2 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.

com

What’s in this issue ...

14 Party time
The season is over and
the farmers are
tuckered out; it’s time
to celebrate the
Mid-South’s harvest

Cucina’s artisan
18 breads big sellers
4 What would Jesus
do about the 3Rs? Sustainability at
Interfaith movement mobilizes
20 Tenn. Aquarium
resources, message to drive
action, introspection on the Green grads in
environmental issues of today 21 need of green jobs
Q&A with Rev. Fletcher Harper about
the mission of GreenFaith ❘ PAGE8
To compost or not:
Chris Peck: Time to preach the
gospel of going green ❘ PAGE 10 25 now is the time

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Going Green is a special online publication of
The Commercial Appeal. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Follow
Going Green on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoGreenMemphis.
Editor: Kim Coleman, 529-5243, goinggreen@commercialappeal.com
Community Editor: Emily Adams Keplinger, keplinger@commercialappeal.com

On the cover: Cover illustration by Shane McDermott/The Commercial Appeal

The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 3

The Green Page

Events Groups
Giveaway: Free mulch will be given away to Check these websites for
Germantown residents Saturday , beginning at 8 a.m. at more information about
the Public Services complex, 7725 Southern. Bring a proof green events in the
of residency to receive 11/2 yards of mulch. Public services Memphis area.
employees will load mulch into the back of a truck or Citizens to Preserve
trailer. Smaller amounts will be available in a “load your Overton Park (CPOP):
own” zone. Residents must provide their own bags. There overtonparkforever.org
is a limit of one load of mulch per household. Clean Memphis:
Hazard mitigation: The Shelby County Hazard cleanmemphis.org
Mitigation Committee has scheduled a meeting for Coalition of Livable
Monday, at 10 a.m., at the Emergency Operations Center, Communities:
2668 Avery Ave. The Shelby County Hazard Mitigation livablememphis.org/
Plan is being updated by Shelby County and its Friends for Our
municipalities as a guide for the identification and Riverfront:
implementation of mitigation projects. These projects will friendsforourriverfront.org/
help reduce the human, economic, and environmental Greater Memphis
costs of natural disasters. All are encouraged to Greenline: greatermemphis
participate.For more information or to reserve a seat, greenline.org/
please contact the Shelby County Office of Preparedness Lichterman Nature
at 515-2605. Center: memphis
MBG Lunch & Learn: A program called “Groupings and museums.org/lichterman-
cracks and snakes … Oh My!” will be offered at the overview/
Memphis Botanic Garden on Wednesday at noon. Learn Memphis Botanic Garden:
landscaping dos and don’ts with landscape architect Larry memphisbotanicgarden.com/
Griffin. Bring your lunch or enjoy a box lunch from Shelby Farms Park
Fratelli’s at the garden. The program is free for MBG Conservancy:
members, $5 for non-members. Call 636-4100 for shelbyfarmspark.org
information. No reservations required. Strawberry Plains
Botany of Design: The Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Audubon Center: strawberry
Park, will host William Cullina on Nov. 18, at 11 a.m., for his plains.audubon.org/
presentation of “The Botany of Design.” Cullina, director Tennessee Clean Water
of horticulture and plant curator as the Coastal Maine Network: tcwn.org
Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine, will discuss Tennessee Parks and
beneficial organic practices involving plants. The program Greenways Foundation:
is co-sponsored by the Memphis Garden Club and the
tenngreen.org/
Dixon Gallery and Gardens, and is included with regular
Tennessee Trails
admission, free to Dixon members. For more information, Association, Memphis
call 761-5250 or visit dixon.org. Chapter: tennesseetrails.org
Trail blazing: Volunteers are needed on Nov. 20, from 9 /memphis.php
a.m.-noon, to help the Lichterman Nature Center maintain V&E Greenline:
three miles of trail by fixing edge boards, spreading gravel vegreenline.org/index.html
and clearing overgrowth on the trails. Call 523-2425 to
Wolf River Conservancy:
volunteer, or sign up at volunteermidsouth.org. wolfriver.org
4 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.com

FAITH & GREEN

Interfaith
communities
consider
environmental
protection
a godly
mission
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 5

By Jim Coleman / Special to Going Green

WITH EACH PASSING YEAR, new students that enter Dr. Matt Mathews’
class at the Memphis Theological Seminary are posed the same question.
“What is the most pressing issue facing Christians today?”
Typically, eager students with a phrase like “right to life” on the tip of
their tongues are surprised by his answer.
“How are we going to live in a sustainable way? That is the
fundamental question for Christians in the 21st century,” according to
Mathews, associate professor of theology.
Correlations between faith and environment aren’t new. From transcendentalists

