  Lunch on Saturday consisted of simply grilled scallops and an impromptu yellow watermelon salad and red onion salad with a touch of cayenne for heat and some cilantro to balance.  Sunday lunch found me finally trying my hand at crab cakes.

CRAB CAKES

Finally- The Springs and Hither Hills State Park

We landed on Thursday to lovely day. After stocking up the fridge with fantastic local produce from my personal temple: the Green Thumb Farm in Watermill, we spent the day relaxing at the pool, reading, talking and of course sharing good food.  Hurricane Earl rolled in on Friday, to much fanfare, but really not much more than big wave and heavy, at times, rain. we ventured to Hither Hills to watch the waves and made our way back to a warm supper.  The next few days were glorious, pitch perfect unofficial end of summer days.  Grilling everything including mussels

GRILLED MUSSELS

CAULIFLOWER

CAULIFLOWER-Sicilian Style
1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
2T olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2c thinly sliced celery
1/2c red onion, diced
about 2-3T raisins
2T salted capers
2-5 oil-packed anchovies, torn into pieces (optional)
2T olive oil
zest & juice from one organic, juicy lemon

1/2c flat leaf parsley, chopped
small handful of mint torn into pieces


Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until edges are dark and caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.
While cauliflower is roasting, combine the celery, onion, raisins, anchovies and capers in a medium bowl. Add the roasted cauliflower and dress with olive oil, lemon juice and zest and toss together with the herbs. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

RAW VARIATION
To revise for a raw variation. Siply cut the cauliflower into florets and roughly chop or pulse in a food process to desired consistency.  Season with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of Himalayan salt and mix well.  Let stand for about 15-30 minutes, then combine with the remaining ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your palate.

Three Savory Condiments

When we have the chance to get out of NYC in the summer we often go to our friend Howard’s house in the Springs. The central theme of these weekends is relaxation, food and wine of course. Having spent many weekends over the years being excited by the process of creating meals either based around a particular ingredient or wine, there have also been a fair share of moments when I felt more tethered to the kitchen dreaming up and executing elaborate meals, rather than the relaxation of the sun and the pool. Last summer I finally embraced the essence of this place and the fact that, in this environment, simple is best. So whether our menus involve a vegetable salad of beets, carrots and radishes or tuna tartare or grilled lamb, these simply prepared meals are enhanced, sometimes even transformed by one of the basic condiments I have taken to preparing and having on hand:

Herb Pesto
Aioli
Romesco

Tuna Tartare with Anchovy Aioli

Anchovy Aioli
2 cloves of garlic
2 large egg yolk from cage free chickens
generous pinch of Celtic sea salt
1 fillet of oil packed anchovy
1T lemon juice
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pound garlic and anchovy with the Celtic salt in a mortar. Place in a clean bowl and whisk in the egg yolk and lemon juice. Begin to add the oil, a few drops at a time, to yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until all oil is incorporated and mixture is emulsified. Chill, covered, until ready to use.



Tuna Tartare
Serves 4
3/4 lb sushi quality tuna or yellow tail
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T salt packed capers
2 T finely minced shallot
2 T finely chopped chives
1 T coarse ground mustard
juice of one lemon
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Chop the tuna into very small dice, about 1/4 inch. Mix with the olive oil, capers, shallot, chives, and mustard. Squeeze lemon juice over the tuna and mix well to incorporate. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to your liking.

SPRING NOURISHMENT

Spring has arrived and with it the abundance of natural tonics for the season! Eating what grows in season is not just a statement about committing to local, more sustainable food choices or reducing your carbon footprint. It really is the simplest way to maintain harmony in your body by aligning it with the natural medicines the earth offers for each season.

Dandelion, chickweed and nettles are the greens of spring. They are also natural tonics that help our digestive and lymphatic systems after a long winter of more dense and,often, rich food. These wild greens, or edibles weeds, are packed with minerals and amino acids.

Nettles have long been prized for building bones and nourish the associated tissues hair, nails and teeth as well as the skin. Like nettles, chickweed is a common weed packed with nutrients, including calcium, iron and chlorophyll. The sweet and mild grassy taste of chickweed is a lovely and nutrient-dense addition to any spring salad. As a spring tonic chickweed stimulates the lymphatic system, which can often be sluggish after winter.

