sending down roots in Texas

my homecoming rangoli

This is home.

Right?

I'm back in Austin Texas, the place of my birth, after over four years in Olympia Washington followed by four months of travel in India. I'm sending down new roots here, and simultaneously missing Oly terribly.
I miss
the woods brimming with nettle and miner's lettuce and oyster mushrooms,
that family of friends,
handfuls of summer berries,
knowing so many rad farmers,
the food co-op and the dance co-op,
the gem that is the Bandha room,
house shows,
and aerial classes,
and knitting circles,
and....

After India I feel the pull of the world too. I want to go just about everywhere. To India again, back to Peru, and to Nepal, and Thailand, Greece, Zanzibar, Switzerland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil...

I love it here though too. I feel blessed to spend time with my family, and to be meeting so many creative people here: the cooks, dancers, herbalists, artists. And not to have to wonder about when I'll see the sun. And to jump in to the jewel waters of Barton Springs and then lounge in the grass on the shady hills. And to eat watermelon multiple times a day. Yes. Life is lovely here. Still, I wonder where my path will lead me next...

loquats from the backyard

wildflower walk bouquet

  

A simple breakfast to start the blog

Sourdough toast topped with sweet pea hummus, sprouts and black sesame seeds made a simple and nourishing Saturday morning breakfast. I use sweet pea hummus as a quick go to recipe when I want a dip but don't have any garbanzos ready to go. I made this batch for yesterday's dinner...

Collard wraps with sweet pea hummus and tamari tempeh + cauliflower millet mash over arugula + cumin kraut

...then ate up the leftovers on toast this morning. I love it's jewel green color and delicious tang. You can make it with fresh shelled green peas (blanch briefly) or use frozen peas (thaw them under running water). I adapted this recipe from Sarah Britton's gorgeous blog: My New Roots where she uses it as a filling for daikon roll-ups. It tastes great as a dip for veggies, and a spread on toast and crackers.

This batch features cilantro, a delicious super herb whose benefits abound. Cilantro is known to bind to toxic metals, helping to cleanse them from the body. It is a digestive aid, anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, and rich in iron and magnesium and numerous phytonutrients (magical chemical substances found in plant foods that promote fabulous health). Ladies who include cilantro in their diets may find that it eases hormonal mood swings and reduces menstrual cramping. Not everybody likes the taste of cilantro, so feel free to use parsley, basil, mint or any other fragrant green herb you have on hand in its place.

Sweet pea hummus with cilantro

• 2 cups shelled green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 Tbsp. mellow white miso
• 1 handful of fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
• lemon zest + 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• black sesame seeds to garnish

If using fresh peas, dunk them briefly in boiling water (1-2 minutes) and watch their color brighten before submerging them in cold water to halt the cooking process. You can also leave the peas raw if you like. If using frozen peas, thaw them in a colander under water.

Then, in a food processor pulse garlic to mince. Add the peas and remaining ingredients and blend on high until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

super moon prayer