Ellen Kanner

soulful vegan writer

  • About
  • CONSULTATION
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • RESOURCES
  • RECIPES
  • Video
  • Shop
  • Appearances
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • $0.00
You are here: Home / MAIN COURSE / First Fruits of the Harvest

First Fruits of the Harvest

December 21, 2015 by Ellen Kanner Leave a Comment

Originally Posted on 12/30/2013 for Huffington Post

kwanzaa

Meatless Monday: First Fruits of the Harvest

As they say in Swahili, “Habari gani?” This translates into a combination of “How are you?” and “What’s shakin’?” It’s about the limits of my Swahili, but it’s useful now, being the traditional greeting at Kwanzaa.

Any holiday that takes its name from the phrase “first fruits of the harvest” gets this meatless girl’s attention, so I’m entirely on board with Kwanzaa. I like Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration which continues until January 1, for the same reason I like Thanksgiving — it’s a distinctly American holiday that pays tribute to who we are and where we came from. It’s a still point in the midst of winter’s gift-giving frenzy, a centering celebration of culture, an honoring of the past, a handing down of ethnic principles and customs and foods, the things that shape society.

Kwanzaa’s still a new holiday in the grand scheme of things. Created only in the 1960s, it was designed to celebrate Africa’s rich influence in America, an influence so vast, it touches all of us, whether your forefathers came on the Mayflower or you’re the first in your family to call this country home. Kwanzaa pays tribute to seven core precepts of African culture, starting with umoja, which means community, collectiveness, a real keeper of a concept.

Our society is riven — rich and poor, the bailed out and the bailing, Shiites and Sunis, Palestinians and Israelis, North Koreans and South Koreans, Republicans and Democrats, and the ever-divisive meatless and meat-eaters. Umoja reminds us we are more alike than we are different. Kwanzaa is a time to lay aside our oppositions and sit down at the table together — the food is fabulous.

As at Thanksgiving, the Kwanzaa table is bountiful, but the accent isn’t turkey, it’s — as the name suggests, matunda ya kwanza, the first fruits of the harvest, from the traditional foods of Africa to the fusion dishes of the African diaspora, in the Caribbean, Latin America and here. Wherever it’s celebrated, one of the holiday’s symbols is mazao — crops. Not just food or even processed food, which was already big in the ’60s, but foods from the earth.

America owes Africa for introducing or cultivating crops including black-eyed peas, peanuts and that sturdy winter grower, sweet potatoes. All three are easy to grow, nourishing both the soil and us. They’re sky-high in antioxidants and fiber, and in the case of black-eyed peas and peanuts, pack a protein wallop, as well. These are foods Americans once sneered at, dismissing them as low-class. As opposed to what? Lunchables? There’s a food that screams elegance (and nutritionally significant? Not so much.).

Like Lunchables, sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas and peanuts do not require refrigeration. Unlike Lunchables, they contain no preservatives or additives. They’re just naturally made to last. They’re available, affordable, nourishing, shelf-stable (dried or canned beans and peanuts) and seasonal (sweet potatoes, in season now through spring).

These foods encourage umoja and are something we can all enjoy — like Kwanzaa itself. Me, I’m a pretty easy sell. This holiday had me at fruits. Wishing you a rich and happy Kwanzaa, or as they say in Swahili, Kwaheri.


Yum
African-American Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

Yield: 4-6

African-American Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

This stew contains peanuts, sweet potato and black-eyed peas, a triumvirate of nutrient-dense, delicious crops. Time does the work with this stew, the taste is lovely and complex. Pairs beautifully with rice or flatbread.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola or coconut oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped, or a good pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, chopped
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas or black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-ounce chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 handful cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add chopped onions and pepper.
  2. Stir 1 minute, then add chopped celery, sweet potato, green beans and red pepper.
  3. Stir another few minutes until vegetables start to soften. Then add cinnamon stick, drained black-eyed peas or black beans and chopped tomatoes. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover, simmering for 30 minutes.
  4. Stir in the peanut butter. Discard cinnamon stick. Season with sea salt and pepper and gently mix in cilantro.
0.1
© Soulful Vegan. All Rights Reserved.

dividerEK


dividerEKThank you for reading my vegan stories and plant-based recipes. I sincerely love to connect with listeners and would like to hear your feedback, takeaways, “ah-ha!” moments, etc in the comments.

Connect with me for discounts, exclusive tips, and other freebies:
• Join my NEWSLETTER for exclusive content & offers
• Join my social networks on LINKEDIN, TWITTER and FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
Explore more of my VEGAN RECIPES, and my COOK BOOKS.
Do you want a happier life, a greener plate, and a delicious world? Then sign up for VEG THERAPY.



Filed Under: MAIN COURSE, MEATLESS MONDAYS, stew Tagged With: black-eyed peas, Ellen Kanner, First Fruits of the Harvest, kwanzaa, Meatless Mondays, peanuts, Sweet Potatoes

« Spice Me Up Holiday Rum Cake
Dinner at my house. »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

VEGAN EXTRAS

  • SHARE YOUR VEGAN STORY
  • RESOURCES
  • MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, MY FAVORITE RECIPES

RECOMMENDED VEGAN READS

Recent Posts

  • Barley — A New Way with an Ancient Grain
  • Harira —A Soothing Bowl of Wonder for Everyone
  • Irish Soda Bread
  • Dal in Living Color
  • Sukuma Wiki – Stretch the Week and Celebrate Greens

EXPLORE VEGAN RECIPES…

  • rosh Hashanah apple cake
    Year-End Special — Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake
  • Love by the Ladleful With “Love Soup” Author Anna Thomas
  • Vegan Harira
    Vegan Harira for Ramadan
  • Apricot Frangipane Tart
  • Ellen-kanner-curried-spelt-recipe
    Curried Spelt

Archives

Some posts might contain affiliate links of books that I love. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links.

~ Search Site ~

RSS Newsletter

  • March 2023 March 1, 2023
  • February 2023 February 1, 2023
  • A Little Ask and a Little Delight January 17, 2023
  • January 2023 December 29, 2022
  • December 2022 December 1, 2022

~ Signup for my Newsletter~

~ Follow me on Twitter ~

© 2023 ELLEN KANNER - site by Kapok Graphics