After watching the recent film Avatar, I was inspired to write about the people in my life who have inspired and taught me, and numerous others, about the powers of nature and healing and communication. My real-life avatars. Each with an urgent message. This is the story of one of them.

Heather Flournoy, Genevieve Lawson, J Henry Fair, Rebecca Bose, Lois Kral at local farmer's market. Genevieve, Rebecca and Lois are volunteers at the Wolf Conservation Center

I first noticed Henry Fair at the local farmer’s market with canvas bags overflowing with green kale and leeks. His huge laugh drew my attention, and then our mutual friend Tom said, “Heather, you two are like peas in a pod!” I laughed and joined the circle of conversation. Henry had just launched into an explanation of the damage that pig farms are wreaking on the ecosystem. He was saying something like,

“In the United States, hogs produce more than 119 million tons of waste a year, which then goes into a lagoon (spread out with his slight S. Carolina drawl) with feces, bacteria and things like pesticides and hormones the pigs were fed, and then make their way eventually into the groundwater and more.”

And I was intrigued (who wouldn’t be?). He went on to talk about renewable resources and we eventually argued about whether or not environmentalists should eat meat, even if grass-fed and organic. [for more on the factory hog farm issue see Discover article featuring Henry's photos and information]

I’m so timid in public about issues that get people riled up, and this guy was obviously not timid, and spoke with a tone of authority and genuine passion in a manner that captivated everyone around him. Including me. I asked him if I could interview him for my blog. I sensed he had lots and lots more to say. (little did I know!) I met him the next day for at his South Salem address, and as I drove past the sign for the Wolf Conservation Center, and through the gates, came upon a carcass of freshly killed deer at the side of the driveway. I persevered, though wondered what in the world I was getting myself into. [I later learned that the town drops off roadkill for the wolves that are housed there in a remarkable preserve. I would also soon learn that Henry is the founder of the Wolf Conversation Center, the preeminent facility in the eastern United States for the captive breeding and pre-release of endangered wolf species]

As I walked past rows of neatly stacked firewood surrounding the deck, the sun was setting. I stopped at the glass doors as I heard the wolves begin to howl. Awed by the unfamiliar sound that I had so often read about, or heard on movies, I was quiet as I stepped into the world of J Henry Fair, my soon-to-be close friend and respected comrade-in-arms.

Henry Fair is a renowned eco-photojournalist known for his incredible eye for visual beauty in the midst of destruction. He is most well-known

An aerial shot of one of the top 10% most polluting factories in the USA. It is known to be a major emitter of lead. www.IndustrialScars.com

for his aerial photography of industrial contamination sites which have been written about in magazines like National Geographic and Discover and are used by the leading environmental advocacy groups around the world. Check out his stunning and thought-provoking project, IndustrialScars.com. In his artist statement he writes:

My work is a response to my vision of society. I see our culture as being addicted to petroleum and the unsustainable consumption of other natural resources, which seems to portend a future of scarcity. My vision is of a different possibility, arrived at through careful husbandry of resources and adjustment of our desires and consumption patterns toward a future of health and plenty….At first, I photographed “ugly” things; which is, in essence, throwing the issue in people’s faces. Over time, I began to photograph all these things with an eye to making them both beautiful and frightening simultaneously, a seemingly irreconcilable mission, but actually quite achievable given the subject matter.

I never finished that interview. We simply talked and shared stories and have never stopped. Henry lives in constant state of questioning: how things can be done more efficiently, with less environmental impact, and more ease. And he is constantly looking for more ways to spread the message that our consumption-based habits need to change. NOW. At lunch this past week, we joked about his bowl of wine corks. “I’m going to think of something to use them for,” he says. I suggested he make them into recycled rolling foot massagers. He doesn’t allow me to do dishes because he has a particular way of cleaning them, that saves the most water. Nothing is wasted. There is a compost bucket near the sink. Water from the shower is caught in a bucket as the shower warms, and saved for flushing the toilet. He plans on installing a simpler way of managing that at some point. Every light that can be turned out or dimmed, is. He has figured out how to maximize the mileage of his original model Prius, which he only drives when he can’t walk, bike or use the commuter bus or avoid a trip altogther. He specifically chose to live near public transportation. He says that when you’ve seen what he’s seen around the world, the intense destruction and scars on the earth, you never again consume resources without thought. Question everything. I ask him what his dream is, how he plans on getting people to understand. He replies, “I don’t care about understanding. I want F**ing behaviour change.” He laughs dryly.

