Wholesome fall recipes

Although I am sitting in a hot room in Jerusalem, Israel with 35 degrees Celsius outside, it is officially autumn in the rest of the world and this calls for changes in our diet and lifestyle. These changes have become unnoticable in our times since most of us try to avoid the weather outdoors by using air conditioning and central heating. This artificial temperature control causes our bodies to move farther away from the natural rhythm of nature which expresses itself through the seasons and the cycles of heat and cold, dryness and dampness.


The end of summer and beginning of autumn are represented in Traditional Chinese Medicine by the earth and metal elements, respectively. They mark the shift from the more active and expansive energy of spring and summer, where energy is released from our bodies, to the more passive and contracted energy, the time for building up energy in our bodies and conserving it so we can utilize it the next spring/summer part of the cycle. This naturally entails a slowing down of the pace, longer cooking and consumption of heartier, sweeter and grounding vegetables such as pumpkin, winter squashes and sweet potatoes, grains like millet and short grain brown rice and beans such as chickpeas and Azuki cooked in stews and soup.


Here are two recipes which can can ease the transition for you, using lighter vegetables and fruit in longer cooking methods, since we are still enjoying some warmer days before the cold comes in:


Creamy Mushroom – Leek soup

1 large leek (or 2 small)

250 grams fresh Champignon mushrooms

2 tsp light sesame oil

6 cups water or vegetable stock

1 10cm piece of kombu seaweed

1 tsp salt

pinch white pepper (optional)

½ bay leaf

3 tbs kuzu dissolved in cold water

2 tbs white miso (or 1 tbs barley/brown rice miso)

Chopped parsley or scallion for garnish

1. 
   
   Slit leeks lengthwise and clean our dirt between layers, then thinly slice.
2. 
   
   Heat oil in skillet and saute leeks over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and pinch of salt and saute for a few more minutes until mushrooms are soft.
3. 
   
   In a medium sized pan, place water or vegetable stock and kombu. Bring to a simmer, uncovered over medium heat. Remove kombu as soon as liquid starts to bubble.
4. 
   
   Add to the stalk salt, pepper, bey leaf and sauteed vegetables. Simmer until tender.
5. 
   
   Puree half of the soup in a blender and rerun to the pot.
6. 
   
   Dissolve miso in water and add to the soup. Add kuzu to the pot while stirring, simmer for 1-2 minutes more and remove from the heat. Serve hot and garnish with chopped parsley or scallion.

Cider poached pears

3 ripe but firm pears, halved and cored.

1.5 cups Apple juice

½ cup water

1 cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

pinch sea salt

1 tbs mirin

1 tbs kuzu, dissolved in cold water

Toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans for garnish

1. 
   
   Arrange a single layer of pear halves on the bottom of a medium sized saucepan.
2. 
   
   Pour in mixture of apple juice and water almost to cover pears. Add spices and salt and simmer, covered until pears are soft.
3. 
   
   Remove pears, drain and place in individual bowls.
4. 
   
   Strain liquid and return to the pan. Cook down to 1 cup and add mirin.
5. 
   
   Add kuzu while stirring and continue simmering until it thickens and becomes translucent. Simmer 1 minute more.
6. 
   
   Ladle sauce over pears and sprinkle nuts on top before serving.