I’m not in the business of telling people what to eat. As I wrote in Grub, “We all have specific body constitutions, cultural foodways, and personal tastes that determine which foods work for us. No single way of eating is perfect for everyone. In fact, because our bodies are so dynamic, no single diet is perfect for any one throughout her or his life.” I do, however, think it is important to inform people of the full range of food options since most of us aren’t aware of them.
That being said, I want to tell some and remind others that most of the turkeys sold for Harvest Celebration (née Thanksgiving) are raised inhumanely. The video above shows some of the f****d up conditions at one of the world’s leading poultry breeding companies. So if you choose to eat turkey next week, I encourage you to buy yours from small farms that raise and slaughter their birds humanely. Visit local harvest to learn about sourcing heritage, pastured, and/or organic turkeys raised on family farms across the USA.
You might have noticed that harvest celebration née Thanksgiving is next week. If you have not started planning and shopping for your gathering, look on the bright side. You still have plenty of time! I hope that this menu will help guide your sustainable celebration. I offer a recipe for a Spicy Citrus-Herb Harvest Turkey that will blow your guests away. (Trust me.) I also recommend several sides to complement the bird to ensure that vegetarians aren’t stuck with rolls and salad.
On the menu:
Mac 4 Cheese (with Leeks)
Fresh Apple-Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Yam Purée with Coconut Milk
Citrus Collards with Raisins
Brussels Sprouts with White Wine and Thyme
Quinoa-Quinoa Cornbread
And what harvest celebration would be complete without Agave-Sweetened Orange-Orange Pekoe Tea to get things started and Chocolate Pecan Pudding Pie for dessert? Get the recipes here.
peep a new article on culinate that explores different ways of preparing and enjoying the ultimate meal for ballers on a budget–rice and beans. the piece features one of my favorite recipes from Vegan Soul Kitchen (VSK): Creole Hoppin’ Jean |jôn|.
on wednesday i gave the keynote address for the South Carolina Librarians Association Conference (”Going Green in Greenville”) in Greenvile, SC. in my talk i, offered suggestions for shifting organizational polices in libraries in order to raise awareness and activity around the movement towards creating a more healthy, just, and sustainable food system. afterwards, i signed copies of Grub.
i intend to compose and publish an essay inspired by my talk that day. In the meantime, i will share a few of the gems i dropped:
Libraries could serve as CSA sites. Because libraries already serve as community gathering spaces, local libraries would lend themselves nicely to being a neighborhood CSA pick-up site.
As a part of the children’s story hour, there could be a weekly seasonal tasting of a fruit or vegetable. This tasting could be pulled from the CSA box, families could bring sliced fruits or veggies with them to the story hour, and local farmers’ market and/or grocery stores could donate food to this hour.
A small vegetable/herb garden could be created on or near libraries and be used as an educational resource and a model for the community. The garden could be incorporated into the programming for children and adults at the library, helping to give more exposure to the process of growing fresh produce.
more to come. . .
big up to Shayna Marmar for research assistance for my presentation.
this photograph was taken a few weeks ago when i was in NYC filming for What’s On Your Plate? we had just finished shooting a dinner party that will close out the film, and i was exhausted (that’s why my eyes are so puffy. for real). i was elated, however, to be surrounded by my four closest comrades: ludie minaya, elizabeth johnson, and latham thomas (the b-healthy! quintet) and anna lappé (grub twins activate!).
true story: the b-healthy! quintet all wore green shirts without any coordination (mastermind alliance).
if you’re in NYC on Thursday, November 13th, check out an art opening–Appetizing Arts: An Exploration of Food as Fuel for Artistic Expression–that ludie and elizabeth put together.
Eco chef Bryant Terry will be releasing the first “mix cookbook” in anticipation of his forthcoming book Vegan Soul Kitchen (VSK) (Da Capo/Perseus: March 2, 2009). getcha grub on: the mix cookbook is a free downloadable (PDF) compilation of Terry’s recipes that have been published in magazines and on websites from 2006 until 2008. The book will also include several recipes from some of his chef friends.
Sign up hereto receive an email when getcha grub on: the mix cookbook is available for download in early 2009.
