FEBRUARY

Subscriber First Name, welcome to the Art of Harvest, where we will journey together to slow down and nourish the soul, soil, and senses.

In a world that often moves too quickly, this newsletter is intended to be a place for pause—a monthly invitation to mindfully connect with the rhythms of creativity, nature, and kitchen.

STUDIO

— for the soul

Oil Painting Class

Phew - I am so glad I took the step to join this oil landscape painting class. While it’s been a humbling experience to have my work critiqued, stretching myself as an artist is exactly what I needed. Beyond the new techniques, I’ve realized the true gift is the 2.5 hours of dedicated, uninterrupted creative time. Being at home with my youngest, I rarely carve out this kind of space to create; usually, I’m limited to a few hours every few of months when the house is empty. I am beyond grateful for this room to breathe (huge thanks to my mother-in-law!), to learn from an expert, and to simply enjoy the process. I can already feel that this is a launching point for the art to come.

Poetry Reading

This past week, I stepped into new territory: my first poetry reading. Since I usually write from a raw, personal place — an ache from your chest — sharing those words with a room full of strangers was a scary prospect. But I am so glad I did. I met local poets and listened as they shared their own vulnerable pieces. With the world feeling so off-kilter and ominous lately, it was beautiful to do something that felt like the complete opposite. There is such power in coming together to connect through the intimate offering of our words on a very timely subject — hope.

GARDEN

— for the soil

Here are a few things to do this month:

• Prune, prune, prune! Now is the time to prune those fruit trees, blueberries, raspberries, or other trees around your property for maximum growth in the spring.

• Continue Garden Planning. I am still plotting out where I will put things, and it will be a continual work in progress. Also, if you have used my Garden Planning Guide, if you provide any feedback, would love to hear it! (Feel free to reply to this email).

• Sowing. It is now time to start sowing a few vegetables:

  • Beginning-mid February

    • Onions

    • Shallots

    • Leeks

    • Flowers (trying the Ziplock bag method this year - will keep you updated on how it works!)

  • Late February- Early March

    • Peppers

    • Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, mustards, pac choi, cauliflower).

    • Celery

    • Lettuce

• Start Sweet Potato Slips. Did you know that you can grow your own Sweet Potatoes on Vancouver Island? Sweet potatoes have a long growing season, so starting the slips this month ensures you will be able to grow big enough sweet potatoes. Here is my blog post on how to do just that:

** Note: Where I live, my hardiness zone is 8a - so quite mild. If you live in a lower zone (Okanagan: 6-7; Southern Alberta 4), you may a bit more time to some of these tasks. Check if sweet potatoes are possible in your zone.

KITCHEN

— for the senses

LENTIL RAGOÛT OVER CREAMY SWEET POTATO

February is a month focused on sweet potatoes not just for the garden but also in the kitchen! By using the last of the sweet potatoes in storage, we can create this quick vegetarian dish full of rich and warm flavours for this sometimes dreary month. Pairing the hearty lentils with the melt-in-your-mouth sweet potatoes creates a truly comforting and decadent meal.

INGREDIENTS

Lentils:

• 1 large shallot

• 3-4 cloves garlic

• ½ cup red wine (use a vegan wine if vegan)

• ¾ c lentils (Black Beluga or French Green)

• 2 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable)

• 5 springs of thyme

• 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce/tamari)

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp flour (make slurry with 2 tbsp of cold water)

• salt & pepper to taste

Creamed Sweet Potatoes:

• 2-3 medium to large white sweet potatoes (about 3 cups )*

• ½ cup coconut milk (or regular milk or cream)

• salt & pepper to taste

SEASONAL REFLECTIONS

Cutting Back to the Essential

While pruning our fruit trees recently, I was struck by how I may need to do some "pruning" in my own life. I have a habit of trying to squeeze in as much as I can into every day — aiming for maximum productivity in every spare second. I also am someone who loves to dream — visioning up new paintings, poems, plants, and projects (pleased with my alliteration there! Hah).

The reality is that I’ve stacked up an unreasonable number of creative ideas and projects for the year. Between finally finishing the hallway and second bathroom renovations, building new compost bins, putting up a fence, adding new chickens to our flock (and building a second hen house), and potentially even bringing home goats — which requires another shelter — my plate is overflowing. That doesn't even count my hope for a new collection of paintings, this newsletter, or the garden. Oh and yes, being a full-time stay-at-home mom.

I’m trying to fit all of this into a daily rhythm that yields about 10 hours of free time each week. Something has to give.

I need to trim back or, at the very least, prioritize what truly matters this year so those specific ventures can flourish. Like an unpruned tree, a life with too many "branches" becomes weak and floppy. The fruit stays small and crowded, and the tree produces less overall because the leaves are too thick for the pollinators to get to the blossoms. It’s time to put something on hold so I can focus on something, so it can really grow.

As you look at your own season ahead, do you feel like you are holding on to too many ‘branches’? What ones might you be able to let go, so you can direct your energy into producing the fruit that truly matters?

I don’t have all the answers regarding what I need to prune back at this moment, but I’m trusting that through time, we all can find clarity to what needs to be set an aside for our most important creative work to thrive.

Warmly,

Rachael

P.S. If you know someone who might enjoy learning how to create, grow, and eat with the seasons, please feel free to forward this email.