Hello, Autumn

The tofu press is the best investment I’ve made in a while. It pressed the tofu for last night’s Thai curry. I grilled the pressed tofu and topped the curry with it. Magic.

It’s the first day of autumn, and as always, a strange time of year. Today, it’s a warm 85 degrees and sunny, but the light is no longer summer light, the days are getting noticeably shorter, and the maple trees are just starting to color. Over our heads, Canada geese are flying south. Even my body is changing course.

I’m not craving the big salads I wanted at the start of summer. For the past two nights, I had hot tea before bed. The house is warm, but I definitely don’t want to turn the air conditioner back on. I’m feeling a little drowsier, a little slower.

The banana trees are definitely rebounding. From the centers of the plants are new, long fronds reaching up. Last night, I pinched the old, spent leaves off the bottom of the Basjoo banana. They’re drinking a lot of water, and are getting a little nitrogen each time they’re watered. But there are many months to go before they go outside for summer, so it’s going to be a long road with lots of possible problems. This is my first time with bananas, so it’s all a learning process.

Last night’s dinner was a light, spicy, red Thai curry with grilled tofu. My best method for tofu preparation so far is to freeze it, drain it, press it, and grill it. It renders a chewy, somewhat dry, super dense tofu that’s loaded with protein.

I’m not nuts about protein intake the way many people are now. There’s protein in all food, except for pure sugar and pure carbs, so I don’t worry about getting enough. I think we’ve been whipped into a frenzy by industrial meat and dairy producers in regards to getting enough protein. I’m pretty certain most of us get enough without even trying. No need to kill animals and eat their flesh or steal their milk or eggs in order to get your protein. That’s just caveman thinking. Get over it.

We are, unbelievably, approaching the last week of September. But as long as these temperatures hold up, I’m good. My body can’t be fooled, but I can dream.

Let’s do some astral projection: it’s July, and we’re on a quiet beach in Kuta, Indonesia. We’ve gathered ripe mangoes from the trees and are drinking water from young coconuts. We just went for a swim, and are lying in the sand, with the sun warming and drying our skin. All around us are banana, papaya, mango, coconut, and citrus trees. We’re starting to doze. Life is good.

Live in peace.