In our ultra-modern, high-speed life, we have become used to driving to the local grocery store for whatever food we feel like having. With the Food Industry in charge of what we eat, the calendar never even enters the equation.
But one of the most important ways to think about food, is to think seasonally and locally. Before we go the store, before we even plan our meals, our first question should be, “What is growing, right now, within 100 miles of where I live? What about 50 miles?” The answer to that question not only tells us what we can buy for dinner (or breakfast or lunch), but it will also supply the exact nutrients our bodies need for the season of the year.
Because this is the way I live and work, the first thing I loved about Beth Brown’s new cookbook, From a Witch’s Kitchen, is that she has categorized the recipes by season.
Don’t give me categories of Meat, Salads, Desserts, etc. If, as is happening in my area now, the trees are beginning to pop out in buds and I’ve just taken off my sweater because the sun is warming me nicely, I go searching for Spring recipes, like Pea Salad with Radishes and Feta Cheese (p. 37) or Penne with Asparagus Pesto (p. 42).
Asparagus pesto? Can I come for dinner?
If I’m still in winter’s grip and the thick sweaters and socks never leave my body as I write my book, I want a hearty Black Bean, Rice, and Chipotle Stew (p. 16) simmering on the stove, and maybe some mulled wine to sip as I read by the fire.
Our bodies, after millions of years of evolution on this planet, are attuned to the seasons and we crave the food that’s growing right outside. From a Witch’s Kitchen shows us how to do this and it sets us free to experience the magic of the kitchen and a sense of place.
As Beth says, “Celebrating the Earth and her cycle of life is a tradition rooted deep in all of us – now get into your kitchen and bring a celebration to every plate!”
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