For me Dandelion greens , from the French, “dent de lion”, are central to spring salads. Dandelion is a “bitter” green and bitter foods are vital to tone and stimulate the digestive system. Dandelion is also considered a potent liver tonic. Just a few leaves each day contribute to making a smooth transition into springtime.

So celebrate SPRING by going out to gather some wild greens or visit your local farmers market where the farmers have gathered the spring jewels for you. Align to the youthful and potent energy of spring by eating what is offered from the Earth, in her native season.

SPRING TONIC SALAD
6-8 leaves of dandelion, torn
1handful of chickweed or tender chicory leaves
1 handful of watercress, chop larger stems
1 scallion, white part only, thinly sliced
2 cups of young spring greens
a few wild edible flowers, to brighten your spirit

FOR THE DRESSING
2T extra virgin olive oil or hemp seed and flax oil
1-2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice or raw cider vinegar
Pinch of Celtic or Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
Combine the salad greens in a large bowl.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together thoroughly in a small bowl and pour an amount to your taste over salad. Garnish with edible flowers.

JUICING ON THE ROAD

This week we are in Miami, offering the ever-growing RASA Life Cleanse to a whole new group of people. It's an exciting adventure and has certainly already had its moments that have required enterprise and facile response. The highlight being Sunday evening when I (intuitively) thought, "Let me test run the juicer". Well folks spirit was with me because at 10:30p.m. Sunday, on the eve of my largest group cleanse to date, I discovered that the juicer was defective!

Now I must take a moment to explain that most of the "juices", with the primary exception of the High Green, on the RASA Life Cleanse are actually blended in the ever trusty Vita Prep blender. Blending actually retains the nutrients for a longer period of time than traditional juicing (with the exception of juices made in a Norwalk press). Blending also retains some of the fiber content of the food and I find provides more sustained energy throughout the day. So as unsettling as this discovery was that evening, there was nothing left to do but respond and add our much loved High Green juice to the list of blended drinks!

The result? YUMMMM

Blended High Green- for 2
Please choose organic and when possible locally grown produce.

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
4 hearty leaves of Laciento kale, torn
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 apple, sliced (I really like Gala apples. You could also use pears)
1/2 lemon, peeled
knob of ginger, peeled (you control the kick by how much you use!)

Place all ingredients in your blender, add about 2c filtered or spring water. Blend from low to high for about 30 seconds. You can either drink it as is like a smoothie or strain it for a soother texture.

This recipe is just a platform for endless taste sensations! You can also add watercress, sunflower greens, cilantro, parsley.....Use your imagination and enjoy!

PATIENCE & PRACTICE

Almonds, lentils, buckwheat, quinoa. Rinsing, soaking and sprouting. I am spending a lot more time these days sprouting nuts, seed, grains and the occasional legume. One of the most important parts of this process is rinsing. You can never really tell how long it is going to take for the water to turn from a cloudy hue to clear and sometimes it takes many more rinses than expected for the water to run clear. This is not so unlike asana or meditation practice, as, on any given day it can take longer for the mind to ease and come to reside in a more open and relaxed state. Often I find myself creating a potent brew of frustration because my personal(asana)practice is not as consistent as it once was. Yet when I am practicing and teaching I find myself being more grounded and clear than ever. Where does this come from?

Rinsing. Soaking. Sprouting. This, I am coming to understand, is my practice right now. Patience & Practice



Red Lentil Soup
1c red lentils, rinsed, soaked and drained.
1T ghee
1t cumin seed
1c onion
2T ginger, finely minced
1 green chili, seeded and finely minced
2t coriander
1/2t turmeric
1 -1 ½ qt water
1t sea salt
1-2 lime
2 Scallions, sliced for garnish
Cilantro, leaves for garnish

Heat ghee in a 3 quart pot. Add the cumin seeds, listen for the "pop" and wait for their fragrance to emerge. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Next, add the ginger and chilies, cooking them for and other minute or two so the flavors begin to mingle. Finally put the red lentils, coriander powder, turmeric and water in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 min. Let cool and blend some of the soup. Return the blended soup to the pot, add the sea salt and season with lime, cilantro and scallions.