iEat Green - Eric Holt-Gimenez, PhD. Executive Director of Food First

Eric Holt-Giménez is an agro-ecologist, political economist, lecturer and author.  In his new book, Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It? Eric takes a look at the root causes of hunger and how we can address it.

Eric has been the Executive Director of Food First since 2006. Food First is a non-profit organization that works to end the injustices that cause hunger through research, education and action.

 

Eric is the editor of Food First books, Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform Our Food Systems; and Land Justice; Re-Imagining Land, Food, and the Commons in the United States, He co-authored the book Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice with Raj Patel and Annie Shattuck; and was the author of Campesino a Campesino: Voices from Latin America’s Farmer to Farmer Movement for Sustainable Agriculture.  

 

Eric is of Basque and Puerto Rican heritage. He grew up milking cows and pitching hay in Point Reyes, CA, where he learned that putting food on the table is hard work. After studying rural education and biology at the University of Oregon and Evergreen State College, he traveled through Mexico and Central America, where he was drawn to the simple life of small-scale farmers. He returned to the States and received his Ph.D. in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz in 2002.

 

Red Lentil and Coconut Soup with Ginger and Black Rice

 (Inspired from Deborah Madison’s recipe of Red Lentil and Coconut Soup)

 

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed

2 Tbs. coconut oil

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2” piece of ginger, minced

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

2 t. turmeric

2 t. curry powder

4 t. cumin

4 t. black mustard seeds

Minced Cilantro stems from 1 bunch of cilantro

1 qt. coconut cream

8 cups water

4 t. salt

2 cups baby spinach

 

2 cups cooked black rice

4 limes

Nanami Togarashi (Japanese ground red pepper with sesame seeds)

Cilantro or parsley for Garnish

1. Rinse the lentils and cover them with cold water . Set aside. Meanwhile, in heavy pot, sauté the onions and carrots in coconut oil for 5 min.
2. Add garlic and ginger, along with the turmeric, curry powder, cumin, mustard seeds and cilantro stems. Sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Drain the lentils and add them to the pot.
4. Add the coconut cream, salt and water.
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes until lentils are soft and soup is creamy.
6. Adjust salt and spices to taste.
7. Right before serving, add the spinach leaves
8. Spoon soup into bowls, and add a spoonful of black rice in the middle.
9. Garnish with cilantro or parsley. Serve with a lime wedge on the side.