like Henry David Thoreau — who consumerist culture which is driving

communed with God by living in the
woods — to religious orders like the
Amish — whose lifestyles are the
essence of sustainability, the two
camps aren’t necessarily exclusive.
However, this philosophy has generally
been out of the mainstream of
American faith.
The problem may be with the way
many use and interpret the scriptures,
according to Mathews.
“Christians need a more
sophisticated understanding of how
the Bible functions in modern society.”
For example, it is common for
passages in the Bible to be interpreted
as being permissive of exploitation of
the environment and natural resources
because the texts expressly give man
dominion over them.
Mathews views these
misinterpretations as feeding into “an
unholy wedlock between
fundamentalist Christians and a
much of our uncontrolled
environmental degradation.”
Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive
director of GreenFaith, an interfaith
group that works to raise
environmental awareness, sees the
same issues with this alliance, but
believes potential for change exists.
“I have yet to see one environmental
issue where the economic interest
didn’t fight it,” said Harper. “Houses of
worship are great places to effect
change.”
As an Episcopal priest, he operates
under the belief that environmental
stewardship is a moral obligation.
“Environmental degradation is sin
and environmental restoration is
atonement,” Harper said during a
recent speech at a Bridges USA
interfaith conference in Downtown
Memphis. He attributed the quote to
Patriarch Bartholomew, a leader of the
Eastern Orthodox Church who earned
6 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.com

the nickname “the green pope” for his

environmental leadership.
Both Harper and Mathews are a part
of a growing movement in the faith
community that encourages members
to reflect on changing day-to-day
actions to improve the environment.
“Many are reluctant to turn a critical
prophetic eye upon themselves. It’s
much easier to condemn those who
engage in sins that we don’t engage in.
We are too good at looking outward
and not busy enough looking inward,”
said Mathews. The nuns of St. Hilda’s House are
Another reason environmental taking the relatively unusual step of
issues don’t seem to gain traction embracing environmentalism. “It’s a
among people of faith seems to stem question of stewardship,” said Sister
from the distrust between the science Faith Margaret, a Staten Island
and religious communities. native. “Of responsibility.”
There is a tendency among the two
groups to think of themselves as environmental issues facing us.
mutually exclusive. Mathews, for one, “In the end, the religious community
views this as an irresponsible approach. needs to partner with the scientific
“I would say that there is a great deal community. To hear what the scientific
of misunderstanding on both sides. community has to say and to learn
Responsible Christians should embrace from it,” said Harper, adding that the
science as proof of God’s creation.” rift between the two needs to be
Likewise, Harper pointed a healed.
withering finger at the scientific
community too. “Some scientists Harper also said that as the larger
foreclose on the culture begins to adapt and to accept
mysteries of the environmental
universe too issues like global
soon.” “We have used God’s creation warming as a reality
Harper also that change will
without regard for the impact become more rapid.
pointed to the
intractability our rapacity had on the other “Cultural shifts
between the two precede economic
creatures with whom we share shifts. If it is made
groups as a
problem that our earthly home.” easy to do the right
needs to be thing, then people
confronted if we FROM A PRAYER ON THE COUNCIL will do the right
are to tackle the OF CHURCHES’ WEBSITE thing.”
The Commercial Appeal
Green faith movement hopes
gulf oil spill wins converts
By John Flesher
Associated Press
Where would Jesus drill?
Religious leaders who consider
environmental protection a godly
mission are making the Gulf of Mexico
oil spill a rallying cry, hoping it inspires
people of faith to support cleaner energy
while changing their personal lives to
consume less and contemplate more.
“This is one of those rare moments
when you can really focus people’s
attention on what’s happening to God’s
creation,” said Walt Grazer, head of the
National Religious Partnership for the
Environment.
Activists in the movement often
described as “green religion” or “eco-
theology” are using blogs and news
conferences to get the word out. Some
are visiting the gulf, inspecting oil-
spattered wetlands and praying with
idled fishermen and other victims.
And believers in the stricken coastal
regions are looking at the
consequences of the oil’s reach and
asking what good can come out of it.
During worship services, pastor Eddie
Painter of Barataria Baptist Church in
the fishing village of Lafitte, La., told his
congregation a silver lining in the
tragedy might be renewed government
commitment to restoring the region’s
battered coastal marshlands.
“I actually didn’t think I would be as
Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 7
deeply affected as I was by seeing oil in
the water, the birds with oil stains, the
marsh grass that had turned a shiny
brown,” said Rev. Jim Ball of the
Evangelical Environmental Network,
who recently toured Louisiana’s
Barataria Bay by boat.
Organizations including the National
Council of Churches and the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops have
issued statements calling for soul-
searching. Some are providing
ecologically themed online resources
— prayers, liturgy, scripture readings
— for use in worship services.
The push for an ecological Great
Awakening since the oil spill began in
April has come from liberals as well as
theologically conservative groups such
as the Evangelical Environmental
Network, which previously sponsored
an ad campaign with the slogan “What
Would Jesus Drive?” that called for
more fuel-efficient vehicles.
In a resolution, the Southern Baptist
Convention declared humanity’s “God-
given dominion over the creation is not
unlimited, as though we were gods and
not creatures” and called for “policies
based on prudence, conservation,
accountability and safety.”
“Caring for creation is an extension
of loving your neighbor as yourself,”
said Russell Moore, dean of Southern
Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Ky.,
who wrote the statement.
8 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Q&A WITH...