Back to that first time at Henry’s house, we went into the preserve where the Wolf Center’s ambassador wolves are. Henry fed Apache some raw meat and supplements through the fence. As I stood there dusk settled in, and he said to wait. Apache began a low, then high plaintive, chilling and awing howl, and slowly I heard answers from the wild packs around the preserve. Apache listened for the answers, then looked in my eyes and I realized I was in the presence of two avatars–Apache and Henry Fair.

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On January 1, 2010, Henry started Twitter tag, #365ways2savetheplanet, which is a label that people can use to search twitter. People make up these labels and many of them catch on. Let’s help this one catch on!  Every day he writes a short (less than 140 chrctrs) Tweet and sends it out to the Twitterverse in hopes it will get retweeted and serve to remind people of small changes they can make now. You can follow him on Twitter @jhenryfair. Here are some examples:

• Jan3: Buy in bulk. Plastic packaging uses oil to make and is one of the largest landfill items.
• Jan6: Don’t print that document. Read it on the computer. If you MUST print, use scrap or recycled paper!
• Jan11: Tell a friend. If ur living responsibly & making Earth-friendly decisions, spread the word. Be the change!
• Jan16: Just say NO 2 bottled water! Tap H2O all the way, filter if necessary, always drink from glass cup/bottle/etc.
• Jan25: Install an On-Demand water heater. A helpful site for additional info: http://tiny.cc/H2O
• Jan26: This goes w/o saying – #Recycle. Everything. If it’s not recyclable, don’t buy it. Easier said than done.

You can also find Henry on IndustrialScars.com

And on his blog: SoapBoxHenry

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I was feeling a bit frantic about my life on Tuesday, until I heard about the earthquakes in Haiti and everything immediately snapped into perspective. I’m lucky. Very lucky to have a home and a healthy child and friends and food and water and even the means to write this note to you! Since then I’ve had reports from so many people about what they are doing to get help to Haitians, and wanted to share suggestions from local people, and from my Twitter and Facebook friends. There is so much we can do. Stop whatever you are doing and donate to one of these action organizations now. Then post this article to your Facebook page, Tweet it, and email it to friends. Make it easy for people to donate. If you have more suggestions, post them in the comments.

Shelter Box USA

Shelter Box USA is sending containers with emergency relief supply boxes equipped with tents, cooking stoves, sleeping mats and blankets, water purification kits and tools. Donate to Shelter Box here. Recommended by 3 local Twitterers: @gooddirt @pourMtKisco @Cornell140 @WestchesterMag

Come talk with Shelter Box USA volunteers at Gossett’s Nursery, Saturday, January 23rd from 10-12. They will show the emergency supply boxes and supplies they send to disaster areas, and explain how they work, and talk about the people working on the ground in Haiti as well as other areas of the world.

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Food For the Poor

Stephanie Crispinelli, a college student from Somers was on a college trip in Haiti working on infrastructure for Food for the Poor when the quake hit. Donate to Food for the Poor here. This organization has workers on the scene and infrastructure in place to quickly and efficiently get food to Haiti and distributed. (Sadly, stephanie has not been located as of this update. )

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Diocese of Norwich Haitian Ministries

The head of the Katonah Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Cook wrote this appeal on her Facebook page, which was the first local connection I had heard about, “My niece is Jillian Thorp, the Acting Director of a Mission in Haiti that was ‘pulled out of the rubble’ in Haiti by her husband, Frank. It’s on all the news stories. She was trapped for 10 hours under a fallen roof. Jill and Frank are…maybe 24 years old? They are both safe, but thousands of others need our help.Please send prayers and money to this devastated country.” To donate through the Diocese of Norwich Haitian Ministries log on to www.haitianministries.org or call 860-638-1018 or 860-848-2237 ext. 206.

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Salvation Army

Grab your cell phone, text the word “HAITI” to 52000 and make a $10 donation to The Salvation Army Haiti Relief Effort! Recommended by Jim Long, on Twitter @newmediajim

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OXFAM International

Oxfam has units in the region and are mobilizing food, water and shelter to Haiti. Go to this video, click on ‘more info’ on the right and you’ll find a donations link. Or click here to donate directly.

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Red Cross International

Westchester Assemblywoman Amy Paulin recommended donations to the Red Cross on Twitter. Donate here.

