Tomato pickers in Immokalee, Florida. Photo: Scott Robertson
As the nation's annual food fest approaches, let's take a moment to express gratitude for farmworkers, the hard-working field hands who grow and harvest the abundance we're about to eat on Thanksgiving.
It's so easy in the food-obsessed Bay Area to focus on whether our D.I.Y., made-from-scratch meals are perfect or if the raw ingredients of our culinary creations have a pristine pedigree.
But enough food narcissism already: let's talk about the plight of the people who make this holiday possible.
Some food for thought:
Check out the videos from the recent conference TedxFruitvale: Harvesting Change hosted by the foundation wing of the sustainable-food focused Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO). The event, held at Mills College in Oakland, revealed in sharp relief and from first-hand accounts the back-breaking labor of those in the fields, many of whom are still exposed to life-threatening pesticides and labor in shocking conditions. But this day-long event was anything but a downer: The program also highlighted farmworker success stories and alternative ownership models to BigAg.
The well-curated program (hat tip to BAMCO's Maisie Greenawalt, Bonnie Powell, Haven Bourque and crew) featured a diverse group of speakers that went well beyond the usual suspects who typically wax on at such meet ups -- along with great food, good music, and an inclusive vibe. There were breast-feeding activists and Spanish-speaking farmhands and everyone found a place on the stage and at the table.
Recurring themes from the day: Hard work, determination in the face of adversity, and the importance of family ties, which seems fitting to mention in a Thanksgiving post. Local organic farmers' market regular Maria Catalán, one of the first Latina farm owners in the country, talked about giving back to her community and the pleasures of working with her children, as did Napa grape grower and wine makerAmelia Ceja.
Adelfo Antonio of Swanton Berry Farm recounted the benefits of working on a unionized organic farm (one with panoramic ocean views, no less). Former farmworker, José Gutierrez, who once toiled alongside his father in the fields now studies agromedicine, so that workers like his dad can have a healthier life. Reporter Roberto Romano simply let his film La Cosecha/The Harvest, which chronicles the plight of three teenage migrant workers, speak for itself.
Stay tuned for the pending posting of the Edible Education 101 lecture that included Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser. Not one to mince words, Schlosser says simply that racism is at the heart of the long history of exploitation and abuse that characterizes farmworkers' struggles. He urges us all to stop being consumers, start being citizens, and take some personal responsibility for what we eat.
Also speaking that evening, the man Schlosser refers to as the next Cesar Chavez, Lucas Benitez, co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), an organized group of tomato pickers from Florida who have made great strides in improving simply horrendous living and working conditions for produce pickers. (A detailed account of the squalor, abuse, and danger these workers encounter can be found in Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook, who first brought national attention to this issue in a James Beard award-winning story for the late Gourmet magazine.)
In the past decade, the CIW's widely cited Campaign For Fair Food has forced major fast food restaurants, food service companies, and tomato growers to agree to a pay increase for workers and a code of conduct that recognizes workers' rights. (Still to come to the table: grocery store chains such as Kroger, Publix, Walmart, and Trader Joe's, see below.) The Oakland-based Just Harvest USA is a CIW partner and works on fair food campaigns close to home.
Take action: Get to know your local farmers. Visit your favorite farms (a green tour guide has been amazed to discover how many people -- Bay Area residents no less -- have never set foot on a farm.)
Try farming: Got what it takes to harvest in the heat under difficult conditions for low pay and no benefits? The United Farm Workers invites American citizens who think immigrant and undocumented farm workers are stealing all the good jobs to sign up for field work as part of their Take Our Jobs campaign, which caught the attention of The Colbert Report, among others, last year.
Have ideas about how to stay connected to farmworkers and their concerns? Bring 'em on below.
On Sunday the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW); participants of the Community Food Security Coalition's Food Justice conference and Bay Area community allies marched in Oakland for farmworker justice. The destination was Trader Joe's where the group planned to deliver a letter, calling on the company to support human rights for farmworkers, specifically the workers who harvest tomatoes sold in their stores. The CIW's Campaign for Fair Food has gotten commitments from other food industry corporations (including Taco Bell, McDonald's, Subway, Bon Appétit Management Co. and Whole Foods) to provide a penny-per-pound increase to raise wages for tomato harvesters and to use suppliers that abide by a strict code of conduct for farmworkers. Trader Joe's has been repeatedly called on to support these efforts but has not been willing to sign an agreement with CIW. TJ's made a statement regarding the issue on 10/21/11 (posted on website 10/23/11) and CIW responded. CIW basically claims that TJ's solutions are not verifiable and lack accountability. Since the public image of Trader Joe's relies on being politically correct and it ranks as a top ethical company the marchers' messaging calls into question the company's lack of transparency and potential hypocrisy: "Traitor Joe's - a wolf in sheep's clothing?"
