Unity Center
 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River NC  28759
(828) 891-8700
Email: unity(at)unitync.net

The Spirit Of Food

I’m a little nuts about food. This is no surprise to my friends, but for you and I, brand new acquaintances and all -- well, there you have my first confession. I’m a little obsessed with what food does for the heart and soul.

I’m not sure why really GOOD food is so important to me. There is simply nothing better than the smell of dinner in the oven or the fragrance of a bouquet of fresh herbs on the kitchen counter. And there is nothing quite as rewarding as presenting a beautiful plate of fresh, colorful food to someone who is ready to dive in. Good food should be a feast for the eyes and for the palate.

My basic mantra about eating is this: eat color.

In the Fall, eat Fall colors -- orange pumpkins and red pomegranates. Any time of the year, eat blueberries and yellow saffron rice, and put orange turmeric in plain white yogurt and add a dollop to your pureed kale soup.

Sprinkle tiny diced sweet red peppers over your macaroni and cheese with broccoli. Sauté green tatsoi, chard or spinach with your morning eggs. Add colors of the rainbow to your garden salad. Have you ever tasted roasted purple potatoes? They are out of this world.

For the Holidays, get especially colorful with meals. Make a raw root-vegetable salad. Use a mandolin or slice very thinly by hand: 1 red turnip, 1 golden beet, 1 red beet, 1 carrot and a couple of radishes. Keep the red beet separate until the very end so it doesn’t color everything red.

Toss with a simple orange-lemon juice-olive oil dressing: ¼ cup orange juice, 1 T. lemon juice and ¼ c. olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and your favorite nuts or seeds (hazelnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds).

For a holiday dish, add red whenever possible. Here’s one of my favorites:

Grind 4 cups of cleaned and sorted fresh, raw cranberries, and a whole orange, peel and all. Mix in ¼ cup of honey, and then add 1 T. honey at a time until it is the right sweetness for you. Remember, tart is good, because tart is refreshing during a big meal. Note: If you don’t have a grinder, a very sharp food chopper will probably work. Remember, don’t puree the mixture. You want tiny chunks of orange and cranberry.

Happy and colorful Holidays to you and yours!