The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”
Mary Oliver

Arugula, beets, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette

I always like to start the year with Mary Oliver and this quote has been haunting me. As I’ve reflected on 2021, one thing that is clear is that the more I healed from my whole experience with cancer, the more I felt a tremendous obligation to pour all of my energy into work. I was passionate about research before I got cancer and now that I’ve been a patient, every sample felt even more important. I gave less and less time to creative work, rest, and play. Resentment and burn out crept in.

I don’t normally have New Year’s “resolutions”, preferring silent reflection, walking the labyrinth, and setting goals. But this year, the word fits. I need to resolve to find a better work/life balance, to set better boundaries. My first step was to take a few days off to just sit in front of a fire reading, resting, recalibrating. I spent some time in my garden. I was late to the garlic planting party but it has been so weirdly warm, I think it’ll be just fine. This is the first year that I’ve used my own garlic for seed stock! I also used some leaves from our yard as a cover instead of straw.

Being out there, with my hands in the cold soil was incredibly restorative. I felt energy starting to seep back into my bones as I dreamed about what I want to grow this year, what I want to cook. I know I’m not myself when I don’t even want to be in the kitchen and cooking has just felt like a chore for several weeks. I didn’t even make anything special for the holidays.

I still have a few straggling root vegetables in the ground- turnips, carrots, watermelon radishes, rutabaga, and beets. I harvested the last of the beets to make my favorite salad. They are absolutely lovely with arugula, walnuts, goat cheese, red onions, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. My hands found their old rhythm in the garden and kitchen and the salad was satisfying to body and spirit.

Along with gardening, and cooking, there are a number of hobbies and habits that breathe life into me and help keep my energy up. I find that I have to get myself to the woods at least weekly. I also try to read at least one book per week. I move my body every day practicing yoga and doing CrossFit. Simple habits, like drinking enough water or taking a break from screens are also important. And growing in skills like photography or pen and ink drawings feed something deep inside and fend off the kind of regret about which Mary Oliver warns us. We all need creative outlets.

This is the kind of life that I encourage others to live. It’s the kind of life that pulled me through nearly 2 years of chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation. It’s the life that still calls to me. And while I am passionate about my work, I need other things in my life as well. I enter this year resolved to live a whole life.

arugula, beet, goat cheese and toasted walnuts with balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Recipe by Keri

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Ingredients

6 large handfuls of baby arugula
6 medium beets, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (I like Zingerman’s City Goat or Humboldt Fog)
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 tbsp good balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp diamond crystal salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the beets. You can accomplish this in a variety of ways. My two favorite methods are steaming and roasting. If I already have the oven on, I will wrap the beets in parchment, then aluminum foil and roast at 350 for 40 minutes. Steaming also takes about 30 minutes. I find that they are a little easier to peel when steamed. And I will often save the steaming liquid to put in smoothies. You can’t taste it, but it adds a touch more nutrients that leaked out of the beets while steaming.
While the beets are cooking, toast the walnuts. If you are roasting the beets, simply put the walnuts on a sheet tray in the oven for about 8 minutes. Otherwise, you can toast them in a skillet over medium heat. Be sure to stir often and don’t walk away. Nuts burn very fast, especially when the cook’s back is turned. Once the nuts are cool enough to handle, I just like to crush them lightly in my fist.
Allow the beets to cool enough to handle and then peel. I like to cut them into crescent shapes but you do you. While they are still warm, toss the beets with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Allow beets to marinate in mixture for about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid.
Whisk the liquid vigorously until well mixed and somewhat thickened. Toss with the arugula.
Arrange the arugula, beets, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and onions on individual plates or in a big bowl and serve.