Moscow Food Co-op

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Macro Musings
A Cook for All Seasons
by Peggy Kingery, from the June 2000 Newsletter

It would be hard for me to live in an area that didn’t experience four seasons. I hang up my wool coat when green is the predominant color on the hillsides with the same enthusiasm that I pull it out again when the first skiff of snow dusts the plants in my garden. Warm weather means I spend as much time as I can outdoors, but when those nor-easterlies blow in, I’m more inclined to huddle up by the fire with a good book.

Just as our activities change with the rising and falling thermometer, so too do our tastes and appetites—if we listen to what our body is craving. A fundamental part of the macrobiotic way of life is eating seasonal, organic, locally grown food. ("Locally-grown" doesn’t just refer to what is produced in our backyard gardens; it includes any food grown in the same environment as the one in which we live.) How many of us, year after year, find we have the sniffles every spring and fall? Our bodies flow with nature’s rhythms and need seasonal variety to keep our immune systems working efficiently, thus warding off illnesses such as colds or flu. By eating foods in season, we’re better able to adapt to changes in temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors.

Most of us tend to eat the same repertoire of food every day, relying on our "top ten" recipes rather than planning our meals around the foods that are at their peak of freshness. Modern food storage and transportation enables us to purchase foods grown in all seasons and climates year-round. Ideally, fresh produce should be eaten in the month or season in which it’s harvested. Grains, beans, and other foods that can be stored for long periods of time can be eaten any time of the year, regardless of when they were harvested. Choosing a variety of foods, especially those that help to cleanse and strengthen our internal organs, is one way to lighten the load on our immune systems and help our bodies resist illness.

Foods that cleanse and strengthen our internal organs? Centuries ago, the Chinese discovered that our internal organs respond in specific ways to seasonal changes in weather and diet. Understanding this concept, known as Go-Gyo or the five transformations, is helpful when learning how to adapt our diet to natural seasonal changes. In essence, the five transformations are cyclic changes that are generated by the interplay of yin and yang energies in our universe. These changes are known as upward energy or "tree"; active energy or "fire"; downward energy or "soil"; gathering energy or "metal"; and floating energy or "water". Generally, the more yin transformations—water, tree, and fire—are accelerated through an increase in yang factors such as a rise in temperature. In the same way, the more yang transformations—soil and metal—are produced from an increase in yin factors such as a lowering of temperature. Thus, each season of the year is associated with one of these stages: spring, summer, late summer, fall, and winter correspond to tree, fire, soil, metal, and water, respectively.

In every season of the year, particular foods stimulate ki ("vital energy") to flow through a pair of inter-related organs and strengthen them. The cycle repeats itself annually, allowing our bodies to build lifelong resistance to illness if we eat these healing foods. The organs that need nourishing at certain times of the year are: liver and gallbladder—spring; heart and small intestine—summer; stomach, spleen, and pancreas—late summer; lungs and large intestine—fall; and kidneys and bladder—winter. Not surprisingly, the grains and vegetables that cleanse and strengthen us are ones that are at their peak of freshness or can be stored for long periods of time.

In upcoming articles, I’ll talk in greater depth about which foods are most appropriate for strengthening our organs during each season of the year, beginning next month with summer. Right now we’re nearing the end of spring and anticipating all those yummy summer vegetables that inspire salads and light cooking. Spring produce—asparagus, artichokes, tender greens—are still plentiful. Take advantage of their nourishing qualities and enjoy this sweet and crunchy stir-fry for dinner.

Tempeh, Corn, and Asparagus Stir Fry

(serves 4)

Adapted from Mostly Macro, by Lisa Turner

2 tsp. unrefined oil
1 chopped onion
¼ tsp. sea salt
8 oz. cubed tempeh
2 Tbsp. shoyu
2 cup corn kernels
2 cups asparagus, sliced in 1" pieces
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. rice syrup or honey

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the onions and salt, and sauté until the onions are translucent. Stir in the tempeh and shoyu and cook until the tempeh is lightly browned, about ten minutes. Add the corn, asparagus, pepper, almonds, water, and rice syrup, stirring well to combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp tender.

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Peggy Kingery likes to spend as much time in the woods as she does in the kitchen, and welcomes questions and comments about macrobiotics at king6619@uidaho.edu.