by Peggy Kingery, from the April 2001 Newsletter

The signs are all around me as I walk: sprouting bulbs, green grass, chirping birds. Spring! I put away my recipes for heavy stews and soups and begin digging through cookbooks to find ones that showcase young leafy greens, asparagus, and light grains.

In previous articles, I've discussed seasonal cooking based on the "Five Element Theory," or the five transformations of energy. These are cyclic energy changes that are generated by the interplay of yin and yang forces in our universe. Each season of year is associated with an energy phase that is nurtured by eating certain foods, which in turn supports different organs in our body.

Spring is associated with Tree energy, a strong ascending force that frees our spirits and causes us to feel lighthearted. The color and flavor associated with Tree energy, green and slightly sour, illustrate the vitality of spring. In like manner, sour taste, with its astringent quality, opens us up and frees us from stagnated energy that can stifle our creativity. The organs nourished by Tree energy are the liver, gall bladder, and nervous system.

Lighter cooking styles should be used more often now that the days are getting brighter. It's time to focus on sautéing, steaming, and blanching foods instead of baking or stewing them. Cut back on the amount of fat, oil, and heavy seasonings. Choose grains and vegetables that represent ascending energy and increase the amount of fermented and pickled foods in your diet to accentuate the sour flavor.

Lightly sour grains — wheat, oats, rye, and barley — animate Tree energy. Wheat is one of the oldest cultivated crops. It's difficult to digest so we generally eat it in refined forms such as flour products, bulgur, and couscous. Another wheat product, seitan, is made by separating the gluten from the starch and bran, and simmering the gluten in a tamari-kombu-water broth. It adds richness to stews, casseroles, sandwiches, and stir-fries.

Oats are the highest of all grains in protein and fat and may help lower cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, and absorb excess salt from our bodies.

Rye is not often used in cooking, but is one of the sturdier grains. It's used most often as flour for bread and pasta, is strongly flavored, and works best in whole form when it's combined with other grains. Barley creates a thick, rich, creamy texture that's warming to the body when cooked in soups and stews; cooked alone and tossed with vegetables and a dressing, it makes a cooling salad.

Beans that support Tree energy include green lentils, split peas, and black-eyed peas. These cook quickly, are light on our digestive system, and don't make us feel full. The vegetables most nurturing in spring include artichokes, broccoli, lettuce, parsley, green beans, green peas, alfalfa sprouts, and summer squash. All of these contain a delicate ascending nature. Fruits most appropriate during this season — Granny Smith apples, lemons, plums, limes, and pomegranates — all have a refreshing sweet/sour taste.

With the warm weather inviting me to be outside as much as possible, I don't want to spend as much time in the kitchen as I did when snow covered my gardens. Being in the fresh air makes me hungry, though, and a meal centered around this quick-cooking, tasty pilaf both satisfies and energizes.

Wheat Pilaf

1 tsp unrefined oil
1 cup onions, diced
½ cup mushrooms, diced
½ cup celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c bulgur wheat
½ cup whole wheat macaroni
3 cups boiling water
1 Tbs shoyu
½ tsp oregano
2 Tbs minced parsley

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sauté vegetables for 3 minutes, then add bulgur and macaroni and stir well. Add boiling water, shoyu, and oregano to the skillet and return to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Gently fluff with a fork, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Peggy Kingery loves everything about spring: finding antlers in the woods, listening to Mariners baseball games, munching on crisp asparagus shoots, and planting her vegetable and flower gardens with the help of her husband Jim.

 

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