iEat Green - Kathy Lawrence - Interim Director of NESAWG

Kathy Lawrence lives in Newburgh, New York, and wears a number of hats including Interim Director of NESAWG while Tracy is on leave, advisor to the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center out of George Washington University regarding the Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use standard, and Airbnb superhost. Kathy was co-founder and senior director for School Food Focus, a national collaborative that leveraged the procurement power of large urban school districts to make school meals healthier and strengthen regional food production. A national consultant and educator on sustainable ag and food systems, she was executive director of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and founding director of Just Food (NY).

 

Turkish Vegetarian Meatballs

 

Makes 60 balls

 

For Veggie Balls

2 cups cooked lentils

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 Tbs minced garlic

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

8 oz mushrooms, chopped

2 Tbs tamari

2 t. salt

1 t pepper

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, plus 2 Tbs.

1 sweet potato

3 Tbs chick pea flour

 

3 cups cooked millet (I cup uncooked)

3/4 cup Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

3 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2  tsp. ground allspice

¼ t. cayenne pepper

 

For the Sauce

2 Tbs. olive oil  

4 onions halved lengthways, cut in half crossways, and sliced with the grain

4 Tbs. pine nuts

2 tsp. cinnamon

2- 14oz. can chopped tomatoes

3 tsp. sugar (I use less)

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions in Olive oil until translucent.  Add carrots, celery and chopped garlic, and cook for 5 more minutes.. Add peppers and mushrooms, and continue cooking until soft. Add tamari, and spices. Cook for 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, steam sweet potato until soft. Remove veggies from pan and transfer to food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped. Pulse the sweet potato.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed vegetables, sweet potato, lentils, millet , chick pea flour and parsley, In a small bowl, mix the GF Bread crumbs with the 2 Tbs. parsley. Form into balls and coat with GF Bread Crumbs. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375’ for 20 minutes, turn over and bake another 10 minutes.

 

To make the sauce heat the oil in a heavy pan and sauté the onions till they are golden brown.  Stir in the pine nuts and cook till they begin to color, then add the cinnamon, cook a minute, then add the tomatoes and sugar. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 20 min. until reduced and is thickened.  Season with salt and pepper

 

*Balls can be made ahead of time and kept in freezer.