iEat Green with Bhavani

iEatGreen - An Interview with Ryan Kushner & Lauren Wood of Hero Hatchery - 03/20/14

This week my guests are Ryan Kushner and Lauren Wood, the Founder and Fellow from Hero Hatchery.  The Hero Hatchery is creating a new model to attack the threat of Climate Change, one hero at a time. Their mission is to find, fund and train, a person working for Climate Change, and then to set them out into the most vulnerable communities, where their knowledge and expertise can really make a difference. Please join me this week, to learn more about this unique, community funded, creative and dynamic organization.

Hearty Lentil Curry Soup

 

2 onions, chopped                                                     ½ t. red pepper flakes

3 carrots, chopped                                                     1 t. cumin

3 potatoes, cubed                                                       1 Tbs. salt

1 Japanese eggplant, cubed                                        1 Tbs. curry powder

1 Tbs minced garlic                                                   2 bay leaves   

3 Tbs olive oil                                                           1 t. cumin                  

1-1/2  cup red lentils, rinsed                                      ½ t. pepper

1 can organic fire-roasted tomatoes                           ¼ cup chopped cilantro        

10 cups boiling water                                                Juice of  ½ lemon      

4 cups broccoli florets                                               ¼ cup chopped parsley

                 

In large pot, sauté onions and carrots in olive oil for 5 min. Add garlic and potatoes, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the cumin, curry, salt, and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the boiling water, lentils, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are soft.  Add the broccoli, cilantro and parsley, and cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice right before serving.

Serve with additional lemon wedge.

iEat Green - Interview with Benzi Ronen, Founder of Farmigo - 03/13/14

I interview Benzi Ronan,  the founder of Farmigo, an organization that is merging the concepts of a local farmers market, a coop, and a CSA. Each week, you pre-order the vegetables, cheeses and meats you want, and then pick them up on a particular day, at a central site in your neighborhood.. All of the items available are locally sourced and many of them are organic. It is a great concept, and it is making the idea of a cooperative shopping experience a reality for many more people. Please join me to learn more about this new, young company, and find out how they are changing the landscape of how and where we shop.

iEatGreen - An Interview with Lisa Suriano, Founder and CEO of Veggiecation - 03/06/14

My guest this week on the Progressive Radio Network is is Lisa Suriano, the founder and CEO of Veggiecation. The Veggiecation® Program is a culinary-nutrition education program that introduces children to the wonderfully delicious and nutritious world of vegetables. It does this by incorporating unique and kid-friendly vegetable preparations into fun activities and exciting experiences. They encourage kids to expand their horizons while simultaneously improving their nutritional status and empowering them with knowledge.

iEat Green - 02/27/14

My guest this week is Margaret Brown, NRDC’s (Natural Resource Defense Council) first Food Law fellow. She has been working to build a better food system in the New York region—specifically using legal tools and policy reforms to help sustainable farmers, encourage the development of key regional infrastructure, and leverage the power of large institutional purchasers for regional and sustainable food. Margaret also has a personal connection to farming—growing up on her family’s dairy farm in Maryland and working on an organic farm in Maine. 

iEat Green - 02/20/14

This week, my guest is one of the founders of a great non profit organization called hOurworld. hOurworld provides software and training to teach communities how to start a service exchange in their area. The premise is neighbor helping neighbor, where all service is considered equal and no money exchanges hands. I would love to see a program like this getting started in New York or on Long Island.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Serves 8-10 people

6 tbsp olive oil
2 large onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch fresh ginger, minced (or 1 tsp ground)
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
salt
2 Tbs. harissa paste (1/2 c. olive oil, ½ t. cayenne, 1 TB cumin, 2 TB tomato paste, ¼ c. lime. ½ t salt)
3 cans diced tomatoes
2 lemon, juice and zest
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 parsnips, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 broccoli, cut into florets
1 pk mushrooms, quartered
1 bunch kale, chopped
½ celeriac, cut into bite size cubes
4 baby blue potatoes, cubed
1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 yellow squash, cut into 2-inch pieces
20 dried apricots, diced
1 cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans, pre boiled
½ cup currants
½ cup pine nuts