Rev.
Fletcher
Harper
Executive director of
GreenFaith coalition
Rev. Fletcher Harper is an Episcopal priest and GreenFaith’s executive
director. GreenFaith has developed innovative programs linking religious
belief and practice to the environment.
An award-winning spiritual writer and nationally recognized preacher on
the environment, he teaches and speaks at houses of worship from a range of
denominations in New Jersey and nationwide about the moral, spiritual basis
for environmental stewardship and justice.
A graduate of Princeton University and Union Theological Seminary, he
served as a parish priest for 10 years and in leadership positions in the
Episcopal Church before becoming GreenFaith’s executive director.

Q: What is the mission of GreenFaith?
A: GreenFaith is an interfaith
environmental coalition. We educate,
inspire and mobilize diverse religious
communities to be environmental leaders.
Q: What chapters of the Bible most
speak to environmental issues?
A: Way too many chapters to list. In the
first two chapters of Genesis alone, there
are numerous references.
In Genesis 2, God commands Adam to
“serve and keep” the Earth (Gen. 2:15).
In the New Testament, Paul writes
repeatedly that Christ’s salvation involves
not only people but the entire creation
(Col. 1:15-20). In John 3:16 — one of the
most famous New Testament verses —
Jesus says, “For God so loved the world …”
It’s important to realize that Jesus didn’t
just say “For God so loved people,” and that
the Greek word for “world” is “kosmos” —
which means “the entire created order.” I
don’t think most Christians realize this
when they recite John 3:16.
Q: What type of reaction do you
typically receive when you urge people
to consider environmentalism as a
spiritual duty?
The Commercial Appeal
A: At first they are curious — they’ve often
never heard this invitation from their church
or temple or mosque. People recognize that
protecting the environment is a moral duty,
and people are also deeply grateful to God for
the Earth, and the many ways it sustains our
lives. There are some very conservative
congregations which are suspicious that
environmentalism is all about left-wing
politics. But when they realize that the core
values that we’re talking about are respect for
God’s Earth, self-restraint in consumption,
and care for the most vulnerable, they see
that these are deeply religious values.
Q: Like periods in the past,
environmental awareness seems to be
growing. Do you find that there is a
growing awareness in the religious
community as well?
A: Without a doubt. Five and 10 years ago,
very few religious communities were
addressing these issues. Then, our nation
saw the devastation caused by Hurricane
Katrina, and that really made a difference —
people realized what was at stake in regards
to global warming. Al Gore’s movie made a
difference also — thousands of churches
screened the film and used it as an
educational tool. That made a big difference.
Q: More and more “green” products
are hitting the shelves. How prevalent is
“greenwashing”? Are consumers
educated enough to make the right
choices?
A: If you look at advertising, you’d think
that every product was good for the
environment — there’s a horrible amount of
greenwashing. We all need to look for third-
party certifications — not just advertisers
claims that their products are “green.”
Q: Do you encourage people to
become environmental activists?
A: Absolutely, our mission is to equip
religious leaders — clergy and lay people — to
be environmental leaders. Our Fellowship
Program is the nation’s only interfaith
education and training program to help
people of faith become religious-
Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 9
environmental leaders. Our Certification
Program is the only environmental
certification program designed specifically
for houses of worship, to help them become
strong leaders.
Q: Why is there such a divide between
the religious and scientific
communities? Can this rift be healed?
A:I see more and more healing of this rift
through religious efforts to protect the Earth.
The scientific community has shared so
much insight into the beauty and complexity
of the Earth and its ecosystems — they’ve
really made it possible for us to appreciate the
beauty of God’s Earth in a deeper way than
ever before. At the same time, most scientists
that I’ve met are deeply concerned about the
rising levels of pollution around the world, and
they realize that religious groups — with our
deep beliefs and large networks — can be an
important ally in efforts to protect the Earth. I
see a great deal of hope in this — and I believe
that the religious and scientific communities
will learn to collaborate in important,
meaningful ways on this in the future.
Q: Have you had much dialogue with
the business community? If so, what
type of response do you typically get?
A: We’ve worked with many business
leaders who believe strongly in protecting the
environment — small business owners who
run renewable energy firms, recycling
companies, organic farmers, caterers who
use local, organic products. There are lots of
business leaders who believe strongly in
protecting the environment and they
recognize the importance of a religious
witness in this area.
We’ve also dealt with companies that
pollute consistently, and we use advocacy
and, very occasionally, litigation to address
this — particularly pollution in poor
communities. Some bad actors simply
believe that they can pollute freely in poor
communities because environmental laws
aren’t actively enforced, or because the
fines are very modest. We think that part of
our responsibility is to fight against this.
10 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Did you know?
In 1862, 90 percent of Americans were
farmers. Today, only 2 percent work as
farmers.
Americans spend about $11 billion a year
on bottled water. It takes 1.5 million barrels of
oil to make those bottles.
One gallon of gasoline can contaminate
750,000 gallons of water.
One full standard toilet flush in the
developed world uses as much water as the
average person in the developing world uses in
a day for everything they do.
More than 150 million cell phones are
bought annually in the United States. We also
throw out more than 425,000 daily.
Some 20 percent of CO2 emissions are
the result of driving.
Source: “Catholics Going Green” by Walter
E. Grazer
Small steps
Walter E. Grazer suggests these simple
things anyone can do to be more
environmentally aware.
1. Start with prayer and put the
environment in that context. It can lift your
consciousness.
2. Educate yourself to figure out what’s
going on with topics you care about.
3. Examine your lifestyle to see if there are
any changes you can make that are more
environmentally responsible: Walk more and
drive less; turn off lights if you’re going to be
out of a room more than 15 minutes.
4. Try, where you can, to impact the public
square, whether it’s through direct political
engagement or just talking to neighbors.
5. Take the time to appreciate nature: Smell
the flowers, watch bees pollinate or take a
walk.
— Houston Chronicle
commercialappeal.com
CHRIS PECK Opinion
Time to preach
the green gospel
SOMETIMES YOU HEAR an idea
and say, that would be good for
Memphis.
Here’s one. Have the churches and
religious leaders of this city go green.
Preach the truth that God’s Earth
is in trouble and we in Memphis can
help do God’s work by helping out
our distressed lands and waters and
living more lightly in our businesses
and homes.
Organize congregations to go
green in their personal lives, their
business lives, their community lives.
Do it not because a politician said
so, but because your faith in the
Creator and your connection to
your community compel you to do
your part to steward the Earth
forward for the next generation.
Rev. Fletcher Harper came to
Memphis recently to make that
pitch. He spoke at the first Gather at
the River conference here, a
pioneering effort to bring the
Memphis faith community together
with scientists and environmental
experts to talk about the health of the
Mississippi River — and much more.
“A substantial majority of all
Americans will say that they have
had a spiritual experience outdoors,”
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 11

