September is the transitional month between summer and fall. We can still enjoy warm days but the evenings are getting cooler, the days are shorter and it’s time to go back to school. The equinox is on September 22 of this year. As we move into autumn it’s good to take the time to reflect on the qualities of the season.

Autumn is the harvest and a time to gather-together that which we will need to sustain ourselves through the winter. We gather fuel, food and warmer clothing. There’s a natural tendency to become more focused towards studies, work and home life. In nature and in our bodies, autumn is the time of letting go, pulling inwards and preparing to be still.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine autumn is the season associated with the element of metal, the color white and lung/ large intestine meridian. The lungs transport oxygen from the atmosphere to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide from the bloodstream to the atmosphere. The large intestine is the last part of the alimentary canal and it’s function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter and then pass useless waste material from the body. The lungs and large intestine are both organs of elimination, allowing the body to let go of waste and toxicity. In TCM the metal element is associated with the emotion of grief and the ability to let go (of grief and the cause of grief).

Autumn is the transitional time between summer; the season of abundance, extroversion, and fullness, to winter; the season of simplicity, inwardness and silence. In this season it’s a good time to reflect on what you have gained and experienced in the previous, warmer seasons and to assess what you would like to work on in the coming period of introversion. Autumn is the time to stock up and come back to the basics. Make sure that you are eating a healthy and nourishing diet that will keep you warm and give you energy to focus mentally. It is important through the colder months to exercise and keep the body moving and breathing deeply. Moving mindfulness practices like yoga and martial arts are great forms of exercise and encourage inward reflection and awareness as well as strength and flexibility.

Try not to be sad about the changing of the seasons. Though we may long for endless warmth (or at least I do), it’s important to appreciate and harmonize with the energy of each season and to take advantage of the qualities each one offers.

Happy autumn!

From FTY Autumn Newsletter a variation on a recipe from “Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison’s Kitchen”.

Smoky Tomato Bisque

Serves 4
Preparation time 45 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, slivered
1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika (more to taste)
4 pounds of ripe Beefsteak tomatoes, cut into chunks
4 slices of bread, torn into pieces
4 slices of bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cream (vegans use coconut milk)

olive oil for frying
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped, fresh parsley for garnish

Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot, add onion and cook for 2 minutes, add garlic and cook for one minute more. Then add the paprika, tomato, torn pieces of bread, basil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until the tomato has broken down.

Pass the soup through a food mill if you have one or stir through a fine sieve, pressing the juices out and removing the pulp. Return the soup to the stove, taste for salt, add more paprika one pinch at a time if you want more smokiness, and season with fresh pepper.

Stir in the cream.

Toss the cubes of bread with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Crisp the croutons on the oven at 350F until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add the croutons to the soup and serve with a pinch of fresh parsley.

Ooh Basil! I’m still going strong with “l’herb royal“ and concocted a whole basil mezze platter. Basil- quinoa bread (wheat free… I used oat flour which is fine for people with wheat sensitivities but not fine for those who are truly gluten intolerant…), Fresh herb charmoula, olive tapenade (both with basil of course) and a little onion confit.

The bread is slightly sweet with a great texture and just a sweet lingering taste of basil. If you really want to bring in the herb’s flavour serve it with a bit of basil infused olive oil on the side. Bon Ap!

Basil Zucchini Bread

**Optional** You might try including toasted nuts or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all wet ingredients together including zucchini. Whisk together dry ingredients.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing thoroughly. Pour batter into a greased 9x4x3 inch loaf baking pan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

**Substitutions**
To make this recipe vegan try replacing the eggs with 3/4 cup applesauce or 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin plus 1/4 cup water. Replace raw honey with Grade A Maple Syrup

For a gluten free option I recommend either Bob’s Redmill Gluten-free baking mix or equal parts rice and sorghum flour… Remember that for gluten-free baking you will need to add binder. You can add xanthan gum at about 1/8-1/4 teaspoon per cup of gluten-free flour (follow producer’s directions) and you may find that the recipe is better with slightly more liquid. To reduce dryness and grittiness in gluten-free baking try substituting coconut milk for water.

Recipes makes one 9×4 inch loaf or about 10 slices.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a tender, low-growing culinary herb that is a member of the mint family. Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.

Basil has often been called the “King of herbs” or “l’herbe royal” by many cookbook authors and has a taste reminiscent of its cousin mint, but with notes of anise, cinnamon, clove and lemon. Basil is a pungent, warming herb that helps in restoring balance to the organs of the body, especially complaints related to the stomach or the lungs. Basil is used to treat mild depression, headaches and menstrual pain. It helps to calm anxious nerves, aids digestion and is used to treat fevers, constipation, nausea, insomnia, fatigue and the flu. It is effective against bacterial infections and intestinal parasites and apparently can be quite effective as a mosquito repellent when planted around windows and doors. Basil seeds have an opposite thermal affect than the leaves, and when soaked in water the seeds become a gelatinous, cooling beverage.

Basil is best used fresh as it loses most of its taste when dried or kept too long in the refrigerator. Typically basil is added to a cooked dish at the last minute to maintain its flavor and fragrance as heat will also quickly cause the herb to lose its flavor. Basil is best grown outdoors in hot weather with lots of sun. In northern, colder climates the herb will grow as an annual during the warmer months. As with most herbs, basil can be grown inside as a potted herb and should be placed on a windowsill, preferably sun-facing.

"Basil Pesto"

Prominently featured in Italian cuisine, basil is also an important ingredient in the Southeast Asian cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. There are over 50 different varieties of basil, which are usually green, but sometimes purple. Sweet Basil is the herb commonly used in Italian food, Thai Basil and Lemon Basil are used more in Southeast Asian cooking and Tulsi or Holy Basil is widely recognized as a medicinal or healing plant that is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat ailments such as common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning, and malaria.

Tulsi Basil also has an important role within the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Tulsi (Sanskrit for “the incomparable one”,) is often regarded as a consort of Vishnu and devotees perform worship involving Tulsi plants or leaves. Tulsi (Holy) Basil also has religious significance in the Orthodox Churches of Greece, Serbia, Macedonia and Romania, where it is used to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often placed below church altars. Holy Basil is said to have been found around Christ’s tomb after his resurrection. In Europe, basil is placed in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed that it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.

"Tulsi being decorated for an Indian Ceremony"

“O God, grant us a deeper sense of fellowship with all living this, our little brothers and sisters to whom in common with us you have given this earth as home. We recall with regret that in the past we have acted high-handedly and cruelly in exercising our domain over them. Thus, the voice of the earth which should have risen to you in song has turned into a groan of travail. May we realize that all these creatures also live for themselves and for you – not for us alone. They too love the goodness of life, as we do, and serve you better in their way than we do in ours. Amen. “ -Saint Basil of Caesarea, Bishop, Doctor

Dear FTY fans (and future fans),

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Renée