The wisdom of Yoda

and a recipe for vegetable soup with toasted farro

Everyone needs their own personal Yoda.

You know the one I mean. That friend who is both wise and tough. The one who asks hard questions. They’re empathetic and kind, but boy they remind you when you have to take responsibility for your actions.

They’re courageous, not afraid of the power of their convictions, with a deep moral code that delineates right from wrong, yet seeking to understand the nuances in between. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a sense of humour. Yoda friends appreciate the absurdity of life and love nothing more than to have a deep belly laugh of joy.

Most of all, they are teachers. As Yoda said, you must pass on what you have learned. And most importantly, “You must unlearn what you have learned.”

I am very blessed to be surrounded by Yodas, and I sometimes wonder if I’ve attracted them because I have so much to learn on this journey of life. I’m more Leia Organa than Yoda – sometimes short-tempered, headstrong, stubborn, and impatient. But in the face of the generosity of my Yoda gang, I’m figuring it out, and perfecting the warrior within.

My badass Leia alter ego (photo George Pagan III)

The rules for learning

Sometimes in life our toughest opponent is ourselves. When you find your metaphorical fighter within, you can position yourself around challenges to move through life with more ease and feel more efficient at work, home and play.

Yvette Raposo, Mindset Coach

Meet Yvette Raposo. Yvette, my trainer-turned-friend, is the epitome of the Yoda mindset. Our conversations are wide-ranging, passionate and thought-provoking. And no matter how I show up for those conversations, I always leave in a different - and better - place. It’s really no surprise, as Yvette operates from a place of constantly setting the right frame for every situation. Her background as a boxer is never far away. As she says: “When you know how to transform anxiety into productivity, you can sustain your energy without burning out. In boxing, we call this ‘picking your punches’.”

In the heart of the pandemic, I was able to go even deeper with Yvette and her positive, energising outlook on life. For eight weeks, Yvette led a virtual course called Reset with Yvette. And a reset it was. Yvette explored so many concepts with us: having a learner’s mind; the power of journaling; taking a different perspective; shifting our outlook by shifting our perspectives…getting to the heart of change.

As with the best kinds of learning, the results are not always immediate or apparent. But then something twigs, and that kernel planted in the back of your mind comes to fore. making sense and making meaning.

It’s no wonder. Yvette exemplifies learning by doing. She recently won second place in Speaker Slam, the largest inspirational speaking competition in North America. I encourage you to watch her award-winning speech, in which she tells the story of how she chose a path to become a professional boxer, much to her mother’s chagrin.

Shifting bricks

If you are experimenting with change right now, remember shifting a brick: shift one brick to encourage the whole foundation to gradually move with you.

Yvette Raposo

Lots has shifted in this past year or two; sometimes we may be wondering if we’re going to simply fall over and not get back up. As Yvette says, by being more mindful, and observing the way we are shifting, evolving, we’ll move the whole foundation gradually, with purpose, meaning and joy.

Celery root vegetable chowder

from Six Seasons, Joshua McFadden

You don’t need to levitate a spaceship to make really good soup. In this weird time just before asparagus but after rhubarb, with morel mushrooms in the wings, I like to take one last fling with root vegetables before I forget how good celeriac is. This soup is another winner from Six Seasons. It’s infinitely versatile, so by all means use whatever root vegetables you have deep in the refrigerator.

To toast farro: Toasting farro is a quick and delicious way to add depth of flavour in any dish that calls for this earthy grain. To toast farro, heat a generous 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add a pinch of red chili pepper flakes and the farro. Stirring constantly, toast the farro from about three to five minutes, until the grains become deeper in colour and are quite fragrant. Set aside until ready to use.

1 small celeriac (celery root), about ¾ lb

½ lb onions, peeled and sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup farro, toasted (see head note)

Three sprigs fresh thyme

Vegetable stock, optional

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 medium turnip, diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

2 cups shredded kale

1 big handful of arugula (optional)

1. Peel the celery root, and cut away any dark fissures. Cut into chunks. Put the celery root, onions, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, several grinds of pepper and ½ cup water or vegetable stock in a pot. Cover and bring to a simmer, cooking until all the vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then puree in a blender or food processor. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic cloves and farro and sauté for a few minutes, until the garlic has changed colour but is not browned. 

3. Add the thyme, celery, carrot, turnip, potato, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened but are not brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Add just enough water or stock (or a mixture of both) to cover the vegetables by ½ inch. Adjust the heat so that you have a lively simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the kale; then finish cooking until the vegetables are all tender, another 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the celery root puree.  The finished soup should be thick but not porridge like.  If it seems too thick you can add more water. Add a few more grinds of pepper to give the soup some heat. Taste and adjust for seasonings.

5. Add the arugula if using and serve with crusty bread.