5-Minute Chickpea Summer Salad:
2 cups of chickpeas, cooked and rinsed
1 cup of cherrie tomatoes, cut in half
1 large cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup goat cheese
2 tablespoons of oregano
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 ounces of kalamata olives
juice and zest of one lemon
Toss all ingredients together, adjust salt and pepper to taste. keep refrigerated, serve as a main dish or side

Yes, and I also cooked a lot of beans this summer at the Sanctuary for Independent Media where I helped coordinate “Uptown Summer Found Art Lunches. During 5 Thursdays, I helped design the menu for Food Justice Thursdays. Where is the food on our table coming from? Food Justice Thursdays focused on a journey of conscious, healthful, and inspirational eating. Other groups were “Food Science and Safety” Tuesdays, “Found Food” Wednesdays , and “Food Forest” Fridays

I would like to thank  a wonderful group of passionate individuals whom prepared healthy foods on a budget. But our work was more than offering free-lunches– this devoted group nourished, inspired, and educated.   Creative nutrition pack meals on a budget were shared this summer! You can check out photos from the summer work–enjoy
http://www.mediasanctuary.org/category/image-galleries/kitchensanctuary/uptown-summer-13-free-lunches

I was in the Thursday group: “Food Justice” 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. (7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8) with 
Gavin Kelley, Mara Estes, Erica Krupp, Andrea G, and Mary Baldwin

Here the recipes we created on Thursdays:
1) Food Justice Thursday July 11, 2013
We want good, clean, and fresh water.

RECIPE: Beet Tomato Gazpacho by Ellie Markovitch
Yield: 1 gallon
4 large beets peeled
8 plum tomatoes
4 cups water from Troy Spring
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup orange juice
2 cucumbers cubed
1 large red onion peeled and diced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
pinch chili pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 red pepper de-seeded
2 cups of seasonal fruit (berries, pears or apples)
Salt to taste
Blend the beets and water. Strain the pulp, reserve. Put the juice back into the blender and working in batches, blend together the remainder of the ingredients. Add pulp back to desired consistency (I use about half and freeze the rest). Chill for 4 hours. Serve with sour cream, lemon zest and fresh dill. With toasted bread.

2) Food Justice Thursday July 18, 2013
We want to cook and share traditions–eat beans!

RECIPE: Black Bean Burger by Ellie Markovitch

•    2 cups cooked black beans
•    1 cup of onions, chopped
•    1 cup of Shitaki Mushrooms, chopped
•    2 cups chard, chiffonade
•    1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
•    2 Tablespoons flax seeds mixed with 4 Tablespoons of water
•    2 cloves of garlic, mashed with salt
•    1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
•    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•    salt and pepper to taste

3) Food Justice Thursday July 25, 2013
We want wholesome nutritious foods
“Since millet is a gluten-free grain, it’s suitable for people with celiac disease. One cup of cooked millet has around 200 calories, 2 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 milligrams of sodium, and is cholesterol-free.” (http://diabeticcooking.com/2012/07/make-room-for-millet)
Menu: Millet with ratatouille, green salad,

RECIPE: Oven Millet  by Ellie Markovitch
Serves 12
2 cups of millet
4 cups of water or broth
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

1. Pan roast the Millet, stirring until golden on a cast iron, dutch oven or heavy button pan.
2. Add bowling water, a drizzle of oil or butter if desired and salt to taste
3. Turn the pot off, cover it, and transfer to pre heated 350F oven and bake for about  30 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the grain is al dente.
4. Transfer millet to large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, adjusting salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Ratatouille

Carrot, Carrot top, and Summer Squash Salad
4 1/2 cups of carrots, shredded plus chopped carrot tops
1 bunch of scallions
1 bunch of parsley
1 summer squash, shredded
Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp all spice, optional
2 garlic cloves, minced

4) Food Justice Thursday August 1, 2013
We want to grow food and eat it too!
“One of my mother’s advice to me on cooking: make sure you always cook with onions and garlic.”
And here from me to you 🙂

Take one small action that can change the quality of the food in your plate. What will you add or take away? One action is a catalyst for individual and community change.  Ellie Markovitch
menu: brown rice, tomato/red bean soup, tart, slaw, sautéd corn with garlic

RECIPE: Herbed ricotta tart by Ellie Markovitch
Mix 32 ounces of Ricotta with 3 whole eggs, set aside

for the tart mix
12 cups of bread crumbs (pulse bread in the food processor or blender)
1/4 cup Parmesan
4 TBSP olive oil
reserve

In the blender, food processor or pesto and mortar, make a pesto with one head of garlic, a bunch of scallions and 1/2 bunch of oregano, 2 TBSP olive oil and 2 TBSP lemon juice

Add half of the herb mixture to the bread mixture and half to the ricotta mixture.
Press the crumbs on a baking sheet pan to make the “crust” and top with the ricotta mixture
Bake 350 for about 30–35 minutes

Makes 2 baking sheets.
Serve hot or at room temperature

Tomato/red bean soup by Ellie Markovitch
6 cups red beans, cooked,
2 cups of tomato sauce
1 raw onion, cut in quarters
6 garlic cloves
a handful of each: basil leaves, scallions, and parsley
large drizzles of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor using water as needed to desired soup consistence.
In a large soup pot, simmer the blended soup until bubbly hot and serve.

5) Food Justice Thursday August 8, 2013
We want to heal our lives and community

RECIPE: Cucumber yogurt cold soup

curried lentils

Soul Fire Farm green beans

Nancy Webber and I came up with a statement about Kitchen Sanctuary in the Spring of 2013 to get us started.
“KS is dedicated to the preparation and sharing of food as a catalyst
for individual and community change…”

KS is a space, a meeting place, and what brought me back this season was the people I met, cooked with, the stories I heard and helped share and the lives I touched in some way. I feel truly Blessed have been a part of this work.