Harper explained with a smile to the American pastor of Bloomfield Baptist,

assembled pastors and community is one. Rev. Cheryl Cornish of First
leaders as he talked about the links Congregational Church is another.
between faith and environmentalism. But for many congregations, social
“But we don’t talk about it for more than problems, crime problems, family
about five seconds.” problems get most of the attention.
Usually those five seconds relate to Harper can recount the reasons why
our experiences in the garden or maybe pastors can, and should, preach the
on the golf course. Our spiritual green gospel.
connections with a sunset, or the call of In the very big picture, our Earth is
a cardinal, or the beauty of a mighty hurting, struggling to keep people of
river, remain mostly private moments faith afloat. As a result:
unconnected to larger issues of faith More than 1 billion people don’t have
and community. access to clean water.
But it shouldn’t be that way, Harper Even more don’t have enough food,
believes. Most of us have felt a deep which ultimately comes from the Earth.
connection to the Earth, which he Environmental and weather
notes is God’s greatest creation. And catastrophes leave more people
from those moments of personal destitute than all the wars we know
connection it is possible to see that we about.
mere mortals aren’t here to use Earth On a community level here along the
as our playground, but to tend it for banks of the Mississippi River we also
future generations. know these truths:
That’s the core message of Greater Memphis draws all of its
GreenFaith — drinking water from
the organization an ancient
that Harper Preach the truth that God’s underground
leads. aquifer, a big pool of
GreenFaith’s Earth is in trouble and we in water right below
mission: to Memphis can help do God’s where 1.4 million
inspire, educate people live.
and mobilize work by helping out our Awareness of that
people of diverse distressed lands and waters aquifer, and steps to
religious keep it clean, will
backgrounds for and living more lightly in our support every life in
environmental businesses and homes. Greater Memphis.
leadership. Our metro region
In Memphis, still struggles with
the GreenFaith movement is only now too many people not having enough
getting rolling. Yes, some church good food, or good eating habits, in
leaders are working on the connection part because many people don’t live
between faith and environment. Rev. near a grocery store or have the money
Ralph White, the longtime African- to eat right. We’re ripe for more
12 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
community gardens, more caring for others
who are without the basics of fresh, local
foodstuffs.
Because Memphis is an old city with an
industrial past, many neighborhoods are
built on brownfields polluted by the
remnants of that early industrialism. This
sickens people and helps drive down real
estate prices. Poorer, African-American
neighborhoods are probably at most risk.
Then there is the growing personal
awareness that each of us can do our part to
put less strain on the Earth — by shifting
to low-power light bulbs, installing faucets
that use less water, burning less gasoline
and getting more exercise.
Many churches could pledge to go green
on the church grounds. Many
congregations manage vast tracts of lawn
and clusters of large buildings ripe for
modification into more Earth-friendly,
environmentally sustainable community
hubs. Congregations could explore ways to
reduce fertilizer run-off, use less water and
save energy and money by recycling,
insulating and buying local foodstuffs.
All of this, Harper notes, likely would
begin to change the larger Memphis
culture. “Because people’s behavior is not
really changed by information, but by
relationships,” he said. “And churches are
all about building relationships. The
churches can help their congregations learn
and lead.”
It is a calling, really. If faith leaders would
join the cause of protecting Mother Earth
in Memphis, all of Creation would be
served.
Chris Peck is editor of The Commercial Appeal.
Contact him at 529-2390 or at
peck@commercialappeal.com.
To see more of The Commercial Appeal or to
subscribe to the newspaper, go to
commercialappeal.com.
commercialappeal.com
Fest promotes
the green side
of Memphis
By Linda A. Moore
lmoore@commercialappeal.com
Behind the mellow sounds of
the Overton High School Blues
and Jazz Ensemble, those want-
ing a greener Memphis and the
groups that can show them how
came together during the first
GreenUp Memphis Festival.
It was presented by Mayor A C
Wharton and the Memphis City
Beautiful Commission on the fi-
nal day of the Memphis Farmers
Market for the season.
“We want to be the greenest
city in America, and having folks
collaborate and share their sus-
tainable practices is a great way to
head in that direction,” said Eldra
White, City Beautiful executive
director.
The partnership with the farm-
ers market helped bring the crowds
that made the festival a success.
“We come to the farmers mar-
ket every Saturday,” said Alex
Slichter.
“And when we heard about this
we thought it was nice that the
mayor was trying to make Mem-
phis so beautiful,” said his wife
Cathy Cozad.
Displays included retailers with
The Commercial Appeal
Tiuyana Moy (left) and Quin Paige, volunteers from Douglass High School, work
the grounds and pick up garbage of the first GreenUp Memphis festival.
pottery, eco-conscious roofing, and
goods made from recycled products.
There were hybrid Memphis Area
Transit Authority Buses and mounted
Memphis police officers, the greenest of
patrols.
“They’re making fertilizer,” said or-
ganizer Greg Belz with the Memphis
City Beautiful Commission.
Some participants, like the Sierra
Club and the Wolf River Conservancy,
were expected, along with city agencies
like Memphis Parks Services.
Another display from Douglass High
School showed off their success as an
award winning Tennessee Valley Au-
thority Green Schools.
Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 13
Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal
The FOG program
The city’s FOG (Fats, Oils and
Greases) Program from public works is
an effort to stop residents from
clogging drains with kitchen grease.
Butter, margarine and bacon fat may
melt under hot water and go down the
drain. But once it leaves your house
and goes through the collection system
it forms into hard, nasty looking solids.
Those solids damage the system,
said Larry Anderson, a public works
environmental engineer.
“We’re encouraging people to put the
grease in a can, let it cool off, put a lid
on it, let harden and then put it in your
trash,” Anderson said.
14 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.com