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Save the Children

Our family friend Adam is the director of Save the Children, headquartered in Westport CT. Go to their site to watch video reports from Haiti, ongoing reports, and to donate. Save the Children is providing immediate lifesaving assistance, such as food, water, shelter and child-friendly spaces. Save the Children has worked in Haiti for twenty-five years with about 100 staff on the ground, primarily in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the Central Plateau region, providing vulnerable children with health, education, protection and food security programs. Check their emergency response blog: http://savethechildren.typepad.com/

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American Jewish World Service

Bedford Hills resident Joy Perlow recommends American Jewish World Service who is mobilizing food, shelter and medical relief through the people and programs it already has in place in Haiti since 1999. Donate here.

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Partners in Health

Partners in Health was recommended by Keith Napolitano, a firefighter in Mamaroneck, who has been posting links and encouraging people through his Facebook page to donate to PIH’s efforts. Janet Keyes sent this message in reply to this article: “Another important charity for Haiti is Partners in Health, the organization founded by Dr. Paul Farmer and made known to millions of readers through Tracy Kidder’s  Mountains Beyond Mountains.” Donate Here.

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American Friends Service Committee

AFSC is dedicated to strengthening local capacity to rebuild, recover and heal after times of crisis and devastation. They have organizers in the region who will be working closely with Haitians to empower them in the rebuilding. Donate here. I personally recommend them as I trust this organization to act in the best interests of the citizens of Haiti in a manner that will help them to build their own infrastructure. I suggest donating to them in the future as their work will continue there long after the crisis is no longer news headlines.

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NOTES

Sarah Hodgson a Katonah author posted a link on her Facebook page about Search and Rescue dog teams headed to Haiti with link to more relief organizations.View here.

South Salem resident and well-known eco photographer Henry J Fair suggested on Twitter “Haiti leads hemisphere in deforestation, causing mudslides, flooding, erosion, which heighten quake devastation.”

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Special Announcement: On January 23rd take advantage of a very special opportunity to learn directly from David Mathison, renowned new media consultant, former VP of Reuter’s News Agency and author of Be The Media in a special seminar arranged byKatonah Green and Really Social Strategies at the Katonah Library. Environmental activists need to learn how to REALLY leverage social media to spread the message and create behavioral change. We have the power in our hands. Register now.

Two days after the fact, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission learned that an estimated 600,000 gallons of boiling, radioactive water turned to steam and was released over the lower Hudson Valley in November, 2009,  as a result of a malfunction that caused Westchester County’s Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant to be shut down.  Mired in slow response, vague details and insufficient health impact information, residents of Katonah, South Salem and Somers respond with outrage to a report on an investigation into the  incident published  January 8th in the Daily News.

The Daily reports, “NRC inspectors are still trying to figure out what really happened. A report on the incident is expected at the end of the month….The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not have safe levels set for inhaling tritium.”

Here are responses from local residents to the report:

But it’s OK, according to the NRC: “Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said the release valves “were intentionally opened (as per plant procedures) as part of the shutdown.”…. “Sheehan stressed that the level of a radioactive isotope tritium in the steam was below the allowable federal levels for drinking water. The News, however, reported that the release of tritium was not in drinking water but in escaped steam which is inhaled through the lungs.”

Just another example of how the NRC has made it clear that their highest priority is to keep their regulatory charges profitable, and their agency relevant. A year or two ago at a public hearing regarding the extension of Indian Point’s license, after waiting in a long line of equally agitated citizens, I got to make my point to their faces. I worked in the engineering industry for fourteen years. No amount of engineering expertise can guarantee there will be zero malfunctions, and the NRC and their clients are being disingenuous when they tell us otherwise. I got no response – they are obliged to listen only. We know an airliner will come down occasionally; a petrochemical plant will blow up, and hard drives fail. The difference here is that failure can wreak a catastrophe of such scale that it is no longer possible to speak in terms of net benefits. That’s why nuclear power plants are essentially uninsurable, and can only operate with the risk passed to the public via the Price-Anderson Act .

Isn’t it ironic that public health insurance, which may protect us when we fall ill of leukemia from radiation exposure, is deemed by detractors as an excessive intervention by the government in the private economy, but socializing the risk of the Nuclear industry that creates these hazards is OK? The nuclear exposure from the steam release may be “below the allowable limits”, but the cynicism is off the scale. -Dan

Dan Welsh of South Salem way is currently doing penance for a previous career selling several hundred thousand tons of polyester production capacity to the Chinese. His sentence is sitting on the Lewisboro Town Board, attempting to promote sustainability measures to same in the midst of the worst economy in decades, in one of the most politically charged towns in the county. Your sympathies are appreciated.

