We all know that our world is changing. There is a belief that the climate is warming, as it has in the past, but now in ways that may endanger us with rising seas. Or more intense storms. Controversy rages over the extent of these changes and the causes.
But, whether the changes are alarmist large or simply modest shifts, we can all do things that ease the strain on our environment and on the planet. And, for sure, we see substantial population gains that stress our planet, beginning with the need to supply more and more food.
What can we do, as individuals, to help our planet, our environment and our society? We find thirty answers in 30 Ways to Join the Food Revolution.
It begins naturally enough with a plea: No plastic. We can all voluntarily stop using those bags that last forever. Or, society can step in. In Ulster Country where Suzi and I have a weekend home, businesses cannot issue plastic bags and you pay five cents for every paper bag you use. In Ulster Country, you’ll find a lot of canvas totes on the back seats of cars.
You can cook direct from the garden, ideally with ingredients from your home garden. 30 Easy Ways offers simple recipes: Potato and Parsley Soup, Gazpacho, Tomato and Raspberry Salad.
One of the most important 30 ways is Root to fruit. When you cook use everything, everything. Use those carrot tops, the beet leaves, the broccoli stalks. You can make stocks and soups. You can employ every molecule in your produce. And you should.
There’s surely consensus on one idea: Reducing meat. Meat production is very energy-intensive. Easting less meat is known to be a healthy diet. But in the absence of meat, what can you do to avoid a gap in meal satisfaction. 30 Easy Ways offers recipe ideas, like Mushroom Risotto with Chicken Stock and Nasturtiums.
Oh, chicken stock. Doesn’t that mean meat? Yes, it does. But we are talking about reducing meat, not eliminating it. Enjoy a roast chicken, but keep the carcass and the scraps. Make your own chicken stock. And make risotto that will bring tears.
You can Preserve for hungry times. Mankind has always seen the need, in a climate with seasons, to take today’s produce and create something for later use. Here you will find recipes for Tomato Ketchup, Mushroom Ketchup, and Beet Jam. Yes, you can buy those items at a store, items created in a factory hundreds of miles away. Or you can hit your farmers market and make your own local delights. Uh, beet jam. No, I bet to get that you need to make it yourself and happily expand your pantry.
In a similar vein, you can read the topic Spice up your life. Homemade Worcestershire Sauce, Caponata, and Homemade Paprika will be better tasting, better environmentally, and will advance your culinary skills.
We are all addicted to snack food of some kind. The topic Snacks relax offers you the concept Crispy Deep-Fried Broad Beans [with salt].
In our seasonal world, there simply are times when we encounter the Hungry gap, that period in the spring before the markets become well-stocked. 30 Easy Ways suggest Fresh Tagliatelle with Wild Garlic Pesto and Rainbow Chard.
As a benchmark, 30 Easy Ways suggests a goal: obtain 30% of your food from within 50 miles of where you live. I happened to live in Manhattan, but there are thousands of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Long Island farms for me to sample from. That’s one reason that Suzi and I visit a half dozen farmers markets in New York City.
30 Easy Ways to Join the Food Revolution is an interesting book. I don’t consider myself to be a revolutionary. Well, I haven’t until now. I’m certainly concerned about my world and the changes I see. If you are, too, then 30 Easy Ways is just the “revolutionary manual” you need.