Happy Holidays, Happy Winter!
The Winter Solstice marks the day when the least amount of sunlight reaches the earth; "the shortest day of the year", the first day of winter. This year, the solstice was incredibly memorable, as it was also the full moon and a full lunar eclipse.
If you study the history of the winter solstice, you will find that every culture had a celebration in its honor. Winter was hard; days were short and food was scarce. However, after the solstice, there was reason for rejoicing, as they knew that longer days, warmer weather and easier times were imminent.
To honor the light, people gathered together with loved ones to share a feast, not unlike the December holidays we celebrate in this country.
So, as we celebrate the holidays and the wonder of winter in this millenium, I invite you to celebrate the yearly cycle of life with loved ones, as it is a turning point for contemplation, reflections and hope and light for the future. As you move through the rest of the winter, use it as a time to nourish yourself, both body and soul with gratitude, rest and warming foods. Resting and restoring during this time will help guarantee a seamless flow into the awakening energy of the spring.
Wishing you and your loved ones many blessings this holiday season!!
Food For Thought:
"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it" ~ Edith Wharton
Warming Winter White Soup:
This recipe calls for the bounty of root vegetables that are available to us this season and combine them into a warming, nourishing soup.
1 head garlic
1 head cauliflower
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons ghee, preferably from Pure Indian Foods *
2 large leeks, white part cleaned and chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and cubed
Up to 6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
Celtic Sea Salt
Spiced Ghee (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375.
Remove papery skin from garlic and cut off the tip of the head. Place in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Wrap tightly and place in oven to roast until soft, approximately 30 minutes.
Place cauliflower on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Using your hands, gently mix the oil and salt with the cauliflower. Bake until softened and golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.
In the meantime, melt ghee in large soup pot. Add shallots and leeks and stir to combine. Let them begin to soften without browning them. Add potato, celery root and stock. Add roasted cauliflower and roasted garlic cloves (squeeze the roasted cloves through the skin).
Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potato and celery root are soft.
Puree soup in batches in the blender; taking care to fill the blender just less than halfway full and cover with a towel to avoid the hot liquid from spilling over.
Return puree to pot and season with salt.
Serve in bowls drizzled with spiced ghee.
Spiced Ghee*
This is a warming combination of spices that are toasted and ground and then mixed with ghee
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup ghee (Pure Indian Foods)
Place a heavy dry skillet on the stove. Add cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Toast over medium heat until they begin to release their aroma, taking care not to burn them.
Remove spices from heat and place them in a spice grinder along with cinnamon and cayenne and grind to a fine powder. (Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle).
Place spices in pan with ghee and simmer a few minutes to infuse the flavors. Strain the ghee thorugh a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth and save the unused spiced ghee in a clean jar.
*Pure Indian Foods also makes spiced ghees. You may easily pick up a spiced ghee, melt it and use it on the soup instead of making your own. For more information, go to www.pureindianfoods.com
