Well well well… It looks like Fall got off to a busy (and rainy) start! If you’re like me, you probably can’t tell where the past few weeks went. New work, classes, and catching up with school mates that you haven’t seen since last spring! There are probably a lot of stories to tell, about all of the things you did over the summer and all of the things you plan to accomplish in the coming school year. So why not make some (healthy) snack food and get together and relax a little (while you still can!)
This recipe comes from a cookbook near and dear to me, because it was published by a talented bunch of very eco-minded people in the Helsinki area. I know two of the authors personally and can say that not only do they prioritize healthy eating and a responsible lifestyle, they are staying informed and informing others about their ecological impact. Hats off to you girls!
This cookbook, called ’Kausi Ruokaa: herkuttelijoille ja ilmastonystäville’ , daringly yet simply attempts to serve as a good guideline for the carbon footprint of the foods you buy, cook, and of course, eat. They have broken it down into 3 main components: transportation (airplane, truck, or containership), growth (open soil, seasonal greenhouse, and yearly average) and finally, cooking method (micro, stove, oven). Naturally, these guides could go infinitely into more detail, but that would be missing the point. Of course we can’t know the exact location of origin for all of the foods we buy, but we can try. And the more we know the more able we are to make the best decisions for ourselves and the world. That, I would say, is the point.
And if you didn’t have much of a conversation starter already (’we stayed at the summer cabin and went to the sauna every day’), try talking with your friends about your carbon footprint, and you’re sure to get a lively conversation started!
Here is the recipe:
3 (about 250 grams) beets (3, noin 250 g, punajuurta)
3 dl walnuts (3dl saksanpähkinoitä)
1 clove garlic (1 valkosipulin kynsi)
1 tablespoon olive oil (1 rkl oliiviöljyä)
1 tablespoon white balsalmic vinegar (1 rkl valkoista balsamicoa)
1/2 teaspoon salt (1/2 tl suolaa)
Wash the beets and poke small holes in them with a fork. Cook for about 8 minutes with the peel on in the microwave. Let it cool. Peel the skin off of the beets, and cut into pieces. Mash or blend together with the rest of the ingredients.
Serve with bread, tortilla chips or good focaccia.
For more information or to find out more about the authors, check out their page on facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/Kausiruokaa
