Winter Draws on

For the last two posts, I borrowed a Beatles song and the title of a book by Charles Dickens.
Today it is very foggy and wintry. We used to say "Winter draws on" to mean that we were well on the  way with winter and also to put on our warm underwear.
In Winter, the energy is resting deep in the ground and, in Chinese philosophy, it is thought of as the season of most yin, when the energy is inward-looking. Nature sleeps and prepares, and it is time to let go of the old and to favour peace.
Outside, all is barren and still, but inside there is warmth, an opportunity to study and learn, time for leisure, culture and rest.
I have a cookery book, that is divided up according to the seasons. It says that from a nutritional point of view, in Winter, we need more calorie-rich meals to keep us warm. The most favoured ingredients are pulses, rice and grain, cabbage, leeks and root vegetables. Fish and fatty foods  help keep us warm, and dried fruits provide energy.
It says the element of this season is water, and special attention should be paid to  the basic life energies. Keep warm and well nourished, stay quiet and peaceful, and enjoy this season of still life.

One last cracker joke, that was lurking among the oranges:-

What hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A mince  spy !

There are lots of lovely recipes for soups, omelettes and pasta dishes in the Winter section of my cook book.
Here is a very quick and easy bean soup:-

serves 4
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery chopped, plus a few Leaves to garnish
2 x 410 g cans of cannelini beans
500 ml light vegetable stock
small handful of chopped parsley
croutons

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and chopped celery over a gentle heat for about 15 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
Drain the beans in a colander, rinse them under cold running water and add them to the onion mixture with the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Puree the soup with a mini primer or blender.
Add the parsley and blend again very briefly, until the parsley is speckled through the soup.
Adjust the seasoning and re-heat gently.
Serve the soup in warm bowls, swirled with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, a grinding of black pepper, the croutons and some celery Leaves, if liked.