Broccoli Rising and a Cruelty-Free April
April always reminds me of T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” which begins
“April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.”
This is what comes of being a lit major.
I still love this poem, but I also want to say, buck up, T.S. Stop moping around. Get a grip. Eat some spinach.
Asparagus gets all the spring love, but spinach is:
quick-cooking
mild-flavored
accessible
versatile
nutrient dense, especially folate to support your body and (ahem, T.S.) boost your mood
easy to grow
easy to love
Eliot (1888-1965) may have lacked the access to fresh spinach we have today. If all he had was canned or frozen spinach, honey, that would make anyone dour. We do spinach better now. In fact, across the Mediterranean, they always have.
Borani esfanaj — a vegan version of Persia’s luscious spinach and yogurt dish, part salad, part spread, entirely creamy, refreshing, springy and delicious. And it comes with a backstory.
Spanakopita, Greece’s great spinach and feta pie goes vegan, thanks to Joy Manning, the creative behind not one but two Substacks.
Hortopsomo — not related to hippopotamus, not involving animals at all, this is Greece’s other great spinach (or any wild greens) pie, recipe courtesy of Substacker and Kéa queen Aglaia Kremezi.
Catalan Spinach — my favorite tapas bar dish. Spinach gets a little crunch from nuts and a little sweetness from currants or raisins. Everything gets danced around in a skillet with a lick of olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar, and you’re done in 5 minutes. I have a feeling T. S. Eliot might go for it. After all, deeper into “The Waste Land,” he writes about a man “with a pocket full of currants.”
April 7 Today! Food Systems New England’s Racial Equity Challenge starts today, so sign up. I took this free and excellent course last year and can’t recommend it enough.
Also today – World Health Day and Right to Read Day, sponsored by Unite Against Book Bans
April 12 Passover
April 13 Palm Sunday
April 20 Easter
April 22 Earth Day
What do
bestselling author Matt Haig
MBA | Director and Executive Chef, Plant'ish & Co. Culinary Arts Chef Nina Curtis @botanicalchef
James Beard Award-winning author Mayukh Sen
badass vegan activist Miyoko Schinner
local food and community champion Edible South Florida
have in common? They are in my pantheon. It’s their talent in the kitchen or the keyboard. It’s their heart. It’s their determination to speak up for those who can’t. And they’ve done me the honor of contributing blurbs to Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table.
See — and taste! — why. Pub date is only a month away, so pre-order your copy now.
Want more recipes like the exclusive recipe below? It’s easy! Become a paid member of Broccoli Rising to get all of my bonus content.