Eating with Nature

It is Tomato Season

When the tomatoes are in season and they are local the taste is completely different than in the middle of winter. They have matured in the sun and they have been left on the stem for as long as possible and you can taste the difference. The best part about eating with the season is however not only that you get more taste, you also get more nutrients.

The longer the vegetable has been in its natural environment drawing nutrients from the soil, the more nutrient dense it is. And that means more health for you. Right now I am in LA and the weather here allows for a longer growing season and better access to fresh local vegetables, but on the East Coast the seasonal eating is much more of a challenge.

When we eat with the season

Eating the plant-based foods that are local and in season also helps you feel more in balance. You can think of it like cold food feels better to eat in the summer and hot food feels better to eat in the winter. That seems logical right. So when you choose foods that are in season, the energetic balance of the food is more in tune with your energetic being. It can seem a bit esoteric but as an example. Fruit has a cooling effect on the body so we don’t naturally feel like eating much fruit in the middle of winter. We might do it anyway because we think of fruit as a healthy snack, but essentially if something does not make you feel nourished there is a good chance it will add to you feeling more imbalanced and unsatisfied, with the potential “looking for something” snack-attack waiting to happen.

Tomatoes are a night-shade vegetable

Which also means they can increase inflammation in the joints for those suffering from arthritis. They are also considered more acidic and can cause calcium leaching from the bones, so therefore not the best choices for osteoporosis. Basically I suggest to cook your tomatoes at all other times of the year, when they are not in season, to make them more alkaline.

But right now they are in season

So let’s eat them fresh and enjoy them.

Here I sliced up heirloom tomatoes and layered them with cauliflower “cous-cous” which basically means; put raw cauliflower florets in a blender and pulse till it is like cous-cous or rice consistency. Only add a few florets at a time or the blender gets stuck. Then add a dash of sea-salt, herbs, spices and pepper to your delight and taste-buds.

You can also make it in a bowl and more of  mixed salad. Here below I mixed in cucumber and fresh cilantro and some chili and sesame-seed seasoning. Add some fresh herbs and enjoy the last days of summer.

Path for Life - Photo: Torkil Stavdal

Path for Life – Photo: Torkil Stavdal