Line Up those monoliths

We have become lazy with modern technology. When I was younger, people wore watches or used clocks that had to be wound up. And, they never kept accurate time. You had to re-calibrate them periodically. This required moving the big hand or the little hand. Today, we have smart phones and “wearables” that calibrate automatically. They even adjust to crossing time zones and daylight savings. But, before clocks and watches, people kept time and calendar days by the movement of the sun. Sun Dials tell the daily time. But, the days and months required a larger set of stones. Places like Stonehenge and Gobekli Tepe are examples of ancient civilizations going to great lengths to set up calendars that would stand the test of time. The sheer physics required to Line Up those monoliths is breathtaking.

But, over the centuries Earth’s axis has shifted slightly. So, does that mean we need to re-calibrate them? Surveyors discovered that most of these arrangements of standing stones don’t precisely line up with the sun, moon, and solar bodies today. But, when adjusted for the time period they were erected, they would be spot on. Unless you’re really anal about precision, it’s probably best to let them be. Their historical significance is immeasurable. And, their outdated orientation is living testament to the evolution and shifting of the Earth itself. If you want a more accurate monolithic calendar, go set up some stones yourself and Go outside at 5:13 AM on June 21 to make sure they line up. For, today is Summer solstice. Time to set your watches and calendars the old fashioned way.

Line Up those monoliths with the sun, moon and stars

Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. Depending on where you are, you could see over 15 hours of sunlight. But, don’t forget the night sky too. You may not get any sleep this year. If you go out before dawn, you can see our 5 closest planets with the naked eye, lined up in order. With a telescope, you can also see Uranus and Neptune (sorry Pluto, yet again). And, since it’s the beginning of summer, you won’t have to bundle up. This is a good time to really contemplate our world and our place in the universe. We are about 93 million miles from the sun. Our closest Neighbors, Venus and mars, are 67 million and 142 million miles from the sun respectively. And, our sun is one of billions. It’s a wonder we even exist at all.

It puts a perspective on things (too much f’ing perspective). While we kvetch over the price of gas or who said what to whom, the universe keeps expanding and making us even smaller in comparison. A piece of a comet could wipe out our planet. The sun could, literally, explode, wiping out our entire solar system. And, it would be a blip barely noticeable to the rest of the universe, even the galaxy. So, we need to take a philosophical view of our existence. Instead of worrying about winning and losing, we should band together as a species and all inhabitants of the Earth to appreciate the improbable life we have and work together to make it better for all living things since all life here is fleeting. One of our greatest gifts is the ability to wonder and dream.

Religion

The leaders of our world use religion to control the masses. We all know there is more out there that we don’t know. Just look at the sky and you can see Thousands of Stars bigger than our sun. Religion ascribes all that we don’t know, and our existence to a higher power. They all suggest that we are endowed with special gifts by our creator. That’s all Malarkey (to quote someone famous). At best, this whole planet is an intergalactic experiment. And, who is to say that there is a “God” who created us? Given the vastness of the universe, it’s more likely we spawned from lesser beings. Look at Greek, Roman, Norse, and other religions with multiple gods with human-like emotions and motivations. They seem more like ancient aliens visiting us. But, we gave them God-like status because we are an Earth-centric people.

Our major religions, past and present tend to view humans on earth special creations of God. They think this insignificant group of beings on an insignificant satellite of an insignificant star are the center of the universe. Newsflash: The Sun is more important than we are. We rotate around it, not the other way around. The Druids understood this. That’s why they Line Up those monoliths to measure our relation to the sun. We are in a surprisingly stable position, just far enough from the sun that we don’t burn up. But, close enough to absorb a life sustaining amount of energy. But, this doesn’t mean there aren’t other forms of life out there. Just because they don’t take on a form we understand, doesn’t mean there isn’t life. The universe is a living entity. And, all the planets themselves are alive.

Spirituality

When we Line Up those monoliths, we measure time, space, and life itself. Of course, we have calendars, clocks, computers, tools, and apps to do that work for us now. But, the physical act of using the Earth itself to find our place in the universe is a spiritual endeavor. By connecting to the Earth, sun, and sky, we enrich ourselves internally and externally. You don’t need a formal religion to experience spirituality. Physical and metaphorical connection to the elements is all we need.