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Where can I find data quantifying the range of acceptable levels of tritium to drink or inhale?  Also, once airborne, how long do these particulates stay suspended prior to settling on land, and water?

I felt the same kind of anger when Guiliani decided to spray the boroughs with malythian for West Nile Virus.  I had no choice about this happening over my neighborhood.  Although the advice for residents was to keep their windows shut for several hours, many residents had no air-conditioning and fans are useless with shut windows during a hot summer evening.  Needless to say, many NYC residents (my young developing children, to name three) built-up a whole lot of toxins during those sprayings.

When it comes to environmental health, we need to be stronger as a community. We need to join together and voice our disapproval whether it be from nuclear power plants spewing toxic chemicals into the air; coal firing plants and chlorine plants spewing mercury vapor into the air, which later mix with water vapor to become methyl-mercury polluting the fish, plants and animals we eat or the needless spraying of pesticides because 2 people were afflicted with West Nile Virus.

To quote Bill Moyers, “If you are not outraged, you aren’t paying attention”!-Lisa

Lisa Silver is co-founder of Citizens for a Sustainable Lewisboro.

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This effects us all and the hue and cry should reach all the way to Washington!

Herb Oringel, Chair, Energy Advisory Panel, Town of Somers
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Here is a link to the description of the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster which happened under similar circumstances with a valve not shutting off.

Please comment below after the descriptive tags for this article. Post this article to your Facebook page, email it to friends, get feedback!

Get Involved! Join the local green conversation, scheming and real gatherings. Follow KatonahGreen on

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Special Announcement: On January 23rd take advantage of a very special opportunity to learn directly from David Mathison, renowned new media consultant, former VP of Reuter’s News Agency and author of Be The Media in a special seminar arranged by Katonah Green and Really Social Strategies at the Katonah Library. Environmental activists need to learn how to REALLY leverage social media to spread the message and create behavioral change. We have the power in our hands. Register now.

Michael Pollan says in a recent interview that we have three big crises to deal with: the energy crisis, the health care crisis and climate change. He says, “you can’t address any of these without addressing the way we are growing food and eating food. If you put aside we can’t address any of the other crises…Our food system is unsustainable.” You can listen to the interview here.

One of the first things we can do is to start getting to know our regional producers. It’s a bit difficult in the winter, but you start at winter indoor farmer’s markets in the region. Find out who is growing with organic, non-fossil fuel dependent practices. Consider that the vendors are bringing food from within a 100 mile region, rather than the 5,000 mile + that much of the food comes from in a supermarket. Here are a few markets to start with in Westchester County. If you live elsewhere and are reading this blog, first, a big thanks! Secondly, check out www.LocalHarvest.com for farms and markets near you.

Gossett’s Indoor Winter Farmer’s Market, Every Saturday, 9-1, 1202 Rte 35, South Salem, NY. • fresh produce • grass-fed meats • artisan bread • organic coffee •  baked goods • pickles • wine • seafood • handcrafts • local honey and jams • weekly foodie and educational events sponsored by Slow Food Westchester and Katonah Green This weekend, Jan 2: Heather Flournoy teaches you how to make immune boosting winter drinks, and special guest Annmarie Gianni from The Renegade Health Show will be there to catch up with local fans, show us her new organic skin care line and do facials!

Westchester County Center Farmer’s Market on Sunday, Jan. 3, Feb. 7, March 7, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in White Plains.  Parking at the County Center lot is $4. Click for parking coupon . The Westchester County Center is located at 198 Central Park Avenue in White Plains, at the junction of the Bronx River Parkway and Tarrytown Road (Route 119)

Cold Spring Farmers Market: Saturday, 8:30am – 1:30pm Philipstown Community Center, 107 Glenclyffe Dr. @ Rte 9D, Cold Spring. December – May

Blue Stone Barns Winter Farmers Market: Sunday January 17th, Feb. 21, March 21, April 18 from 1 – 4PM.  Shop for winter vegetables, pastured meats and fresh eggs in our Hay Barn! Red Barn Bakery and Red Jacket Orchards will also join this month’s Winter Farm Market. Located in Pocantico Hills, NY. Website here.

