Hitting Send

Live within the seasons. Eat fresh, local fruits and vegetables in season to get the nutrient rich foods our bodies intrinsically crave. It’s best for us, the environment, our local growers, our planet. As I just made a rather drastic change in location from the long, cold, rainy winter of Northern California to the jungles of Costa Rica, I have found myself asking “What should I be eating?” My neighbour solved the problem for me by suggesting a local organic farm which was delivering foods to her the next day. I happily perused the long list of fruits, veggies and herbs available, some familiar, others a mystery. Too fun!

As I had just been remarking that I’d forgotten to bring a bottle of turmeric with me, I was very happy to find ‘curcumina’ listed among the plentiful foods available from the organic farm. Hey, isn’t that turmeric? A google search proved it to be so, and led to a wealth of information about the root. It looks like a small, orange variety of ginger, and is commonly used in South Asian, Indian, Persian, and Thai dishes. It has a long history throughout the ages as a medicinal plant used as an antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and this antioxidant rich root is commonly used in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. It’s being researched for its benefits in Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, gastrointestinal conditions, and other clinical disorders. It has also been valued for centuries as a natural cosmetic and dye, coloring everything from foods to the vibrant saffron robes of Buddhist monks.

The next day a box arrived full of all sorts of fresh goodies. For two days I played in the kitchen with the various foods, most unknown to me. I chose to make lentils and a vegetable curry, both choices based upon the ability to use my turmeric root. First the lentils, which are honestly some of the best I’ve ever made. Next a green curry made from vibrant green basil, fresh coconut milk and a host of intriguing vegetables like hearts of palm, and yuca. ¡Delicioso!

ooOOoo the woman from the farm brought me the most Amazing greens, too! Aren’t they Beautiful? I wish I could let you smell them, Dear Reader! Earthy, with hints of basil and oregano. It’s Fantastic, and I swear I was dreaming of the salads I’d make with them while I slept last night.

Allowing our bodies to eat seasonally is the most natural way to get what we need. I knew that allowing myself to explore new foods in Costa Rica would be a fantastic way to provide healthy sustenance for my body in a fun way. It’s allowing me to get to know the culture, the foods in season, and eat the way Mother Nature intended. What foods could you be utilizing in order to assist self and the whole?