Hi all,
It was so nice to hear from many of you earlier this week. Here are some of my favorite responses from my question to readers about ways they measure their value in work and in life:
The number of times [my daughter] reaches for my hand on our walks to and from school
I’m digging a metric that tracks laughter
How many hours of fun time with the kids vs. how many times I’ve yelled at them in a day!
Thanks for helping me imagine better ways to measure value. Anyway -
Like a lot of people trying to do better by the planet, we’re continuously cutting back on meat consumption in our household. As the head chef around here, I appreciate how it’s required me to stretch past my repertoire of weeknight meals and do better, more interesting things with a wider range of beans, grains, and veggies.
I know we’re part of a generational wave in this country for whom putting meat at the center of the plate is not necessarily the way we picture dinner. We’re receiving the messages (albeit mixed) about personal health, animal welfare, and of course - the livestock industry’s contribution to climate change. And investors are betting on us.
Impossible Foods, whose beef alternative contains a lab-generated ingredient called heme, which mimics some of the minerally umami-ness of meat, recently raised $300 million and has a $2 billion valuation. Beyond Meat, whose plant-based patties are available in some supermarkets, had one of the biggest IPO’s of the year this spring.
The founders of these companies are on a mission to eliminate livestock agriculture and the deforestation and emissions that go along with it. But I can’t stop thinking about farmers - who are stewarding the land for better or for worse and by all accounts are having a pretty bad run of it, between consolidation in the industry, the chaos wrought by climate change, and the president’s trade wars. When will investors make a $300 million bet on them?
It’s an interesting thought experiment: what kinds of investments could we make that force us to truly change the way we live and eat as we try to adapt and slow down climate change? What if investors didn’t overlook farmers as a source of expertise when it comes to adaptation? Adapt: It’s what farmers do.
Maybe the answer is not just funding a scalable system for plant-based or lab-made meat, but also investing in regionally-scaled, sustainable, and regenerative animal agriculture that would return some control over land use, pricing and volume back to farmers.
For consumers, it would mean eating a lot less meat (but higher quality, with less degradation of animals, land, and farmers), supplemented by the occasional Impossible Burger and taking some time to learn how to do better, more interesting things with a wider range of beans, grains, and vegetables. Investors, where you at?
PS - I’m curious - is your household also cutting back on meat and if so, what kinds of dishes are you turning to?
CARE FOR
In this section, I highlight stuff that gets me thinking about the forms and functions of care and how we express it. Have something you want to share? Tell me!
OUR SELVES: Anytime science affirms my love of an early bedtime, I’m all ears.
EACH OTHER: What “shared care” experiences can teach us.
THE PLANET: When farmers are part of the solution.
WE ALL GOTTA EAT
It’s true. Here’s one thing I’m making these days.
I’m into alt-burgers, but I like to make them myself, and love this smoky black-eyed pea version:
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is warm, add 1 small chopped onion, 1/2 red bell pepper and 3 minced garlic cloves for 3-ish minutes. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and saute for another minute or so. Stir in 2 cups black-eyed peas and cook, stirring until warmed through.
Add a splash of vinegar, remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and mash the mix with a fork until blended but still a little chunky. Add an egg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko work well), and 1 teaspoon salt. A couple of tablespoons minced chives and/or parsley would also be good! Form the mixture into 4 round patties and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (you could also make these up to 2-3 days ahead).
Place 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on a plate, heat 2-ish tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove bean burgers from fridge and coat on each side with breadcrumbs. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes (until dark golden), then flip and repeat.
Serve over ruffly butter lettuce tossed with a little olive oil, a dollop of salted yogurt, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Have a peaceful weekend!
XO
Leigh