Monday, October 31, 2011

Rebel with a cause

The burgeoning Occupy Wall Street (and New Haven, DC, Denver, etc.) movement has pushed me to consider how (or even if) I stand up for my deepest beliefs about justice.  I have never been a team player in any sense of the phrase, so camping out with strangers and echoing their demands and avowals as part of a human microphone would not reflect my truth.  However, I express my values unapologetically on a daily basis through the choices I make.

The food I eat (and refuse), the conversations I engage in (and abstain from), the goods I purchase (and leave sitting on the shelf)...these actions (and non-actions) support compassionate, non-harmful interactions with the world.  In turn, my daily behaviors challenge, and ultimately reject, widespread ignorance about the sources of and messages conveyed by our food, entertainment, and consumer choices; an ignorance borne of fear, complacency, desire and unquestioning allegiance to tradition (yes, Thanksgiving has been on my mind a lot these days).  This is not, admittedly, always an easy or accepted way to be in our society, but I wouldn't live any other way.

As strongly as I believe in the power of small actions I also know that grander gestures on behalf of the mistreated, overlooked, and misunderstood are necessary to at least balance the deluge of money and power wielded by those the opposite end of the spectrum.  I accept that picketing outside, or lobbying against, corporations or flying off to devastated regions is not in my nature, so instead I offer a portion of my income to those who devote their lives to such necessary bravery.  These are the organizations I support on a monthly basis: Oxfam America, Farm Sanctuary, and, dearest to my heart for many reasons, PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine).  

I'll end this on a lighter note...Dinner tonight consisted of leftovers from yesterday's Cauliflower and Mushroom Pot Pie (in a Black Olive Crust- yum!) from Veganomicon (a past Christmas present from my decidedly omnivorous sister and brother-in-law-- thank you!!!):


Topped with some freshly steamed local collards and kale and enjoyed with homemade radish pickles and a glass of Italian red...The perfect way to warm up on this wintry Halloween night (although I admit that it did taste slightly better when shared with loved ones while cheering on our favorite, if often bumbling and feckless, football team!).

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Roots Remedy

Huge, sticky snowflakes are falling as I write this, yet I still managed my usual Saturday morning stroll to the local farmers' market.  The selection hasn't diminished all that much since the chill has settled in and I was happy to see plenty of the heartier greens and root vegetables.   After the wintry walk home I piled on more fleece, cranked up the heat and dug into my bounty to cook up some nishime with red onion, carrots, daikon and burdock (I mixed in some steamed baby kale for a little extra color and nourishing oomph).

This has become a favorite dish/remedy for when I'm feeling a little off.  It's very simple and adaptable; I work from the recipe in The Kind Diet, using whatever fresh vegetables I have on hand.  Here's the gist of it:

  1. Cut up 2 to 5 different types of veggies (larger chunks in colder months, smaller pieces in warmer ones).
  2. Put a small (about 1-inch) piece of kombu seaweed in the bottom of a pot.
  3. Layer the veggies in the pot with the quicker cooking ones on the bottom (e.g., red onion, daikon, carrots, burdock)
  4. Add about a 1-inch layer of water to the bottom of the pot
  5. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat some and simmer until the veggies are soft and sweet (this will depend on the exact vegetables used but usually takes at least 20 minutes)
  6. Sprinkle soy sauce or tamari over the vegetables, stir, cover and cook for at least 5 more minutes.
  7. Lift the vegetables out with a slotted spoon; discard the kombu.
  8. If there is still a layer of liquid left in the pot, you can make a gravy by dissolving some kudzu root (about 1T) in a little bit of water and adding this to the liquid in the pot.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens some (if it thickens too much just add some more water).  Pour the gravy over the nishime and enjoy!
I didn't have enough liquid to make the gravy today, but here's a photo from a dinner of nishime (with gravy) and baked tofu over greens and grains (probably millet and quinoa or barley and brown rice, my two favorite combinations):

That wine reminds me...I stumbled across a new (to me, that is) organic wine last weekend:

The label also states that it was made without using any animal products-- hurrah!  Nice to have an alternative to the wines from Orleans Hill.   I'll certainly be enjoying a substantial glass later, but for now I'm off to brew yet another cup of tea for a much-needed infusion of warmth...