Room at the Table

Back from NOFA-VT

I went to the NOFA-VT winter conference ("Room at the Table") on Sunday and attended a cooking demonstration with New Farms for New Americans, a program of the Association of Africans Living in Vermont. A group of Bhutanese first demonstrated a few varieties of spicy salsas and sweet rice, and then a group of Somali Bantu demonstrated how to make plantains in coconut milk, potato cakes, and samosas (which they called sambusas).

On Monday, I went to a gathering of a group at the VNA Family Room. While someone was taking notes both times to help codify the recipes for these delicious dishes, right now I have no recipes, just memories of yummy food.

It was fun to watch the Bhutanese group, where a woman would season the salsa liberally (without measuring), responding only to the squeals and admonishments from some of the other women, who seemed to be humorously admonishing her ("enough, enough"!). So that's how you know it's enough. The way cooking happens in kitchens around the world, recipes are really the last thing on anyone's mind. Sometimes, these are the best dishes.

And now I have found the recipes from the NOFA conference demonstration, while providing you with the link for the Association of Africans Living in Vermont. Josie Weldon, the coordinator, was kind enough to type her notes up on her website. As you will see, they are not exact recipes, but you get an idea for the flavors of the foods.

Here are the recipes.

And now I'm off to teach a baking class for the We "Heart" Local Dessert Competition. I'll be showing participants how to make all-local carrot cake, winter squash custard, and crepes. And yes, I'll have recipes, though it might be much more fun without them!