iEat Green - Debbie Hillman – Food, Farms, and Democracy Writer/Research - 07.12.18

Born in Chicago, Illinois, now living in Evanston, IL since 1976, Debbie began her career as a professional gardener for 25 years (ornamental design, installation, maintenance) and as a cabinet-making apprentice for 5 years. She is a steadfast community activist, having worked on neighborhood zoning; Complete Streets (pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation), alternative energy (wind), hands-on education, local economies, civic engagement, and natural resource conservation (soil, water, air, biodiversity). In 2005, she started looking to take a larger role in the world. The food-and-farm system spoke to her in a variety of ways thus co-founded the Evanston Food Policy Council (2005-14), a grassroots organization; working with Evanston’s State Representative Julie Hamos and a large statewide coalition to develop a comprehensive food and farm agenda for Illinois. Today, she still works on food-and-farm policy and projects, and has started to integrate techniques and public policy components involving: money (public banking, co-op business models, crowdfunding, gift economies); democracy (meeting facilitation, inclusion, transparency, participatory budgeting, dialogue & deliberation); spirituality (connection to my highest self, connection all other beings, including non- humans, connection to the universe). Debbie has expanded her scope to the national level, while still paying attention to regional, state, and local activities. Moreover, she is ambitious and impressive in her plight to update the U.S. Constitution with respect to the Iroquois Constitution and Clan Mothers historical evidence of “real democracy and personal liberty that existed under the Iroquois Constitution (The Great Law of Peace).”

 

Vegan Pesto Spinach Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta
Preheat oven to 350°
Cashew Ricotta Filling
3 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more
2 Tbs. Nutritional yeast
1 t. salt, ½ t. white pepper
Spinach Pesto
1 lb. pk org. froz. chopped spinach
1 onion,
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
¾ cup pesto
Sauce
1 32 oz. Jar Organic Marinara Sauce
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 onion
1 yellow or orange organic pepper 1 lb Miyoko’s Cashew Mozzarella cheese,
¼ cup white wine grated
1 box organic rice lasagna noodles
½ cup chopped parsley
Directions
Make pesto according to directions below.
For sauce, sauté onion, garlic and pepper in olive oil in stock pot. When soft, add ¼ cup white wine. Cook
for 5 minutes, then add marinara sauce, can of diced tomatoes and ¼ cup chopped parsley.
Meanwhile, drain the cashews and pulse in food processor with 3 cups water, nutritional yeast, Salt and
pepper. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust S & P.
In a skillet, sauté the onion with garlic, until translucent. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all excess
water. Add spinach to the onions and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Add ¾ cup pesto to the spinach
mixture. Save the remaining pesto for another time.
Assemble the Lasagna
Cover bottom of lasagna pan with sauce, Then add a single layer of dry lasagna noodles, right out of box.
Spread ½ of cashew ricotta filling over noodles. Add ½ of the spinach pesto over the cashew ricotta and
sprinkle with 1/3 of grated mozzarella cheese. Cover with a layer of sauce, and then repeat, with the
noodles, ricotta and spinach. Cover with sauce, add one more layer of noodles, cover with sauce, and the
remaining grated Miyoko’s mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from
oven, uncover and cook for another 20 minutes, until a fork pierced into noodles are soft. Garnish with
remaining ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley.
Vegan Pesto
4 cups Basil leaves
8 cloves garlic
¾ cups toasted pine nuts
1 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ t. pepper

In food processor, pulse the basil until finely chopped. Add garlic
cloves, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Pulse some more, scrapping down sides to incorporate all of the mixture.
When fully pureed, add the olive oil while the food processor is running. The mixture will become thick.
Add the nutritional yeast and mix.