Soul Food

Every cell in my body is celebrating the return of a raw/vegan diet. What started as an intentional and much needed indulgence of body, heart and soul became an emotional crutch. One of the things that attracted me to working and living with Helga and Claus was their raw/vegan lifestyle. Together they embrace various alternative forms of health and healing, a large part of which is based on a clean, alkaline diet. Through the years Helga and Claus have been vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian and raw. Having experimented with the latter, I was eager to learn more. And learn I have. Did you know parsley has more Vitamin C than an orange, rosemary is good for the brain, turmeric root helps with inflammation and bruising and drinking your urine prevents mosquito bites and a whole host of other things. I am day-dreaming of a garden in which I can grow medicinal and culinary herbs (the urine is native).

I’ve just finished reading Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food in which he encourages, through much research and scientific data, a diet that adheres to the motto “Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much.” He points out that as a result of industrialization and the birth of nutritional science, which views food in terms of its individual parts, most of what we buy at supermarkets no longer qualifies as food. Highly refined, processed, and genetically engineered then artificially flavored, enriched and preserved, the stuff that we consider food has changed dramatically in the last several decades. All this occurs post harvest, but I’ll leave the other details of food’s plight to Michael. I was, to a certain extent, already aware of much of what the book brings to the table but its candid description of the degradation of food is shocking. On the bright side, I am even more grateful for the big basket of organic fruits and vegetables Helga supplies us with every few days.

I have begun to look forward to this basket in much the same way I looked forward to our weekly CSA box back home. Not being able to control what arrives in the basket, new fruits and vegetables make themselves known and opportunities to experiment in the kitchen result. I love to prepare food but if I had to label myself I would say that I am more of a mad scientist than a proper cook. My approach to cooking is far from traditional and it often doesn't involve the actual act of cooking. I often refer to several cook books to get a general flavor for a recipe but what results is at the mercy of 1) what I have on hand 2) my raw/vegan preferences and 3) divine intervention and inspiration. Generally, I think my creations are delicious but I think my family would beg to differ. They are still trying to swallow the words vegetarian, vegan and raw. To each their own.

One of the delights the basket has revealed is the Black Sapote. The Black Sapote is the natural world's chocolate moose. There is also a White (vanilla) Sapote but the trees haven't blessed our basket with their presence. The fruit reminds me of a green Persimmon. Like a Persimmon, the taste is best when you think its turned. We've taken to scooping out the 'moose' and mixing it with honey from Claus' hive and goji berries to create a gourmet dessert. For lunch we combine whatever is looking ripe in our basket with garden greens. We clip rosemary and uproot ginger for herbal tea. We sprout garbanzo beans and forage for and crack the last of the macadamia nuts to make raw hummus and pesto. We grate carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn and bell peppers into a raw slaw. Try this lite and refreshing summer recipe. Wet one large nori sheet (or use a large piece of chard, kale or leafy green), fill with raw pesto or hummus, raw slaw, alfalfa sprouts, tomato and avocado, roll up and enjoy! Or maybe a green smoothie is more to your taste. 60% fruit, 40% green is all you have to remember to get a great tasting start to your day. Our secret weapon is mother nature's cure all - Aloe Vera.

After our outdoor shower under a canopy of starts we return to our camper to lather ourselves from head to toe in Aloe Vera. The property is absolutely covered in big beautiful 'mommy' Aloe Vera plants and their broods. In good conditions, An Aloe has about 30 to 40 'babies' each year and I have been rescuing babies all month. Aloe is a household remedy for the pain of burns and the itch of bites but it can also be used internally to promote healthy digestion, alleviate allergies and enhance the overall radiance of hair and skin. Throughout the day we munch on the the slimy, bitter leaves, we add it to our salads and smoothies and rub it on our skin - mine still quite appetizing to mosquitoes. I will miss the whole foods that have nourished my soul in the next stage of our journey and I'm sure the mosquitoes will miss me.