By Isa Covo
A new month, and the city is opening. For those of us who were vaccinated, we can now go mask-less in the street, eat indoors in restaurants, go to the movies, go shopping, and attend all kinds of sporting events, etc.
We are the lucky ones, because while most western and richer countries have access to good medical care and vaccines, much of the rest of the world is still suffering. Take, for instance, the reports out of India with its millions of infected and innumerable deaths, or the Congo, and many others.
But the planet is facing a concurrent, new pandemic with many facets, called Hate.
It is everywhere:
*Hate of African Americans
*Hate of Asians
*Hate of Immigrants
*Anti-Semitism
*Islamophobia
*Distrust of law enforcement
*Homophobia/Biphobia/Transphobia
… and so on.
Here in the US, we spent fourteen months living in fear and uncertainty, and now we have become suspicious of each other. There has been a rise in attacks on individuals who do not look like us, or who do not agree with us.
We must collectively stop this, listen to each other and find common ground to resolve problems. We may not know it, but we are dragging ourselves down. Let us pull ourselves up.
Lentil, Leek and Potato Curry
This is not an authentic Indian recipe, nonetheless it is flavorful, comforting and delicious. Feel free to make your own improvements.
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup olive oil or ghee
- 1 large leek, white part and tender green stalk, sliced
- 2 or 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons Madras Curry Powder
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1½ cup green lentils, rinsed
- 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
- 2 cups young spinach leaves
- 4 tablespoon minced fresh mint
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Chop the leek coarsely.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat, add the leek and sauté for two minutes, stirring until it softened. Mince and add the garlic, the curry powder, the bay leaf, cloves, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Stir for one minute until all the ingredients become fragrant and are well-mixed.
- Peel and cube the potatoes, add to the saucepan. Add the lentils and stir to mix.
- Add the broth and the coconut milk. Stir again. Cover the saucepan and simmer for thirty minutes. Mix in the spinach, cover the saucepan again and simmer for an additional five minutes.
- Prepare the rice according to the instructions on the package.
- Once the lentil mixture is ready, turn off the heat and mix in the mint. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the curry over the rice. Yield: 4 to 5 servings Photo by Isa Covo