Community Market’s Indoor Farmer’s Markets

For updates, news and schedules, click here

Mt Kisco: The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, 351 Main St., Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
Grand Opening: Saturday, January 9th 9am-1pm

Briarcliff: Briarcliff Congregational Church, 30 S State Rd., Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510
Grand Opening: Saturday, January 9th 9am-1pm

Mamaroneck: St Thomas’ Episcopal Church, 168 W Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck, NY 10543
Grand Opening: Saturday, January 9th 9am-1pm

Katonah-Lewisboro: John Jay High School, 60 N Salem Rd., Cross River, NY 10518
Grand Opening: Saturday, January 9th 9am-1pm

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Happy New Year!

As John Lennon wrote: “Another year over, And a new one just begun,…I hope you have fun…And a happy New Year, Let’s hope it’s a good one, Without any fear.”

What are your goals for 2010?

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Local Food Local Chef’s Demonstrations

Winter Solstice Bonfire at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

Today marks the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, bit by bit. Last night a number of local people celebrated the longest night of the year at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation with a potluck and bonfire. It was a magical night, merry with eats and drinks, and  the Hudson Valley’s storyteller, Jonathan Kruk telling Promethean stories around a crackling, then roaring bonfire. Candles in paper bags lit the snowy paths, and inside the parks’ art gallery Ralph Szur  and Chris Lawlor played fiddle tunes while people shared food, hot cocoa, and spirits with a celebratory air. Simple. Merry. Comraderie.  Pleasurable. Relaxed. Festive.

And there was not one wrapped gift exchanged, no overplayed digital Christmas tunes, and no dried fruit cake was forced down anyones throats. No one dressed fancy and no priest was present to enforce any religious views, and yet a sense of gratitude and spirituality prevailed. How did we get fooled into believing that the holidays that surround the winter solstice, Christmas and Hannakah, were by necessity filled with obligatory visits, heedless buying, canned music, and an accepted level of stress? What is it that has convinced people that they need to BUY new things for other people at Christmastime? Do something a little bit radical for this holiday season: Just say “NO!”

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Here are ideas #2 and #3 in the Do Something Just a Little Radical for Christmas series:

1: was Ditch the Wrapping paper

2: is The Gift of Time: For the people closest to you in life,  express love and appreciation by spending precious time with them, instead of giving material gifts. If you can’t do it this year, make an agreement to do it next year. Find out what would make everyone most peaceful and fulfilled after the holiday, and full of energy for the new year, rather than exhausted and drained after the holiday. Now that’s a radical change for most people!

3: Be Quiet: this one might be a little too radical for many of you, but is one of my favorites! Imagine if around the world, all those who celebrate Christmas set aside one hour of that day, and was simply, utterly quiet? Imagine 5 hours! It would be revolutionary. All electronics off. No phones, no radio, no ipods, no TV, no computers. Just exist in your space, awake, for an hour, conscious that people everywhere are doing the same. Wouldn’t that be amazing? The national energy consumption would fall drastically! Stress levels would drop. People might actually have time to notice each other in a whole new way. Join me in starting a new tradition!

Now if we could add turning out the lights to that…

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Help a Child in need this holiday season.

Bedford and other Westchester towns are planning on obtaining water from the Delaware Aqueduct, a water source which is about to be contaminated for the next 1,000 years.  “It is in fact, only an essentially permanent repercussion we’re talking about,“ said Howard Fifer, Katonah resident as we sat talking this morning at Perks coffee shop with Diane Lewis. Right now is our chance to stop this contamination from happening.

Diane is a writer for The Record Review and you can pick up this week’s paper to get her article which explains the full implications of the looming gas drilling  scheduled to begin soon in the Marcellus Shale region which extends from NY to VA.

“Yes, I would like everyone to know about and be active in protesting hydrofracking in New York State. New York is our state, and we need to protect the water and forest land in this state.  We are fortunate to have had this land protected at the turn of the century providing NYC with perhaps the best municipal water supply in the country.  Water is the most precious resource, to squander it would be both foolish and unconscionable.  NYC is unique to have water and a bread basket in such proximity-we need to protect it. “

Further, she explains that if allowed to proceed, this drilling will pollute the water in the Delaware Aqueduct .  This Aqueduct brings water to a number of Westchester towns and Bedford is planning to obtain water from this Aqueduct to supply the hamlets of Katonah and Bedford Hills.

The area they plan to drill in extends broadly from the Catskill region west, encompassing a large amount of NYS that would be polluted and deforested.

