Interview with Megan Kimble - 07.16.15

Megan Kimble is a food writer living in Tucson, Arizona, where she works as the managing editor of Edible Baja Arizona, a local-foods magazine serving Tucson and the borderlands. She is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and serves on the leadership council of the Pima County Food Alliance. She earned her MFA from the University of Arizona and works with the university's Southwest Center to promote food access and justice.

Her new book, Unprocessed, is a memoir of her experience of going an entire year without eating processed foods. In January of 2012, Megan Kimble decided she wanted to know where her food came from, how it was made, and what it did to her body: so she took a moratorium of eating processed foods, and started exploring the world of REAL food, by milling her own wheat, extracting salt from the sea, trying her hand in milking a goat, and she even slaughtered a sheep! However, Megan also discovered that Processed Foods went far deeper than just snacks and soda, it was the entire American food system of cheap foods, the globalization of produce and the raising of animals in factory farms, and of course, it was also tied to one’s socio economic reality, to gender, politics and money.

Pecan, Coconut and Corn Encrusted Tofu with Coconut Curry

Pre-heat oven to 400*

For Tofu Coating 1 cake extra firm organic tofu, sliced ¼” 1 cup organic shredded coconut 1 cup ground organic corn flakes 1 cup Pecans ½ t. cardamom ½ t. turmeric ½ t. salt 1 egg, beaten For Curry 2 Tbs. Coconut Oil 1 Onion, slivers 5 Carrots, cut into angle chunks 1 broccoli, cut into flowerets

1 can coconut milk 1 cup greens, chopped 2 Tbs. grated ginger 1 Tbs. chopped garlic 1 t. cumin 1 t. dried coriander ¼ t. ground cloves ¼ t. nutmeg 1/8 t. cayenne 1 t. turmeric 1 t. salt 1-2 Tbs chopped cilantro toasted almonds for garnish 1 TB chopped cilantro for garnish

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

Combine pecans, coconut, and corn flakes and pulse in a food processor until the consistency of course bread crumbs. Add cardamom, turmeric and salt. Using 2 pie plates, put ½ of crumb mixture in one pie plate, and the beaten egg in the other. Dip tofu in egg (or rice milk for vegans) and then in crumb mixture. Bread all four sides of the tofu with mixture.

Lay tofu cubes out on a cookie sheet covered with oiled parchment paper. Spray the top of tofu cubes with olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turn and bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown on all sides.

Meanwhile, cover bottom of wok with coconut oil. When hot, sauté onions on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Then, add ginger, garlic and spices and cook for another 5 minutes until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes, then add the greens and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the coconut milk. Add more spice if desired.

Place Coconut Curry Vegetables on Platter and top with Crispy Encrusted Tofu. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and almonds.