While we enrich our souls, we should also enrich our bodies. While taking a life to preserve your own may seem antithetical to living together in peace and harmony, it is part of existence. Many people advocate a plant based diet because it doesn’t involve killing. But, it does. You are killing plants. And, as we mentioned above, we aren’t the only life form. So, the argument that you aren’t killing something doesn’t hold water. Plants regrow, are a more efficient use of land, and are, generally, a cleaner source of nutrients. So, if you decide on a plant based diet, do it consciously. Michael Pollan wrote a great analysis of conscious food choices in the Omnivore’s dilemma. You don’t have to eat vegan. But, you should choose your food carefully. Physical well being is part of spiritual well being. You can’t achieve a higher consciousness if you don’t exist.

So, that brings us to today’s menu. Solstice marks the beginning of summer. With the warmer weather come more and better quality choices for fresh food. That means our menu will be seasonal.

Line Up those monoliths for our Solstice menu:

Our food choices should be healthy and helpful for the environment. For more on our food choice impacts, see our Earth day article. Since today is summer, we want lighter, healthier fare with a focus on eat local. So, if you are near water, seafood is okay. And, of course, our menu will be heavier on produce than animal products. That is the way our bodies work anyway. Protein should be less than a third of our diet. And, try to pick cleaner proteins when possible.

Of course, the best food is going to be the freshest. So, our menu offerings are based on what is available here in the northeast USA. If you are in a different part of the country, find something local. Go to farmer’s markets. Play with your food. Here are some ideas. But, the best idea is find what is available today. “Eat the rainbow” is a good rule of thumb. make your plate colorful. That will ensure a more balanced, healthy, and delicious meal. For a Tasty summery seafood dish in the Northeast, try this scallop dish. It has everything you want.

Lemon Verbena Chick Pea Puree with Spring Vegetable Hash

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Soaking time for beans 4 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean, Vegan

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 1 Cup Dried Chic Peas Or 4 cups cooked
• 1 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Lemon verbena may substitute lemon balm or lemon Thyme
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Scallion
• For Hash:
• 1 Cup Cubed Sweet Potato
• 1 Cup Cubed Golden Potatoes
• 1 Bunch Asparagus
• 1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spring Onion
• 1 Cup Cubed Fresh parsnip
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Herbs (parsley, Dill, Thyme, Oregano)
• Water for cooking
• Olive Oil For Cooking
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Balsamic reduction/syrup to drizzle
• High quality Olive oil, preferably flavored, like basil or chive for drizzling
• Micro Greens to garnish

Instructions

 

• Cover the beans in water in a large vessel. Allow them to soak for about 4 to 8 hours at room temperature. They should almost Triple in volume.
• Heat a little olive oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Drain and rinse the beans. Add to pot and toss until well coated with oil. Stir in the cumin. Add water to cover by double the volume of beans. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender (about 20 to 30 minutes). When tender, strain off liquid. But, reserve some of the liquid for pureeing.
• Put the beans into a food processor and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides occasionally. Add some cooking liquid as needed to help it get smooth. Add in the lemon juice and continue blending. Add in the lemon verbena. Then, with the machine still running, drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mix to a pan to keep warm.
• Make the hash: Heat some olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add in the potatoes and cook until they begin to caramelize and soften. Stir as needed. Then add in the Onions and parsnips and stir. Cook until slightly colored. Add a little water and cook down until the potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. Then, stir in the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. The asparagus should cook in seconds. Fold in the herbs last minute and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Spread the puree evenly on the plate and artfully present the hash. Drizzle the plate with a splash of Balsamic and flavored oil. garnish with micro greens.

Notes

We cooked the beans with the onion and garlic here. You could use cooked beans (dare I say, from a can) to save time soaking and cooking the beans. But, you do want the cooked onion and garlic, plus the lemon and herbs.

