The Golden Flame: Saffron, Yellow Tomato & the Inner Sun
- Aug 16
- 4 min read
A Note on Eating Yellow
This week we're stepping into the Solar Plexus Chakra with golden yellow foods. Saffron, yellow tomatoes, bananas, and golden plums bring warmth and personal fire to the table. The Solar Plexus (Manipura) is the seat of confidence, willpower, and inner strength — and what better way to stoke that flame than with the world's most precious golden spice? Here are this week's recipes:
Lunch: Yellow Tomato, Saffron & Butter Bean Stew
Treat: Golden Plum, Lemon & Hazelnut Crumble
Download This Week's Resources
Download this week's Recipe Card (PDF) and Shopping List (PDF) to take with you to the kitchen or the shops.
Where to Meditate
The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) is the centre of personal power, confidence, and transformation. Its element is Fire, its colour is yellow, and its seed mantra is Ram. Lorna's Sunday morning chakra workshops are a beautiful starting point for each week's meditation practice — find her at https://www.instagram.com/lorna.mckey Edinburgh has 92 Hazel trees in council care, scattered across the city from Inverleith to Portobello. The Hazel (Coll) is our Ogham tree this month, running from August 5 to September 1. You'll find clusters near the Botanic Gardens in Inverleith, along the Meadows, and at Hailes Quarry Park.
Tap any pin to get Google Maps directions. Open the interactive street map →
The Hazel (Coll)
In the Celtic Ogham calendar, the Hazel month runs from August 5 to September 1. The Gaelic name is Coll, and its Ogham is the fifth letter, a single stroke to the right of the stem line. The Hazel is the tree of wisdom — in Celtic mythology, the Salmon of Knowledge gained its wisdom by eating hazelnuts that fell into the Pool of Segais. The phrase 'in a nutshell' comes from this tradition, the idea that a hazelnut contains all the wisdom of the world. Hazel trees are plentiful in Edinburgh's parks and along its hedgerows this month, their nuts just beginning to ripen in their leafy cups.
A Picnic Table in Yellow
Pack a picnic this week and let yellow do the talking. Think banana chia pudding in small jars, a thermos of warm yellow tomato and saffron stew, golden plums stacked on a board, and a bottle of linden liqueur to finish. Find a spot under a hazel tree in the park, and let the late summer sun do the rest.
Breakfast: Banana Chia Pudding
Only three ingredients — plant milk, chia seeds, and a ripe banana — but the result is a creamy, golden pudding that's perfect for a slow morning. Mash the banana, whisk with chia seeds and your favourite plant milk, and leave to thicken overnight. Add a drizzle of maple or a pinch of cinnamon if you like it sweeter. Recipe from tinandthyme.uk.
Lunch: Yellow Tomato, Saffron & Butter Bean Stew
Yellow tomatoes and yellow peppers simmered with garlic, saffron threads, and butter beans until rich and glossy. A squeeze of lemon and torn basil lift it, and a scattering of toasted hazelnuts gives a nod to our Ogham tree, the Hazel. A bowl of golden comfort that's equally good warm or at room temperature.
Dinner: Creamy Saffron Chicken
Bone-in chicken thighs braised with baby potatoes, rainbow carrots, and leeks in a creamy saffron and mascarpone sauce. White wine, thyme, and garlic add depth, and a lemony cilantro dressing cuts through the richness. A hug in food form, and the saffron stains everything golden. Recipe from themediterraneandish.com.
Treat: Golden Plum, Lemon & Hazelnut Crumble
Late-summer plums tossed with lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon, then topped with a buttery crumble of oats, ground hazelnuts, and demerara sugar. The hazelnut topping ties directly to our Ogham tree, the Hazel. Serve warm with custard or cream.
This Week's Brew: Linden Liqueur
Fresh linden blossoms steeped in good quality vodka for two to four weeks, then sweetened with a light sugar syrup. The result is a golden, floral liqueur that captures the height of summer in a glass. Serve chilled, on its own or over ice. Recipe inspired by Jim Drohman's linden flower liqueur.
What the Land is Offering Right Now
Late August in Scotland is a time of abundance. Blackberries are darkening on the brambles along every hedgerow. Hazelnuts are fattening in their leafy cups, not yet ripe but promising. Plums are falling from orchard trees, their skins turning from green to gold. Wild apples are starting to drop, and elderberries hang in heavy purple clusters. The land is offering its last great burst before autumn — gather what you can, and give thanks.
Medicinal Herbs in Bloom
St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is in full bloom this month, its bright yellow star-shaped flowers dotted with tiny black glands that stain fingers red when rubbed. Named for St John's Day (Midsummer), it has long been associated with the sun — and with the Solar Plexus chakra, the seat of personal power and inner fire. Traditionally used to support mood and ease nervous tension, St John's Wort is best known as a gentle remedy for low spirits. The flowers can be steeped in oil to create a deep red-infused oil used externally for nerve pain, burns, and wound healing.
This is a herb that asks for respect, though — St John's Wort interacts with several medications, including antidepressants and the contraceptive pill, so always check with a qualified herbalist before using it internally. Externally, the infused oil is gentler and widely used in first-aid salves. If you're foraging, look for the two tiny ridges on the stem and the translucent dots held up to the light — these 'perforations' give the plant its Latin name and distinguish it from other Hypericum species.
Cook in Colour - Series 2
Cook in Colour is a 7-week series exploring the chakras through colour-coded nutrition, paired with the Celtic Ogham tree calendar. One chakra per week, matched to whatever Ogham tree month is active. Recipes selected each week by Sharon for thenofussgourmet.com. Next week: Heart Chakra — Green foods.
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