If you have a large enough clay pot or Tagine, that is great! If not, you can cook it in a wok or frying pan in rounds, and transfer it to a large roasting pan, covered with tin foil, and roast it in the oven. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes until it softens. Then add the carrots, parsnips, celeriac, sweet potatoes, garlic, ginger and other spices. Cook until the root vegetables start to soften. Add 1 Tbs of the harissa, 1 can tomatoes, lemon juice and fresh cilantro. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer to a roasting pan. Add more oil to the sauté pan, and add the pumpkin and potatoes. When they start to get soft, add the remaining vegetables, harissa sauce, tomatoes, chick peas, currants and apricots. Again, bring the mixture to a boil, and then add to the other vegetables in the roasting pan. Mix all of the vegetables together. Add the pine nuts. Tent the roasting pan with aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring carefully once or twice, and then re-tenting it. Serve with quinoa pilaf or couscous, and fresh mint.

iEat Green - 02/13/14

This week, I have invited back, Dr. Richard Oppenlander, author of the award winning book,Comfortably Unaware, to talk about his new book, Food Choice and Sustainability: Why buying local, Eating Less Meat, and Baby Steps, Won’t Work. In his new book, Dr. Oppenlander outlines the devastation that animal and dairy production is having on our planet, and shows us how a plant based diet can change that, and help save our planet, and our health at the same time. Please join me for what promises to be a thought provoking discussion and conversation.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Creamed Spinach and Roasted Asparagus

8 servings

Marinade for mushrooms
½ cup olive oil 1 Tbs Tamari
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar 1 t. minced garlic

Stuffed Mushrooms
8-10 large Portobello Mushrooms
1 lbs spinach
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 t. minced garlic
1 bunch asparagus
½ teaspoon salt
¼ t. nutmeg
½ cup coconut milk

½ red pepper, sliced into strips
½ yellow pepper, sliced into strips

Procedure
1. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, tamari and garlic. Place mushrooms in 2 large zip lock bags, and divide the marinade between the two. Let marinate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the onions in heavy sauté pan until translucent. Add the garlic and spinach and continue cooking until soft.
3. Puree the spinach with the coconut milk, salt and nutmeg.
4. Toss the asparagus with olive oil and salt and roast in 350* for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the mushrooms from marinade. Grill for 5 minutes on each side
6. Grill the strips of peppers.
7. Assemble the mushrooms. Fill each mushroom with creamed spinach, top with asparagus and then peppers.

iEat Green - 02/06/14

This week, on The Progressive Radio Network , I am happy to welcome on as my guest, Will Allen, the Founder and CEO of Growing Power, a non-profit urban farm and teaching center in the heart of Milwaukee. Mr. Allen is a food advocate, believing that access to healthy food is a right for all people, regardless of one’s economic circumstance. Will Allen was our keynote speaker at the 2011 Long Island Small Farm Summit, and he has inspired thousands of people to grow food, to compost, and to eat well. Mr. Allen was the first to introduce the concept of aquaponics to me, and he has over 100 hoop houses raising fish and fertilizing plants in a closed circuit system. It is all inspiring!

Vegan Saag Paneer

To serve 6 to 8

 1 ½ blocks organic extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

½ t. salt

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 t. turmeric

½ t. cayenne

2 Tbs. coconut oil

1 lb spinach

2 onions, finely diced

2 inch piece fresh ginger root, minced

2 t. garlic, minced

1 bunch broccoli rabe, finely chopped in food processor

2 t. coriander

2 t. cumin

1 t. garam masala

1 Tbs. chili’s, pureed

¾ cup coconut milk

juice of ½ a lemon

1. Combine olive oil, turmeric, salt and cumin together in large bowl to make a marinade.
2. Place cubes of tofu into marinade and let sit for at least half an hour.
3. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a wok and sauté the onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic.
4. While that’s sautéing, pulse the spinach and broccoli rabe in a food processor until finely chopped. 
5. Add the rest of the spices to the wok. Let simmer to 10 to 15 minutes. If the onion, garlic mixture sticks to the pan, you can add a little water to the mixture. 
6. In a separate heavy skillet, sauté marinated tofu until golden brown on all sides.  Drain and set aside.
7. Add the spinach and broccoli rabe to the wok. Add ½ cup of water to help steam the greens. Once the greens are soft, add the tofu and coconut milk to the spinach mixture.
8. Allow the mixture to cook down for 1o minutes. Squeeze in half a lemon right before serving.
9. Serve with saffron rice. 

iEat Green - 01/30/14

My guest this week, Mark Kastel, from The Cornucopia Institute, will also share some astonishing news with us, about the integrity of our National Organic Standards Board. The Cornucopia Institute is a non profit organization, dedicated to investigating and researching agricultural and food issues, and then sharing that information with family farmers, consumers, and others who care about the good food movement. They support economic justice for small family farmers and consumers, backing ecologically produced local, organic and authentic food. Please join me, as I interview Mark, and he shares with us what some of the issues that the Cornucopia Institute is working on right now!