Lucas Benitez from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers addresses the participants at the beginning of the march
The marchers did not obtain a permit so they peacefully marched along the sidewalk for two miles from the Marriott in downtown Oakland where the Food Justice conference was being held, past the Occupy Oakland encampment, along Lake Merritt and concluding the march at the Lakeshore Avenue Trader Joe's. One of the consistent chants reflected the influence of the Occupy movement: "Trader Joe's owners are the one percent, one penny more won't even make a dent."
Once the marchers arrived at Trader Joe's, Lucas Benitez went inside the store with others to present the management with the letter and explain their intent.
Lucas Benitez presents letter to Greg, a Trader Joe Captain at Trader Joe's on Lakeshore Ave. in Oakland
Meanwhile, the marchers chanted in front of the store.
It will be interesting to see how Trader Joe's responds to the continued efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
As I'm sure you know, macaroni and cheese is all the rage right now. With entire restaurants dedicated to the creamy, comforting stuff, it's clear that it's a childhood favorite that we don't outgrow. Vegans have long been in the practice of creating amazing versions of animal-ingredient-free varieties. There's even an entire blog dedicated to it called the Noochy Noodle. But what if you are vegan and also gluten-free? Just because a vegan gets diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity his or her ethical stance about animal products doesn't change. So, the elimination of gluten gets added to their vegan lifestyle.
The two main components in traditional mac and cheese are dairy and wheat. So, you may wonder how a gluten-free vegan could possibly, of all dishes, manage to eat some. Believe it or not, it's possible to create a delectable, velvety, savory bowl of noodles that will satisfy even an omnivore. I know of four restaurants in the Bay Area that serve gluten-free vegan mac and cheese: Source, Nature's Express, Cafe Gratitude (and a raw variety at that!), and Homeroom. However, everyone knows that nothing beats homemade. So, let's start with some cashews and some rice pasta and take it from there...
Gluten-Free Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Summary:This makes a cheesy, gooey mac and cheese. I prefer not to bake it so that the nut base doesn't get too dry or congeal. The base for the cheese sauce was inspired by the Raw Cashew Cheese recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini.
Prep time: After soaking cashews, 15 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 15 min (some steps are done simultaneously) Yield: 4 2-cup servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for 6 hours or overnight -- measure after soaking)
1/2 cup vegan milk (I used homemade cashew milk, but any other type would work)
1/4 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar works fine)
1 tablespoon Earth Balance (I prefer the soy-free variety, which would also make this a soy-free recipe.)
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste (but I recommend a lot)
1 bag Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta (This is the best gluten-free pasta I have found, and it's only $1.99. It comes in other shapes, but fusilli is the best.)**
*The addition of wine and vinegar helps give the sauce the sharp taste that the fermentation in dairy cheese produces.
**If you are not gluten-free, you can totally use regular wheat pasta here as well.
Note: If you're not feeling the macaroni part, you can also just make the sauce and use it for other recipes that call for cheesy concoctions, like a vegan fondue, over veggies, or drizzled on vegan pizza.
Instructions
Start cooking the pasta according to directions. I've learned that exactly 8 minutes is the ideal time for the Trader Joe's brand.
In the meantime put all other ingredients into a blender and gradually increase the speed to the highest possible, and blend until completely smooth. I highly recommend using a good quality (preferably high-speed) blender like a Vitamix to get the creamiest consistency possible. But whatever blender you use, the key it to get it as smooth as possible and without any gritty texture.
Pour "cheese" mixture into a pot and over medium low heat, gradually heat sauce while constantly stirring with a whisk.
Drain noodles, rinse for a second, and while still wet combine with cheese sauce.
Stir.
Eat.
You can also customize this recipe easily. Add a little cayenne or jalapeños for a kick. Sprinkle with gluten-free bread crumbs or crumbled potato chips. Stir in peas or broccoli florets. Use your imagination! Then grab a bowl, pile in the creamy pasta, and relive your childhood (maybe add some grown-up cartoons for even more authenticity).
As someone who's been kicked out of countless grocery stores, camera in hand, I especially enjoyed the contraband video that Carl Willat, a San Francisco-based animation director, recorded with his humble Treo. Although the chain has stopped carrying some of my favorite products -- oh sweet, spicy ginger gelato, where did you go?! -- I still stop by their SoMa store before any major baking session. Nuts and dried fruit for me, unpasteurized orange juice and onion rye bread for my husband.
Walking down that dry goods aisle, I always go overboard. Later, there will be bags and bags of walnuts, pecans or cashews left lying around the kitchen. Spicing them up and distributing them among friends is the best way to deal with that problem. While you can keep them around your house for snacking, they're so addictive that I recommend dividing them up into many small caches, like a squirrel, to extend their goodness as long as possible.
SMOKY SPICY NUTS
Makes: About 2 cups
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
Pinch cinnamon
1 pound shelled walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or brush it lightly with oil. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, sugar and spices. Add the nuts and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Take care not to overcook; the nuts will continue to crisp as they cool.