What you can do:

1. Send in comments on the DSGEIS.  (generic environmental impact statement) The public comment timeframe has just been extended to December 31st, so that gives just another couple of weeks. Click here to submit comments.

2. Ask your federal representatives to co-sponsor the FRAC Act,which eliminates the Halliburton loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act and requires disclosure of the chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing.  For Katonah, email Representative John Hall here.

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Get involved! Come on out to to the Local Guys Cook Series at Gossett’s Indoor Farm Market, Saturdays in December!

Want to learn how to most effectively promote your cause? Come to Be the Media talk at the Ridgefield Library, Saturday, Dec 12th.

Want to learn how to utilize social media to convey your  message, or promote your small business? Join me at the Katonah Library, Sunday, Dec 13th with guest speaker David Mathison, former VP of Reuters, and author of Be the Media.

Join the local KatonahGreen conversation on Facebook or on Twitter!

If you want Stovetop stuffing, read no further! But if you want stuffings that are the highlight of your meal Thursday, try one of these. The first recipe is from a friend, another from me.

Wild Black and Red Rice Stuffing

this recipe is from Howard Fifer (thanks for sharing the idea over coffee at Perks on Sunday!) He makes this ahead of time, puts into a glass baking dish, then heats it on Thanksgiving day, letting it brown just a tad on top before serving. This is a perfect dish if you are serving someone who requires a gluten-free dish, or is vegetarian. I’m tempted to stop by for leftovers…

Ingredients:

• wild rice, 1/2 pd dried
• mahogany rice (also called wehani rice), 1 pd dried
• black rice (available at specialty markets, locally at Mrs. Green’s), 1/2 pd, dried
• vegetable stock
• portabella mushrooms, 2 large caps, cleaned, sliced thinly, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• celery, 3 stalks
• green onion or chives, 1/2 cup chopped
• caramelized onions, 1 large
• raisins, 1/2 cup
• cashews, unsalted, lightly toasted
• cranberries, dried, 1/2 cup
• cherries, dried, 1/2 cup
• butter, 1 stick
• fresh rosemary (or thyme), chopped fine
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

Cook wild rice according to directions, substituting vegetable stock for water. Cook wehani and black rices together according to directions, substituting vegetable stock for water. Caramelize onions. Saute chopped celery and sliced portabellas on low heat in butter with fresh herbs, adding in chopped chives or green onions. Add in cranberries and cherries and raisins. Slowly stir in all three types of cooked rice, and the caramelized onions. Taste, add salt if necessary. Howard prefers to heat this in an oven dish on Thanksgiving day, rather than using it to actually stuff a turkey!

Heather’s Queen of Stuffings Recipe

this stuffing has developed over a number of years of trials. Every year my mother and I collaborate on stuffings. We usually make one to actually stuff the turkey, and another that we cook in an oven dish. We began this family tradition about 20 years ago because I was a vegetarian at the time and wanted my own stuffing. The second year we did this my veg stuffing was eaten before I even got any. I remember that we had only made a small dish of it, but it had chestnuts in it to make it ‘meaty’. The following year we got bolder with the seasonings, and by 5 years ago we were making one based on quinoa and nuts and fruits, and another with whole-grain breads and apricots.  One year we made one with a whole-grain brown rice bread base and quickly realized how important the preparation techniques are, for instance, toasting or letting the bread go stale ahead of time is key to keeping the bread from crumbling as it get stirred and infused with the flavors.

Ingredients

• celery, 4 stalks, chopped
• 1 large red onion, chopped fine
• 2 bulbs shallots, chopped fine
• 2/3 cup organic red wine, no added sulfites
• 1 cup dried apricots, sulfite-free, chopped
• 1 cup chestnut meats, roasted
• 1 cup pecans, broken
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup organic canola oil
• 1 stem rosemary, central stem removed, chopped fine
• 5 fresh sage leaves, chopped fine
• 1 TBSP thyme leaves, central stem removed, chopped fine
• 1 TBSP parsley, chopped fine
• sea salt to taste, 2 whole cloves, 3 whole peppercorns, powdered sage and rosemary, or if you have it, 1/2 drop each rosemary or sage essential oils (these got the greatest reviews!)
• 1 loaf whole-grain artisan 100% spelt bread, cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces, dried in low oven until beginning to harden on outsides
• 1 loaf whole-grain artisan rye  or rye-spelt or other heavy, whole grain, sourdough or levain bread, cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces, dried in low oven until beginning to harden on outsides*

