Summer Foods: Fruits, Flowers, and Fertility
The healing foods of the summer months resonate with both heart opening and female energetic properties. As the energetic movements of the season reach outward in the form of blossoms and ripening fruits, the energy of the human heart mirrors this full expression of gloriousness and desire for connection.
Mother Earth offers her richness during this season through delicious foods such as peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries. In Chinese medicine, each of these foods interface with the body to build blood, increase circulation and open the heart. Peaches and their pits are used specifically for these purposes. Here's a great summer recipe utilizing this luscious fruit.
Rustic Country Peach Galette
For the Pastry:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 stick grated butter
Enough ice water to form a ball, about 3/4c
In a medium sized mixing bowl, place your flour and grated butter and gently incorperate them together using your hands to break any large clumps into small pieces. Slowly drizzle your water throughout the dough, and mix until a ball forms. Be careful not to over handle the dough. You don't want the butter to melt during the process and end up with a sticky ball. It should be a little flaky in consistency.
Roll the dough out on parchment paper, flip it into a tart pan and crimp the sides all the way around. Use a fork to punch holes in the dough, lay another rsheet of parchment paper over the top of the tart and place some dry beans on top of the paper to prevent the dough from ballooning up as it cooks.
Place in a 375 F oven and cook until light brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.
For the Filling
6 peaches
1 8oz jar of peach jam
1 pint whipping cream
1 8oz tub of marscapone Italian cream
1 heaping Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed
Whip cream in blender and add sugar and vanilla. In a bowl, fold in marscapone with a spatula to form a light cream layer for your galette. Put aside.
Slice peaches and place in a pan with 2 Tbsp. of water an simmer on low until soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat, add the jam, allow that to melt ad stir into peaches. Cool to room temperature.
To Assemble: Spread you cream layer onto the bottom of the crust and then delicately place peaches on top. Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve with Gewurztraminer!
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Local to this region is another great summer food, the oyster! Prized for its ability to increase fertility these mineral-rich foods were consumed in large quantities by the indigenous coastal people, the Miwoks. Shellfish such as oysters, clams, mussels, crabs, gooseneck barnacles and abalone were consumed by the ton and shell mounds have been found that reach as high as 30 feet and as far as one quarter-mile across.
The Native peoples deeply understood the relationships between the seasons and the different foods it supplies and honored mother Earth as the source of all life and sustenance. Let us learn from their cultures about how to live in harmony with our environment and delight in the consumption of our fantastic local, seasonal foods.
Oysters can be eaten raw, or smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, pickled, steamed, grilled or used in a variety of drinks.
My personal favorite, raw with a squeeze of lemon and a touch of horseradish mixed with tomato paste and salt. Yum!
Where to buy local oysters:
Hog Island Oyster Company
www.hogislandoysters.com - (415) 391-7117
Tomales Bay Oyster Company
tomalesbayoysters.com - (415) 663-1242
Drakes Bay Oyster Co
www.drakesbayfamilyfarms.com - (415) 669-1149
The healing foods of the summer months resonate with both heart opening and female energetic properties. As the energetic movements of the season reach outward in the form of blossoms and ripening fruits, the energy of the human heart mirrors this full expression of gloriousness and desire for connection.
Mother Earth offers her richness during this season through delicious foods such as peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries. In Chinese medicine, each of these foods interface with the body to build blood, increase circulation and open the heart. Peaches and their pits are used specifically for these purposes. Here's a great summer recipe utilizing this luscious fruit.
Rustic Country Peach Galette
For the Pastry:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 stick grated butter
Enough ice water to form a ball, about 3/4c
In a medium sized mixing bowl, place your flour and grated butter and gently incorperate them together using your hands to break any large clumps into small pieces. Slowly drizzle your water throughout the dough, and mix until a ball forms. Be careful not to over handle the dough. You don't want the butter to melt during the process and end up with a sticky ball. It should be a little flaky in consistency.
Roll the dough out on parchment paper, flip it into a tart pan and crimp the sides all the way around. Use a fork to punch holes in the dough, lay another rsheet of parchment paper over the top of the tart and place some dry beans on top of the paper to prevent the dough from ballooning up as it cooks.
Place in a 375 F oven and cook until light brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.
For the Filling
6 peaches
1 8oz jar of peach jam
1 pint whipping cream
1 8oz tub of marscapone Italian cream
1 heaping Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed
Whip cream in blender and add sugar and vanilla. In a bowl, fold in marscapone with a spatula to form a light cream layer for your galette. Put aside.
Slice peaches and place in a pan with 2 Tbsp. of water an simmer on low until soft but not mushy. Turn off the heat, add the jam, allow that to melt ad stir into peaches. Cool to room temperature.
To Assemble: Spread you cream layer onto the bottom of the crust and then delicately place peaches on top. Refrigerate until firm. Slice and serve with Gewurztraminer!
*********
Local to this region is another great summer food, the oyster! Prized for its ability to increase fertility these mineral-rich foods were consumed in large quantities by the indigenous coastal people, the Miwoks. Shellfish such as oysters, clams, mussels, crabs, gooseneck barnacles and abalone were consumed by the ton and shell mounds have been found that reach as high as 30 feet and as far as one quarter-mile across.
The Native peoples deeply understood the relationships between the seasons and the different foods it supplies and honored mother Earth as the source of all life and sustenance. Let us learn from their cultures about how to live in harmony with our environment and delight in the consumption of our fantastic local, seasonal foods.
Oysters can be eaten raw, or smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, pickled, steamed, grilled or used in a variety of drinks.
My personal favorite, raw with a squeeze of lemon and a touch of horseradish mixed with tomato paste and salt. Yum!
Where to buy local oysters:
Hog Island Oyster Company
www.hogislandoysters.com - (415) 391-7117
Tomales Bay Oyster Company
tomalesbayoysters.com - (415) 663-1242
Drakes Bay Oyster Co
www.drakesbayfamilyfarms.com - (415) 669-1149
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