Dr. Jane Goodall
In honor of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall’s April birthday (April 3) here’s a recipe and a few quotes from her plant-based cookbook “EAT MEATLESS: Good for Animals, the Earth & All.”
First, some quotes:
“I stopped eating meat some 50 years ago when I first learned about factory farms—intensive animal farming. I looked at the piece of meat on my plate and thought, this represents: Fear— Pain—Death. We need to realize that the billions of animals who suffer in factory farms around the globe are individuals with complex emotions, intelligence, and social bonds.”
“It is important to realize that all these domestic farm animals are individuals and their lives have intrinsic value. It’s up to us to speak out for them, for they cannot speak for themselves.”
“Remember, every food purchase is a vote. We might be tempted, as individuals, to think that our small actions don’t really matter, that one meal can’t make a difference. But each meal, each bite of food, has a rich history as to how and where it grew or was raised, how it was harvested. Our purchases, our votes, will determine the way ahead."
All of which has a nice UUAM ring to it!
One of the many awards Dr. Goodall has received was the Templeton Foundation Prize in 2021 “honoring individuals whose life’s work embodies a fusion of science and spirituality.” As a writeup for the award says, “Raised as a Christian, Goodall said she developed her own sense of spirituality in the forests of Tanzania—in essence, believing that all living things and the natural world are connected through a divine force.”
She isn't a Unitarian Universalist, but that also sounds familiar— to our “Spirit of Life” and 7th principle about “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”
Roasted Vegetable, Hazelnut, & Herb Strudel
Ingredients
Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
Yellow onions, 3 large, chopped
Parsnips, 2 peeled and cubed
Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
Turnip, 1 large, quartered or cubed
Fresh sage, 1 tablespoon chopped
Fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1/2 cup chopped
Hazlenuts, 1/2 cup, toasted, skinned, and coarsely chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Warm 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add onions and reduce heat to medum-low. Cook until caramel brown.
- Combine the parsnips, squash, and turnip in a roasting pan, and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the sage, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat.
- Cover pan with foil and roast for 45 minutes, stirring half-way through.
- Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the parsley and hazelnuts
For the Strudel
- Filo dough, 6 sheets (18 by 14 inches), thawed in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Olive oil or melted coconut oil, 1/4 cup. Olive oil yields a more tender crust; if you prefer, use coconut oil to make it crisper.
Use a pastry brush to brush a baking dish with some of the 1/4 cup oil. Place a sheet of filo on the pan and brush the filo with oil. Repeat until all 6 sheets are oiled and stacked.
Place the vegetables in the center of the dough with a border of about 4 inches of filo on all sides. Fold in the short sides, then the longer sides, and then carefully turn the strudel over. Cut about 6 slits across the top for steam to escape.
Bake until top is crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Enjoy!
Makes 4–6 servings