Beet Hummus with Za'atar & Avocado Tahini Mousse
ON COOKING & HEALING
There are times in my life when I close my eyes and make a promise to myself to never forget the gravitational power of that present moment. This weekend had many such moments- pockets of time that felt like history in the making. The weekend started with various attempts to stave off a looming cloud of anxiety in the wake of Trump's inauguration. Such attempts included activities like cooking, writing, photo editing, reading, distracting myself with work, and dinner-ing with friends. None of it really worked, but at least I put my best foot forward!
But Saturday was a new day. That morning I shook off the dust, and experienced one of the most empowering events of my adult life thus far. Alongside hundreds of thousands of people, I marched to defend the rights of women, immigrants, people of color, the environment, the LGBT community. I marched to defend all of the values that I hold dear, and protect the many rights that are currently at risk of being stripped away. The march itself felt like a meditation on healing- almost like a recovery group that consisted of a sea of people, all of whom extended their open hearts towards the broken and downtrodden. It was inspiring to be around so many people that were as outraged as me, and channeled their passion by taking action to have their voice heard. It gave me hope.
Later that evening, I hopped in an Uber to head to a dinner. While en route, my driver asked me- "What was the goal of the march?" I initially balked- taken aback by the sheer enormity of the question. But after contemplating my response for a few seconds, I felt that answer was simple. The goal was to cultivate hope, and to connect with the huge community of people that [like me] feel offended by the rhetoric, victimized and marginalized by those in charge, embarrassed by leaders who make a mockery of the positions they hold, and wholly scared for the road ahead. The goal was to band together, and prove that we are powerful. That we have a voice. That we have a huge stake in the welfare of our country, and huge role to play actualizing the future that we envision. I explained that there are so many threats to my belief system, that I actually had trouble making a sign for the march- that I felt like I had to pick only one issue to broadcast despite the fact that so many concern me.
One of the best moments after the march was discovering the sheer magnitude of the impact. While grabbing a bite to eat that afternoon I noticed that Democracy Now! was playing on a screen by the bar, and was live streaming marches around the country. My jaw dropped to the floor of the restaurant when I learned that like DC, marches in LA, Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston etc. etc. all had marchers that came out in droves. That moment confirmed it- we were officially a part of something much (much!) larger than ourselves.
To serve as the perfect bookend, the weekend concluded with our 5th Wandering event- a healing yoga class at Flow Yoga, followed by light bites around a long communal table. The mood was optimistic, hopeful as guests trickled in, many still riding the high from the march from the day before. We set out to host a gathering that allowed for our guests to step away from the chaos, and find respite around community and wellness on a weekend that demanded so much of energy and focus. The gathering lived up to the goal, and gave each of us an opportunity to breathe, pause and connect.
Throughout this whole rollercoaster weekend, I was really grateful that I had The Wandering to look forward to. Cooking is incredibly healing for me (so much so that immediately after the march I randomly made homemade gnudi, despite overwhelming exhaustion...), it was the perfect outlet during a time that was so replete with emotion. Here are my two favorite recipes from the gathering- Avocado Tahini Hummus, and Beet Hummus with Za'atar. These dishes that you can whip up in a flash and that will provide instant comfort in times of chaos and unrest. After all, you can't be stressed when you're eating hummus ;)
BEET & ZA'ATAR HUMMUS
- 6 beets, peeled and chopped, and boiled until soft
- 1/4 cup of tahini
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbs. of salt
- 1 whole lemon, squeezed
- 1 tbs. of za'atar
- 1/4 cup of pistachios
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
AVOCADO MOUSSE
- 4 avocados
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/4 cup of tahini
- 1 whole lemon, squeezed
- 1 tbs. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup of dill
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/4 cup of scallions, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. Top avocado mousse with scallions and dill, and top beet hummus with za'atar, pistachios and olive oil.
