Vegan potluck and presentation on pulses planned

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VINE Sanctuary invites the public to attend its Vegan Pulse Potluck on Sunday, Sept. 18. This free event will feature a short presentation on cooking and growing pulses, prizes for most creative pulse-based dishes, and free seed packets for all participants.


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Dessert - Chickpea cookies (left) and lentil brownies

2016-09-14 / Springfield Vegan potluck and presentation on pulses planned VINE Sanctuary invites the public to attend its Vegan pulse potluck on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist church in Springfield. This free event will feature a short presentation on cooking and growing the legumes known as pulses, prizes for most creative pulse-based dishes, and free seed packets for all participants. At the potluck, VINE’s cofounder Pattrice Jones, who has spoken at international forums such as the World Food Summit and the World Forum for Food Sovereignty, will explain why pulses are so important and also share helpful tips on cooking and growing pulses. At the potluck, participants are challenged to bring a creative dish that includes lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas and other legumes. However, since several volunteers will be bringing more than one dish to share, anyone can attend — even if they do not bring something to share. The only requirement is that any food brought to the potluck be vegan, which means free from any animal products such as meat, dairy or eggs. People who would like to try making a pulse-based vegan dish but don’t know where to start can visit VegWeb.com or VegKitchen.com to search for recipes. At the event, prizes will be distributed for the most creative entree, side dish, and dessert. All participants will receive a packet of pulse seeds donated by High Mowing Organic Seeds, a Vermont company. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has declared 2016 the “International Year of Pulses” because lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, and other legumes are the key to ending the worldwide hunger, water, and climate change crises. As affordable sources of plant-based protein, pulses also provide fiber, iron, and B vitamins — all for as little as ten cents per serving. Drought-tolerant plants that enrich rather than deplete the soil, pulses also are easy for both farmers and home gardeners to grow. As an essential element of the corn-beans-squash system practiced by Abenaki farmers, pulses are part of the true traditional agriculture of Vermont. As consumer demand for dairy continues to decline, and as water pollution and climate change associated with dairying become less tolerable, pulses will be an important component of our state’s agricultural future.