At Douglass students in the

Harvest
Watt Busters Club encourage
energy efficient practices for
the school, calculate savings
and bust teachers whose class-
rooms don’t measure up. The
tickets carry a $1 fine and have
put $50 in the club’s coffers.
Overall, with the mayor’s
support, the city is headed in
the right direction, White
Festival
said.
“Plus the community itself is Chefs, producers join
wanting this,” she said. “We’re forces for family-style
not driving it. We have to re-
sponds to the citizens here. celebration of successful
They want this and we’re go-
ing to make it happen for farmers market season
them.”
— Linda A. Moore: 529-2702
By Melissa Petersen /
Special to The Commercial Appeal

“We want to be the OUR GROWING SEASON may be

greenest city in largely over and the farmers tuckered out,
America, and but we all have reason to celebrate the
having folks Mid-South’s harvest.
collaborate and We’ve had an explosion of new
share their farmers markets, including the Cooper-
sustainable Young Community Farmers Market,
South Memphis Farmers Market and St.
practices is a great
Jude Farmers Market; the farmers have
way to head in that
had a successful season; there is
direction.”
increased diversity in the food offered;
ELDRA WHITE, and more chefs are adding locally grown
City Beautiful executive director
items to their menus.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 15

The Commercial Appeal Files

A scene from one of the many farmers markets serving the Memphis area: the
Jones Orchard stand at the Memphis Botanic Garden Farmers Market.