Directions

Saute onions and celery on low heat in canola oil until translucent, adding in shallots, whole clove and peppercorns halfway through. Add in chopped herbs, and butter and cook on low until butter is melted. Add in wine and simmer 3 minutes. Remove whole clove and peppercorns. Slowly stir in bread chunks, stirring constantly until all pieces are coated in the butter mixture.  Slowly add in nuts and fruits, stirring gently so that bread doesn’t break too much, but that nuts and fruits are distributed evenly and flavors are well mixed in. Remove from heat. Transfer to deep, oiled baking dish. Cover and bake for approximately 1 hour, depending on oven temp, moisture level of bread. Stuffing should be moist and savory. Try it with gravy or cranberry-apple sauce!

The bread in this recipe is key, and it isn’t easy to find suitable bread for it. It’s become so important to us that I special order bread from Little Stream Bakery in Canada. I have also successfully used a whole spelt bread found at Mrs. Green’s.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Keep it green. The kitchen is my one of my favorite places in the house, so I’m dedicated to keeping it green. Consider the environmental and health impacts of what you put into your kitchen sink and into your body.  Buy local, organic and non-toxic.

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love to cook with people, make big farm-style meals and have time to eat and talk for hours.  I was lucky to have grown up with California cattle ranchers as a very young child, and later with New York farmers (and a few hippies) who grew organic produce for a road-side stand, baked bread for the whole family and made a huge Thanksgiving dinner every year. My grandmother would bake for days, and I can almost smell the apple and pumpkin pies…

I still find it amazing that she cooked with such love and caring and dedication. Our Thanksgiving dinners were really something to inspire gratitude. We knew she had grown the hubbard squash, and that the pie crust was hand rolled and carefully cut into lattice.

What other way was there? And she catered to each of us without question. I was an avid vegetarian for 27 years, as were several members of our family, and so we had stuffing baked in the bird, and then a vegetarian version made

in it’s own oven pan with lots of oil and butter and sage and homemade bread and veggies.  What a wonderful woman Marion was! I can only aspire to prepare foods with her dedication, patience and love for the people she prepared it for.

In the spirit of inclusion and gratitude for our farmer friends, I’d like to encourage you to buy produce and turkey from a local farmer this Thanksgiving.

Organic or Local Turkeys grown without hormones or antibiotics can be found here:

Mrs. Green’s Katonah: can order in store or by phone. Ask for the Eberly’s Organic Turkeys. The Murray’s are not organic. (914) 232-7574

Nature’s Temptations Ridgefield store only, by phone or in person: (203) 438-5443

Garden of Ideas THANKSGIVING VEGGIE/FRUIT BOX from Garden of Ideas, Ridgefield: 203-431-9914

Thornwood Farms has heritage turkeys and you can find them this Saturday at the Larchmont Farmer’s Market. You can call to reserve yours at 607-369-4021

McEnroe Organic Farms in Ancramdale has Turkeys available in the store, or you can preorder specific sizes by calling here.

Local chefs who specialize in sustainable foods and special diets are also offering whole dinners and sides to take a little of the stress out of Thanksgiving dinner preparation. Chef Gerry Herrfurth, Susan Scaglio, TABLE Local Market and Chef Liz from Nature’s Temptations all have great menus available, so give them a call.

I’d also like to share some special links with you. The first is from an article by a fellow blogger on how to create an attitude of gratitude with your family and friends. To read it, click here.

The second is a blog post by an old friend turned raw-foodist Phil McCluskey from Danbury, and he give some good recipes especially suitable  for any vegans and raw foodies at your table this holiday.To read, click here.

In the spirit of Marion, eat well!

Give Thanks to Farm Workers, Farm Animals and the Land–Buy Local and Organic for the Holidays

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• follow me on Twitter @katonahgreen
• join the Facebook conversation
  
• get involved with the Katonah Green & Beyond Meetup Group
• follow my Local Foods-Local Chefs series

Someone approached me at the farmer’s market today asking if KatonahGreen would set up a rating system that would reward restaurants for steps they take to green their operation. Another person suggested I write what they can do to economize on home heating that actually works in our area. Two teens suggested having other teens write for KatonahGreen.com, about issues teens will be interested in.

So I thought I would ask you what you want from Katonah Green? Do you want to more information? Do you want to hear from me or KatonahGreen.com more often, less often?