Holding the Earth, creating in the kitchen

We have a new member joining our email circle, Krista S. in Ridgway, Colorado. Welcome, Krista!

Do you remember where we were before the holidays took over? Mary had sent an article titled - After Paris: Making the Case for a People-Powered Transition to a New Climate Culture .

Marion in Montreal sent this response, inviting us to connect with the Earthholder Sangha:
Dear Eve, thank you so much for the informative message!
With respect to the Paris talks and the Sangha's taking action,
I would like to share the following link with you. With the new Earthholder Sangha
network inspired by the writings on nature by Thay, we are entering a new phase of
climate action. I wonder whether you would like to contact them and get
connected/ network with them. It seems that your initiative is highly relevant for
what they are doing:
http://www.earthholder.org/contemplation-and-action-blog/nourish-your-co...

Closer to home, I have two recipes for you this time, both variations on recipes we already have, both created here in Portland. Sarah and her husband Don enhanced our Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with homemade green tomato enchilada sauce, homemade tortillas, portobello mushrooms, zucchini and spinach, and I can confirm that it was very delicious (I got to be there!)
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Here is Sarah's recipe for the Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce: Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce

Meanwhile, Joe was inspired to create a variation on his famous Squaliflower recipe, using Romanesco. Don't miss the photo --it's unique! Mashed Squaliflower Mit Garlic ---plus holiday version with Romanesco Here is the story in Joe's words:
In the New Seasons produce section, I noticed several beautiful heads of Romanesco. Of course, their fractal geometry has attracted me for years, but this time I had the literal thought that they looked like Christmas trees. I bought it, brought it home, and decided to roast it more or less intact, except that it needed to be sliced in order to cook through in reasonable time.

Consulting the web, most recipes called for drizzling a little olive oil on baked Romanesco, so I capitulated and used a little Trader Joe's Spanish olive oil, which "Cooks Illustrated" rates very high. I cut the outer florets off the core in a triangular pattern, leaving the (use your imagination) shape of a conifer in the core, and because it was still too thick to cook through with the rest, I sliced it down the middle, making two tenable halves.

Roasted them for 30 minutes at 370F degrees, shaped the mashed squaliflower in kind of a mound, arrayed the florets around the "tree," and it was delicious....
It was fun, as usual. Steaming the cauliflower, squash and broccoli together in my pressure cooker took much less time than steaming them separately. Once the cooker reached operating pressure, it was just under 3 minutes total!
Cheers,
Joe
What a great idea for a Christmas dish!

I heard from Terri in Florida recently. She had read The World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle and was impressed. I keep hearing about this book and think it must be time for me to add it to my reading list for the new year...

I heard from Christel in Germany who was thinking of all of us on Christmas Day! Here is her message, just in time for New Year's Day:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2016.
And I'm thinking of Thay and wishing him much good progress in his recovery.
Yours
Christel

I'll add my good wishes, too, hoping we will all enjoy new beginnings in the bright new year that is just hours away!

Happy cooking,
Eve