Kitchen Witchery
Autumn Kitchen Witchery
by Johanna Moon
As the wheel of the year turns to Samhain, and the beginning of winter, so do we turn, to the indoors, the internal. Inside our homes where it is warm and light on the long winter days, where warm fires burn and hearty foods feed us. We also go inside emotionally and mentally, turning inward to reflect on the seeds sown, the harvest and the sacrifices we made the previous year. We begin to decide which seeds we want to plant for the coming year. This is a time of hearty, healthy eating and nourishing our bodies with the foods we harvested.
For me this time of year allows me to cleanse my body, to allow for the nutrients I add to it, to refurbish the soil, so to speak. Through the use of wonderful healthy foods, and teas, elixirs and concoctions, I give my body what it needs to get me through the long winter, with health and energy. I share with you a few of my favorite recipes to help you through the long winter. These recipes are ones that I have gathered over the years, from teachers, books, and people I have met.. The roasted vegetables make a wonderful addition to any dinner table and are great with leftovers as well. The three concoctions are great to drink whenever, not just as remedies..
You can find any supplies needed for the teas at Market Spice downtown at the Pike Place Market or Dandelion Botanical Company in Ballard.
Roasted Winter Root Vegetables
- Fresh herbs on the stem: Rosemary; Thyme; Oregano
- Olive Oli – ¼ cup
- Salt and Pepper to taste
A variety of winter root vegetables:
Parsnips, yams, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, beets, onions, garlic, burdock, and any others you like. (Personally I prefer all of these, but you can mix and match as you please) – Clean and chop these into bite sized pieces – try not to peel the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, if you do you will lose much flavor
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Put all vegetables into a roasting pan and coat with olive oil.
- Keeping the herbs on the stem, spread over the top of the vegetables.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Roast for 40 minutes to an hour.
If you eat meat, this makes a great bed for roasting a chicken over. Being a vegetarian, I add portabella mushrooms to the vegetables.