If lemon verbena is not available, substitute a similar herb. If there is nothing with lemon, add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the recipe and substitute fresh thyme and parsley.

Play with the vegetables for the hash. The potatoes and sweet potatoes make a nice base. Being spring, we like asparagus. try adding fiddleheads, cauliflower, zucchini or other vegetables as well.

Keyword Chic pea, hash, Healthy, Lemon verbena, Light, Mother’s day, puree, Spring vegetable, vegan

Roasted Beet and Pine nut Salad with baby Greens and Feta

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 1 Lb Fresh Beets
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 1 Package Baby Greens
• 1/4 Cup Pine nuts
• 1/4 Cup Spring onions (julienne)
• 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese (use a vegan substitute if available or skip if you want)
• 1/2 Cup Seeded orange segments
• For Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp Honey or agave
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp White wine or champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Cup olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Roast the Beets: Preheat oven to 400. Clean the beets and toss with a little oil. Put in a deep pan with a little water in the bottom. Cover with foil and roast for about an hour. Check to make sure they are cooked, but not mushy. Give more time if needed. Remove from the heat. Let them cool at room temperature. Then peel them. The skin should just brush off by hand. If it is being stubborn, use a knife to assist. Cut the beets and let them cool in refrigeration.
• Toast the pine nuts. Place pine nuts on a flat pan in a 300 degree oven and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they are lightly toasted. Set aside
• Make orange segments. If you can get clementines, they are seedless and break easily into segments. If you have full sized oranges, Cut the top and bottom and cut the skin off the outside. Carefully, cut out orange fillets between each segment, remove seeds as possible.
• Make the dressing: Place all ingredients except oil in a blender. Turn on the blender and drizzle in the oil while it is running to create an emulsified dressing.
• Place all the ingredients except dressing and cheese in a mixing bowl. Also reserve some beets and nuts for garnish. Toss the salad with some of the dressing. Don't go too heavy. Save some dressing if people want more on the side. Place in a serving bowl or individual plates. Top with feta and garnishes.

Keyword Asparagus Salad, baby greens, Citrus Dressing, Feta cheese, Pine Nuts, Roasted Beet, vegan

Grand Marnier Blueberry Consomme with Oven Cured Grapes and Mint

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Soaking and draining time 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert, Soup

Cuisine American, Vegan

Servings 4 People

Equipment

• Cheese cloth and/or large coffee filters.
• Sheet pan and non stick pad or parchment paper and pan spray

Ingredients

  

• 2 to 3 Lb Fresh Blue Berries
• 1 Lb Organic Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Grand marnier
• 1/2 Cup Sweet White wine like Reisling
• 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
• Zest of 2 limes and 2 lemons
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Mint Sprigs, plus extra for garnishing
• For Grapes:
• 1/2 Lb Seasonal Grapes (preferably something unique like muscat or champagne grapes)
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 200.
• Toss grapes in sugar and oil to evenly coat. Then spread out on a non stick pad on a sheet pan. Slow roast at 200 degrees for about an hour. They should shrivel a bit. You don't want raisins. But, you do want them relatively firm to the touch. The purpose is to intensify the flavor. Allow to cool naturally. Refrigerate until service.
• Make the "consomme": Rough chop the Berries. and toss in a bowl with all the ingredients. Mix well. Allow to macerate for at least 2 hours in refrigeration. You can even do this overnight to get a really intense flavor.
• Carefully strain the liquid from the berries through cheesecloth or coffee filters for a really clear broth. The liquid is the soup. Don't press too hard on the mix or the liquid can get cloudy. Try to extract as much liquid as possible. This process can take hours. When you have enough to serve your guests, take the solids and cook them over low heat. Add a little more liquid. This will become a blueberry syrup you can use for a dessert topping. Blend it until smooth. You can use some to garnish the soup today or save it for future use.
• Serve the "Consomme in glasses so the color and clarity show through. Garnish with the grapes and syrup if desired or serve with other fruit. This goes well with a light cookie like a tuille also.

Keyword blueberry, Consomme, Grand marnier, Mint, Oven Cured Grapes, vegan