iEat Green - An Interview with Wes Jackson, Founder of The Land Institute - 06/19/14

My guest is Wes Jackson, founder and president of The Land Institute. The Land Institute is a research facility, working to develop an agricultural system with the ecological stability of the prairie and a grain yield comparable to that from annual crops. Sounds difficult, I know, but using Wes’s knowledge and background in both botany and genetics, The Land Institute has been working hard to develop their Natural Systems Agriculture, which uses nature as a model to replicate a sustainable production of food. This means growing perennial grains instead of annual grains, which creates an ecosystem that reflects the resiliency and productivity of prairies. Natural Systems Agriculture would put an end to soil erosion and the need for chemical inputs, would restore the health of the soil, curtailing carbon emissions and creating greater food security. Please join me this Thursday, as Wes explains how this new agricultural system works, and how it could be the answer to growing enough food for all the people on the planet, while restoring the soil to its natural healthy state.

Coconut Crusted Tofu with Mango Curry

Pre-heat oven to 375*

1 cake extra firm organic tofu, sliced in 12 slices

3 cups organic shredded coconut

¼ t. cardamom

¼ cup rice milk or almond milk (optional)

Coconut oil

1 Tbs. Red Curry Paste

1 can coconut milk

1 onion, chopped

½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped

2 T. peppers (jalapeno, serano)

2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro for garnish

2 mangos, peeled and chopped

1 Tbs. sugar - optional

Lay out tofu slices on a dry towel, cover with another towel, and press lightly to dry.

Combine coconut and ¼ t. cardamom in a shallow dish. Dip tofu in rice milk and then in coconut mixture. Bread both sides of the tofu with mixture.

Fry ½ of tofu cutlets in 1Tbs. of coconut oil until golden brown on both sides (add more coconut oil if needed). Repeat with remaining half of tofu cutlets.  Remove from pan and lay out on paper towel to absorb oil.

In food processor, blend 1 mango with coconut milk and curry paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté onion in coconut oil. Add cucumbers and peppers, then add coconut mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining mango, 1 Tbs. cilantro, and juice of 1 lime. Taste and add more salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs. sugar (if desired).

Pour curry over tofu cutlets on platter and serve. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.