Today, the Memphis Farmers Market
Harvest Celebration Downtown brings
together local chefs and producers for a
feast of music, fundraising and food. The
ticketed event at Central Station gives
the public a chance to meet the people
who are growing, producing and selling
the food they purchase at the markets.
“Market days are always a flurry of
activity and shoppers, and we’re all
exhausted at the end of the day,” says
Laretha Randolph, vendor chairwoman
and chairwoman of the capital campaign
for the Memphis Farmers Market
Downtown. “The Harvest Celebration is
one time when everyone can enjoy each
other, talk and take a step back from all
the hard work to really celebrate another
great season.”
Harvest celebrations have existed
since people first began to cultivate food.
Traditions are varied, based on crops,
religious beliefs — rituals to please the
gods abound — and time of year.
Commemorating a good harvest is a
tradition practiced in some manner in all
parts of the world. Kwanzaa (Swahili for
“first fruits”) is a seven-day festival
celebrating family, community and
culture. Even Thanksgiving essentially
16 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
Jill Forrester (left) prepares her flower stand at the Memphis Farmers Market;
okra selling by the box at Agricenter International.
started out as a harvest celebration.
The local Harvest Celebration this
year includes more than 17 participating
restaurants such as Amerigo, Felicia
Suzanne’s, Grill 83, Interim, Majestic
Grille, McEwen’s on Monroe and Thyme
Bistro, all putting on a huge spread of
family-style offerings. You can relax with
a glass of wine or local beer from Ghost
River, bid on an auction item and chat
with a chef about the 10 best things to
cook with winter greens (they’ll tell
you).
“Sometimes I do get very specific
requests,” says Patrick Reilly, chef and
owner of The Majestic Grille. “ ‘I have
all this Swiss chard! Help me!’ One of my
commercialappeal.com
favorite recipes is Swiss Chard Strudel.
So I share the recipe the best I can and
hope that I didn’t leave out any vital
steps. Sometimes it is hard to fully
remember a recipe that early on a
Saturday morning (at the market), but
we’ll all be much more alert tonight at
the Harvest Festival, so ask away!”
Our rich history as an agricultural
society in the Mid-South has included
festivals to mark the harvests of many of
the individual crops grown here: Ripley
Tomato Festival, West Tennessee
Strawberry Festival, Watermelon
Carnival in Water Valley, Miss.
With the proliferation of food available
year-round on store shelves, the need to
The Commercial Appeal
give thanks and congratulate one
another on having enough food to live
through the winter may have gone by the
wayside, but lauding the end of a
successful season continues.
“My family looks forward to seeing
the farmers that put the food on our
table each week” says Melissa
Wolowicz, a local-food advocate and
market regular. “Knowing that
Kimberlie from West Wind Farms
worked from dawn till dusk and then
drove across Tennessee to bring us
fresh, farm-raised goods means a lot to
me. The farmers are always glad to see
us, despite long hours. And thanks to
our CSA (community supported
agriculture), we have tried many new
vegetables that we wouldn’t have
necessarily picked out.”
Some of the markets, including the
Memphis Botanic Garden Farmers
Market, celebrate the end of the season
with a vendor party. While it’s just for
the farmers and producers, it’s nice to
know that the people who are growing
our food are friends and work
collaboratively. They talk about what
works and what doesn’t. They help
each other out. They’re already
planning for next year.
Most of the local markets are closed
for the season (South Memphis
vendors are invited to sell as long as
they have product).
Memphis Farmers Market hopes to
use the money raised at tonight’s event
to build an extension on the pavilion at
the market by next spring.
Melissa Petersen is the editor of Edible
Memphis, a magazine that celebrates the
abundance of local food, season by season.
Contact her at ediblememphis.com.
Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 17
Local Farms Contact info:
Bonnie Blue Farm, goat cheeses, (931)
722-4628, bonniebluefarm.com
Delta Pecan Orchard, pecans, flavored
pecans, pecan oil, pecan confections,
(800) 281-2582, deltapecan.com
Donnell Farms, beef, eggs, (731) 424-
4526, donnellcenturyfarm.com
Evergreen Farm, eggs, dairy products,
(731) 376-8209, utterlyfresh.com
Hughes Honey, (901) 475-1918,
bhfarms@prodigy.net
Jones Orchard, pears, apples, market
and kitchen, 7170 Hwy 51 N, Millington,
873-3150, jonesorchard.com
Mathis Creek Farms, beef, sausage,
497-5892, Mathiscreekfarms@aol.com
Neola Farms, beef, 476-1867,
neolafarms.com
Peace Bee Farm, honey, (870) 702-
7976, peacebeefarm.com
Windermere Farms, honey, 386-2035,
klansing@winfarms.com, winfarms.com
West Wind Farms, dairy products,
meats, poultry, (423) 442-9768,
westwindfarms.com
McCarter Coffee, 5995 Hwy 51 N,
Millington, 358-5500,
mccartercoffee.com
Flora Produce, eggs,
Vanlee2001@yahoo.com
Also at Tsumani Farmers Market starting
this month
Markets
Miss Cordelia’s Grocery, 737 Harbor
Bend Road, misscordelias.com. Carries
products from Delta Pecan, Neola Farms,
McCarter Coffee, Donnell Farms, Bonnie
Blue Farm and others.
Trolley Stop Market, 704 Madison.
(Saturdays 8 a.m. – noon, starting this
month.) Carries products from Delta
Pecan, Neola Farms, Evergreen Farm,
West Wind Farms, McCarter Coffee and
others.
Tsunami Farmers Market, Saturdays,
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tsunami parking lot 928
S Cooper. Donnell Farms, Flora Produce,
and Evergreen Farm plan to be there.
18 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Get up early:
These breads
sell quickly
By Angela Knipple
Special to The Commercial Appeal

Bread didn’t bring Sheri

McKelvie to Memphis, but she
couldn’t be here without it.
“I love the dough. And even in
a low-carb world, bread is still
good food,” she says.
McKelvie wasn’t professionally
trained as a baker.
“I was house sitting for some
people in Oregon, and I got
snowed in. They had a really
great kitchen and a book on
baking bread. So the whole time
Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal
I was stuck there, I made bread.
And that was it. When I came
“I love seeing people,” says Sheri McKelvie, down from there, I got a job in a
who sells her Cucina Breads at Memphis bakery,” she recalls.
Farmers Market. The breads she makes could be

