Wait a minute?! It’s the Autumn Equinox already. As much as we love Summertime and being out with our friends, going to parties & all the other outward flowing energy activities, Fall is knocking at the door. It’s bringing with it the promise of rain and cooler temperatures. Mother Nature’s rhythms tell us it’s time to start turning inside, ruminating & nourishing that inner light.

Let’s talk about cultivating a diet that can support this shift of the seasons. Fall (vata season) carries with it dry, rough, light, cold, subtle & mobile qualities. This means that to maintain a balance in our system we want to steer away from foods that also hold these same qualities.

One way we can achieve balance in the Fall is by eating foods that ground, moisten, nurture and warm the body. Sweet, sour and salty tastes are the ideal candidates for the job.

Here are some examples of foods to include in your meals:

• fresh sweet fruits like mango, coconut, berries and peaches
• fresh sour fruits like cherries, plums, green grapes, lemon and limes
• sweet veggies like corn and peas

During this time of transition, the tail end of summer harvest and the beginning of rooting into the fall, our digestive fire needs to be carefully maintained and stoked with the naturally growing bitters, the addition of spices and by decreasing food intake by 1/3.

We’ll begin to integrate the sweet, sour and salty tastes slowly, as our ecosystem leads the way. The more in alignment we can get with our ecosystem, the more abundance we’ll experience!

Moist & Nutrient-Dense Green Smoothie (Cate’s recipe)
Ingredients:

Fall Green Smoothie

• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup romaine lettuce
• 1/2 apple
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tsp ginger root
• 1 tbsp goji berry
• 3 dates
• 2 tbsp soaked almonds (overnight)
• 2-4 cups water

Directions:

Spicy Avocado Soup 

Ingredients:

Spicy Avocado Soup

• 2 cups avocado
• 1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, de-stemmed
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 1/2 tbsp celtic salt
• 3 tbsp chili spice
• 2 tbsp dried cilantro
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp cayenne
• 1 tbsp paprika

Directions:

1. Combine almonds, avocado, lime juice, tomatoes, and tomato soak water in a blender and mix on high until smooth. 
2. Add remaining ingredients except carrots and mix for an additional minute. 
3. Stir in carrots and serve immediately to take in the warmth created from blending. 

Enchiladas (green chile, lime, & cilantro sun seed pâté with raw corn tortillas) 

Green chile, lime & cilantro sun seed pâté 

Ingredients:

Enchiladas

• 1 cup soaked sunflower seeds (presoak for 4 hours)
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 3/4 tsp garlic, chopped
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, packed & chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain sunflower seeds.
2. Place all ingredients into a food processor fitted with the “s” blade. Purée into a smooth pâté.

Raw Corn Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen corn (fresh corn creates a funky texture and flavor in this recipe – make sure to use frozen corn)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seeds (not soaked)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Place mixture on a Teflex sheet on top of a mesh dehydrator screen about 1/8 inch think and dehydrate at 105 degrees.
3. After about 3 hours, or when tortillas are solid enough to turn, flip onto mesh screen and dehydrate another 1-2 hours, or until the other side is solid.

Assembly:

1. Place påté down the middle of a tortilla.
2. Feel free to add in other fresh veggies.
3. Roll up tortilla and top with salsa if you like.