The kitchen as the heart of the house.
You’re likely to find me in this part of the house: the kitchen.
Historically, the kitchen has always been the heart of any house. It’s where the magic happens. From warm aga stoves with long simmering stews, bowls of fresh fruit and crockpots, to cups of tea, memories and family stories. There’s pots and pans, odds and sods and cluttered little corners just as a kitchen is supposed to be. Today, in many houses it’s an open showroom, with glorious counter space but nothing on display. Cupboards filled with rustling packets of food and ingredients that the majority of us (and our bodies!) don’t know or recognise. And the art of cooking might go lost. Everything is about convenience. Every minute of our day is filled. The pace is fast. And you are struggling to keep up. The world in which we live is not supportive of health.
For me, like many others, the road to a more healthy and a more sustainable way of living, started in the kitchen. It’s a natural, innate intuition that we follow. Because the truth is, we all know with our minds that we have the ability to build ourselves from the food we eat. However, food is so much more than nutrition. It’s connection, it’s intention, it’s mindfulness, and it nourishes many more aspects that are lacking in today’s world. It’s a wonderful place to start.
Here’s 5 ways to reconnect with your food, the planet, and your community:
Grow your own food: think herb pots on windowsills, a tea garden, or a small veggie patch.
Make your own sauerkraut: cabbage seems to be one of the few vegetables you can buy in large amounts without breaking the bank, and support your gut microbiome at the same time! A fermentation crock makes a wonderful gift!
Forage wild foods: walk in nature and remind yourself of the original ‘grocery store’, learn to identify wild herbs and plants. Here in NZ many things like plantain, dandelion and yellow dock are considered weeds, when actually they are very nutrient rich and wonderful plants to include in the diet. Many people have kawakawa, kokihi (New Zealand spinach), koromiko, and nasturtium growing right outside in their garden.
Support local farmers and growers, visit the weekly farmers market.
Make the family meal a ritual: rekindle the ceremony of cooking and eating together as a family. Turn off electric devices, talk, laugh and express gratitude.