
The Cross & Cleaver. Where Heaven Meets Earth
Liturgical Seasons and Soup of the Day
Many restaurants observe the commendable custom of serving local and seasonal fare. Well, most good ones do anyway. Some will do so in quite a flashy sort of way, like topping prime Alberta beef with gold leaf and caviar. Others will be humble and simple about the whole thing, like sauté chanterelles from Northern Saskatchewan in just a knob of artisan butter.
The same happens at some churches. At least the ones that are aware of the history and tradition that made them possible. They follow what is called a liturgical calendar, whereby they observe the seasons of the church year. Again, some do so with all the fanfare, with all the “smells and bells” they can muster. While others will do just fine with the lighting of a single candle.
In such a restaurant, the menu speaks to the rhythm of the earth and tells the tale of the hands and work that brought the food to the table. It can become quite a personal and intimate experience. It is as if we were reclaiming, or stepping back into times when we knew out of whose grain the bread is made, which farm the cream comes from and who cut our steaks. Michel Pollan, in his book “Omnivore’s Dilemma—A Natural History of Four Meals” pointedly describes the loss of such relationships with people and food.
In such a church, the entire content of worship speaks to the ever-unfolding Christian story, re-enacted and re-told every time a community gathers. Through readings, prayers, sermons and hymns we are reminded of where our values come from. With our hopes and fears, we locate ourselves within our story to give meaning to our lives. Then we hope for a better tomorrow.
By participating in a meal or in a worship at places like that, you step into a story larger than your life, a story that goes far beyond satisfying the immediate hunger or need for instant answers. Your life becomes connected and intertwined with the lives of those you share that experience with and the lives of those who made that experience possible.
Within the Christian calendar, we are in a season of Epiphany, with the upcoming Sunday being the Baptism of Jesus. So quite likely, some aspects of baptism will be the main theme for the gathered community. And at this time of the year, in a restaurant on the corner, roasted butternut squash soup with extra veg might as well be the soup of the day.
So how about that? You will need…
-4 cups of cubed butternut squash
-2 cups of cubed carrots
-1 cup of cubed parsnip
-1 large onion roughly chopped
-5 garlic cloves
Arrange all the above in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 400°F for approx. 30 min.
Once roasted, put everything into a heavy-bottomed pot, add 1½ cups of vegetable or chicken broth and 1 cup of coconut milk (or cream for extra richness). Season to your liking with salt, pepper and cayenne (or your choice of heat) and blitz with an immersion blender until silky smooth.
Serve hot with croutons, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, crumble some goes cheese or drizzle with basil-flavoured olive oil. Enjoy!