First: a moment of sending blessings, compassion, and solidarity for everyone impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles and for all of you who may not be there yourself, but you are feeling the pain of it - the horrible, horrible pain of it.
This Winter, Rē is offering a mini Soup Series, where we are sharing some of our favorite soup recipes.... and a story to go with them Soup'n'Story Time! We have to admit - this was difficult to choose from. Soup means so many things. Warmth. Comfort. Hope. Left overs and freshness and community. Recovery from being sick or a meal for a potluck. The perfect food for regeneration! And it is so delicious!
Please do feel free to share with us one of yours!
This week, our board chair Peter Thomas shares a delicious recipe that he and his partner got from SmittenKitchen.com. He shares this vignette to go with it.
“I used to frequently pick up lentil soup for lunch from a chain restaurant near my office. I mentioned to my partner how much I liked this soup, and one night she surprised me by making a similar recipe that's even better! Now it's a regular in our rotation. It's hearty and warming, and makes me feel loved whenever I think about it.”
Punjabi-Style Black Lentils
Base
2 tablespoons oil, butter (regular or ghee)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional but traditional)
Ground chile powder, to taste (I started with a 1/2 teaspoon, but I have to keep things weak for kids)
1 cup finely chopped or pureed tomatoes, fresh or from a can
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup dried black lentils
4 1/2 cups water, plus more to taste
To finish
4 teaspoons butter (salted is lovely here)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Handful chopped fresh cilantro
Other resources that have come across our table this week that we wanted to share are from A Growing Culture, which is a food sovereignty organization working directly with farmers, especially BIPOC farmers, especially in the global south. This is from their substack, Off Shoot, which features long-format articles and reflections.
A Growing Culture is also hiring a new Creative Director. If you or anyone you know are interested in applying, please read the job description and send the application to hiring@agrowingculture.org before January 24, 2025.
From their roundup - note that the "we" and "our" voice here is from A Growing Culture (AGC).
This evergreen piece and AGC favourite, by Bayo Akomolafe reflects on the concept of “a slower urgency,” inviting us to embrace a gentler, more deliberate approach to navigating the crises of our time. By resisting the frantic pace of modern solutions and instead honouring the wisdom of slowing down, we create space to truly listen, heal, and reconnect with the rhythms of the earth and each other. Slowing down reminds us that meaningful change is nurtured in the quiet moments of care, reflection, and community — transformation is not always immediate or linear but grows through tending to the present with humility and grace, allowing deeper possibilities to unfold.
The victory of our partners at the North American Marine Alliance and the Block Corporate Salmon campaign, in their struggle to stop genetically-engineered salmon production and commercialisation by AquaBounty. The U.S.-based biotechnology and aquaculture company’s last facility was shut down in early December 2024, after decades of controversy, widespread market rejection and legal and regulatory challenges. This is a paramount success of the hard work led by Indigenous, Black, and People of Color working together to uplift Indigenous solutions for Salmon protection and restoration. Check out the zine ‘Honoring Salmon, Honoring Life’ we co-created with the Block Corporate Salmon team last year.
This article by Joseph Lee for Vox explores how the Land Back movement, exemplified by the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation reclaiming the Bear River Massacre site, is not only addressing historical injustices but also advancing climate resilience. By restoring ancestral lands and integrating Indigenous stewardship, tribes are healing both people and ecosystems, demonstrating that land redistribution is a powerful cultural and environmental solution, fostering biodiversity, improving water resources, and mitigating climate change.