Vegetable Rolls with Walnut Sauce                                                                       

Ingredients

1 package of pre-toasted Nori (seaweed sheets)

1 onions, cut in half, and sliced thin

2 carrots, grated

1 cup celeriac, diced

1 broccoli, cut into florets

1 cauliflower, cut into small bite size pieces

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1 cup snow peas, cut into 3rds, on the diagonal

½ yellow and ½ red pepper, diced

½ cup chopped walnuts

2 cups fresh greens, like spinach, collards, kale, arugula

6 ox white mushrooms, sliced

2 Portobello mushrooms, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2” piece of fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbs. Organic Tamari (Gluten Free)

1 t. saffron threads, soaked in ½ cup boiling water

1 t. cardamom

¾  t. coriander

1 t.  salt

Procedure

Sauté onion in olive oil, for 5 minutes. Add carrots, celeriac, garlic and grated ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes longer. Add the cauliflower, then broccoli, zucchini, squash, and peppers. Cook down for a few minutes, before adding the mushrooms, Portobello mushrooms, and greens. Cook until the greens get soft, and then add the snow peas, saffron water, tamari and spices. Simmer till soft.

Spread one cup of cooked vegetables out into a log shape, 1” up from bottom of nori sheet. Begin to roll from front edge, covering the vegetables. Use water or tamari to seal the roll. Wrap in tin foil and bake at 350’ for 20 minutes. Before serving, un-roll from tin foil and drizzle with walnut sauce.

 

To make Walnut Sauce

In small food processor, combine 1 cup of walnuts with ¾ cup of boiling water. Puree until smooth. Add ¾ t. paprika, ½ t. cardamom, ½ t. coriander, 1 t. parsley, and ½ t. salt. Blend again. Adjust for spices. Add fresh cilantro if desired. If sauce is too thick, add a little more water, 1 Tbs. at a time.

iEat Green - 01/23/14

This week, I am so excited to have on my show, Patti Wood, the Executive Director ofGrassroots Environmental Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the links between common environmental toxins and human health.. Patti has devoted her entire adult life to raising the awareness of the health impacts that the chemicals found in our everyday products can have on our bodies, especially children. Her work has led to many national programs, like the ChildSafe School, which is an EPA award winning program that reduces 3 common toxic environmental exposures found in many schools, Cleaning products, Diesal exhaust and Turf pesticides.  Please join us to find out what environmental campaigns Grassroots is currently working on, and what you can do to reduce the toxins in your own environment.

Miso Vegetable Chowder

12 cups water

5 cloves garlic, minced

1- 2”-3” piece of ginger, minced

1 organic onions, diced

2 organic carrot, diced

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut up into bite size pieces

2 organic celery stalks, diced

1 purple sweet potato, diced

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 cup white miso

½ cup red miso

1- 8 oz package black rice soba noodles, cooked according to directions

In large pot, sauté onions, carrots and squash in olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, celery and sweet potato, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add water to pot.  Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add broccoli and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove 1 cup of broth and in a separate bowl, dilute the miso. Add the miso mixture back into the soup pot. Add more miso if desired. DO NOT BOIL THE SOUP ONCE THE MISO IS ADDED! Keep the noodles separate and add individually to each bowl, to prevent the noodles from getting over cooked.

iEat Green - 01/16/14

This week, I am very excited to have as a guest on my show, Mary Berry, the daughter of Wendell Berry, and the Executive Director of The Berry Center. The Berry Center was formed to continue the work of her father, and grandfather, and to educate young farmers in a multi-faceted approach to Mary-Berry-Smithagriculture, getting away from industrial agriculture and letting nature be the standard. Wendell Berry’s book, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture, started the conversation about the the dark side of industrial agriculture, and Mary will use his work, along with his brother and father, to help re-shape the future landscape of farming in this country