A Summery Macro

The month is almost here: July... which to me means HOT. Humidity, stuffy apartments, sun, fans, sleeping with just the sheet on, and cold showers... which, for food, usually leads me to light and lovely green salads, berries, maybe a little couscous, fruit sorbet, and cucumbers. Garden-fresh tomatoes and lots of cool, crunchy, delicious cucumbers. So... lots of these foods are not on the macro-list of foods because most of them are very acidic - what is a macro to do in the hot days of July and August? Certainly I don't have to eat buckwheat!??

I went to my trusty Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook by Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko for a little guidance. Luckily, it seems that cucumbers can be enjoyed in "small volume" for their cooling properties -- as can fresh local melons and fruit salad. Some raw salads are alright, but not a large amount. Quick sauteing is a method that seems to be favored for summer, as well as lightly boiling vegetables or pressed salads. According to the Hip Chick, summer is the peak of upward energy - everything is big, open, and expanded. We slow down, people spend more time outside. Your heart and small intestine are nourished in the expansive energy of summer. We should cook over high flames in stirfries, and in high heat like roasting and grilling foods. Broad leafy greens are also important staples - such as kale, bok choy, collard greens, and chard. Use light vinaigrettes made with umeboshi vinegar, brown rice vinegar, and occasionally apple cider vinegar or lemon to bring balance to the bitter taste of those greens. And don't forget the pickles! Not only do pickles really help with digestion (they promote salivation and have important enzymes that help break down food -- especially grains), but they are cool and crunchy -- just what I crave in the heat of summer.

And a recipe for Cool Chick Pea Soup from the Changing Seasons Cookbook linked to above:
2 cups chick peas
6 c. water form cooking chick peas
1 c. whole-wheat bread cubes
1/2 c. carrot
1/2 c. cucumber
1/4 c. chives or scallions
shoyu sauce

Soak chick peas & cook - then puree cooked chick peas and cooking water. Allow to cool to room temperature. Toast the whole wheat bread cubes in a dry skillet until golden brown, or fry them in a little olive oil until golden brown. Grate the carrot, slice cucumber into matchsticks, chop chives or scallions. Place the vegetables in a small bowl and pour a few drops of shoyu over them to marinate - then let sit for a half hour or so. Place 1 tablespoon of marinated vegetables on top of a bowl of the pureed chick peas, then place toasted bread cubes in each bowl and serve at room temperature.