“I love the dough. And even in a

low-carb world, bread is still good food.”
SHERI MCKELVIE
The Commercial Appeal
considered artisan breads. At her one-
person operation, the dough rises slowly,
and she bakes in small batches, each loaf
unique.
“I bake every Friday afternoon and
night for the market. I’m able to make
300 loaves, but I only cook 30 at a time.
I’ve got it down now so that I can do the
whole process in 12 hours.”
After a hard night of work, McKelvie
is still a smiling face at the market.
“I love seeing people. I worked in
wholesale for three years, but you don’t
get to see any of the customers when
you do that,” she says. “I really like
getting to talk to the people who are
buying my bread.”
McKelvie came to Memphis from
Upside-Down Bread Pudding
2 cups half and half cut into 1-inch cubes
4 eggs 1 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ tsp cinnamon 3 small pears, peeled, cored and
1 loaf cranberry walnut bread, sliced thinly
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together
the half and half, eggs and cinnamon
until well combined. Add the cubed
breads and stir to coat the bread
completely. Cover the bowl with plastic
wrap and allow it to rest in the
refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to
overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Toss the pear slices in the sugar and
set aside.
Melt the butter in a large oven-proof
skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium
heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the
vanilla and stir to combine.
Carefully arrange the pear slices in the
skillet to cover most of the bottom of the
pan. Evenly scatter over any remaining
Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 19
Oregon after her best friend moved to
town.
“I came for a visit, and I really liked the
city. I saw a lot of opportunity as a baker,
and the music is such a great part of
Memphis to me. And I love the way that I
can go anywhere in town and I always
seem to run into someone I know.”
While she will be taking a well-earned
break for a couple of weeks after the
market closes for the year Saturday,
McKelvie will bake by special order
every six to eight weeks throughout the
winter.
See her website, cucinabread.com, or
e-mail cucinamemphis@gmail.com for
more information about her baking
schedule and pickup locations.
½ cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter
½ tsp. vanilla
sugar. Allow the pears to cook for 2
minutes without stirring.
Gently spread the soaked bread evenly
over the hot pear mixture without
disturbing the pear slices.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and
cook for 30 minutes or until the top is an
even golden brown and the pudding
springs back when touched. The bread
pudding should still be moist.
Remove the skillet from the oven, and
place a large serving plate upside-down
on top of the skillet without letting the
pudding rest. Carefully flip the skillet and
remove the pan. The pudding should
easily release from the pan with the layer
of pears and caramel on top.
20 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010 commercialappeal.com

Allison Kwesell / Chattanooga Times Free Press

Program pushes aquarium’s green initiatives

What: Sustainable practices throughout the Tennessee Aquarium and its River
Gorge Explorer attraction
Company: Tennessee Aquarium
Location: 201 Chestnut St., Chattanooga
How it’s green: The aquarium’s River Gorge Explorer recently was recognized
by the Passenger Vessel Association for implementing green practices that
conserve, protect and preserve the natural environment. The attraction uses
the cleanest burning diesel engines that meet new EPA emissions standards.
Also, the aquarium has implemented a “Go Green” program, complete with a
sustainability budget, that seeks to make it a more eco-friendly business.
Why do it this way? “We try to do everything we can with the environment in
mind,” Benson said. “It’s really from the drawing board to actual operations — as
many building components, operational standards, whatever we can get in there.”
Plans for expanding: The aquarium is taking small steps such as recycling
paper and plastic products, using biodegradable gift bags and purchasing
hybrid and biodiesel vehicles. Benson said future Go Green project plans
include installing low-flow toilets and urinals, motion sensor faucets and air
hand dryers in the facility’s bathrooms.
— Brittany Cofer, Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 21

Students pursue green degrees,

but creation of green jobs lags
By Tim Barker
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

NEOSHO, Mo. — With the

nation investing billions of dol-
lars in clean energy, it stands to
reason that tiny Crowder Col-
lege should be quite popular
these days.
After all, this is a place that’s
been educating students about
alternative energy for more than
three decades. The school offers
degree tracks in solar, wind and
biofuels. It offers courses both
locally and through its online
program.
Yet fewer than 60 students are
pursuing green degrees from the
school. That’s not terribly sur-
prising, considering that jobs in
this sector have been slow to
materialize. It’s a market, in-
structors say, that depends heav-
ily on using government incen-
tives to get companies to invest
in green endeavors. And that’s
just not happening right now.
Elie Gardner/St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Frankly, with these market
conditions, it’s turned out to be (From left) Andrew Poor, Ben Cade and
very hard to make a living in Arthur Barker insert tubes into a tank while
this industry,” said Daniel Boyt, assembling a Sun Maxx Solar thermosyphon
whose uncle founded Crowder’s during a lab for a Solar Thermal Systems
alternative energy program in class at Crowder College in Missouri..
the 1970s.
22 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
Incentives, public-private
partnerships key to growth
MIDLAND, Mich. — Immediate, decisive
investments in the green manufacturing
sector can help boost America’s exports, lower
the trade deficit, create jobs and increase its
competitiveness in a dynamic world
marketplace, according to Stephanie A. Burns,
president and CEO of Dow Corning Corp.
“I’m convinced that green jobs, especially
green manufacturing jobs, can be a major factor
in our economic recovery,” she said. “I believe
that with the right mix of private investment,
government support and entrepreneurial spirit,
we can revitalize the heart of our nation’s
economy — our manufacturing sector. .”
Burns made her remarks in her keynote
address at the 2010 International District
Export Council Conference session
“Capitalizing on America’s Export Advantages:
Green & Innovation.”
“We need the policies in place for
renewables manufacturing to flourish here —
in order to have the opportunities for export,”
she said. “Other nations have adopted
aggressive policies to support the growth of
their renewable-energy manufacturing base,
but companies that hope to manufacture in
the U.S. are faced with discouraging barriers. ”
Burns also discussed Dow Corning’s
proposed four-point plan to grow the domestic
solar industry, which she said addresses many
of the manufacturing, legislative, regulatory
and work force-related factors that influence
America’s ability to develop a thriving,
domestic industry that will increase exports.
The four points are for the government to:
Establish legislative and regulatory
policies to encourage rapid growth of a viable
renewable energy industry and encourage
consumer adoption.
Increase investments in research and
development to support innovation in solar
energy technologies.
Invest in renewable energy-related
education, training and job creation.
Lead by example in the implementation of
clean technologies.
commercialappeal.com
It’s not that the government
hasn’t tried, at least on the money
side of the equation, with the Oba-
ma administration setting aside $25
billion in stimulus money for clean
energy.
So far, the investment hasn’t
yielded the kinds of results the ad-
ministration had hoped for.
But it has spurred fresh interest
on the part of colleges and uni-
versities eager to get in on the
green action.
“It wasn’t too long ago that we
couldn’t get anyone’s attention,”
said Alan Marble, Crowder’s pres-
ident. “Now everyone’s got the
fever.”
The community college near the
Ozark Mountains with 5,200 stu-
dents seems an unlikely place to
serve as the state’s go-to school for
all things green.
But in 1992, Crowder was des-
ignated by the Legislature as the
state’s renewable energy education
center. Later this year, school lead-
ers hope to break ground on a $7
million home for its Missouri Al-
ternative and Renewable Energy
Technology Center.
It’s clear the tiny school from
Neosho takes pride in its status.
They have held their own in com-
petition against teams of students
from big name schools such as the
Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
ogy, the University of Texas and
Carnegie Mellon Institute.
Lately, the school has been sit-
ting out the big competitions be-
cause of rising costs. Administra-
tors say they’d rather focus
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 23

Elie Gardner/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A wind turbine turns behind a solar house built in 2005 for the Solar Decathlon
competition. Tiny Crowder College in Neosho has long been a leader in the push
to educate students for a world that will demand expertise in green technologies.

resources on campus programs. Edwin Moore, a freelance writer from

Part of that focus, however, includes
the realization that jobs still haven’t
caught up with the supply of graduates.
To counter that, Crowder employs a job-
hedging system, in which each of the
green degrees teaches something extra.
A student who studies wind turbines,
for example, also learns about general
industrial maintenance.
“It’s not our purpose to train people
and take their money,” said Marble,
Crowder’s president. “It’s about getting
people ready to go to work.”
Among the students enrolled in
Crowder’s alternative energy program is
nearby Anderson, Mo.
“As much as I enjoy my work, it
would be nice to have a steady paycheck
and health insurance,” said Moore,
who’s studying biofuels.
It’s a similar story for Victorio An-
gulo, a chemical engineer based in Ben-
tonville, Ark., who is considering a ca-
reer shift.
“I’d like to work more in that area,”
Angulo said. “And one thing might lead
to another.”
But figuring out whether Angulo and
Moore will get those green jobs is a bit
of a guessing game.
24 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
only recently started tracking the sec-
tor, figuring the nation had around 2.2
million green jobs. The bureau has not
yet offered forecasts on expected
growth from the sector.
Economic experts, however, aren’t
optimistic.
The problem, some say, is that the
U.S. lags in green industries compared
to Europe and other parts of the
world. And it’s still cheaper to use
traditional energy sources — though
most expect that to change.
“Over time, we know that energy
prices have gone up and down. But
they are more likely to go up,” said
Jack Strauss, an economics professor
at St. Louis University. “I would think
the jobs are coming.”
Strauss and others say help for the
sector could come in the form the
carbon tax that’s been pushed for
years as a way to reduce carbon emis-
sions by making traditional fuel
sources more expensive.
To some, it’s simply a matter of
making it happen. Dan Eberle, the
former director of Crowder’s alterna-
tive energy programs who’s building a
similar program at Johnson County
Community College in Overland Park,
Kan., sees parallels to the 1950s when
the country decided to build a network
of roads across the nation.
“When we wanted to build the in-
terstate highway system, we incen-
tivized it. We made it possible,” Eberle
said.
The $25 billion set aside by the
Obama administration two years ago
has, thus far, produced little in terms
commercialappeal.com
of job growth.
“It’s happening. But it’s happening
at a very slow and methodical pace,”
said Rico Kolster, a Kansas City-based
lawyer on Bryan Cave’s energy indus-
try team.
He said businesses also are leery of
incentive dollars, which they fear will
come with regulatory strings. At the
same time, smaller start-ups eager to
grab the federal money often lack the
resources and expertise needed to se-
cure the funds.
And it’s not even clear that new jobs
will do anything more than put back
to work those people who’ve been
idled by the move away from coal-
powered plants and other traditional
power sources.
Others, however, say the problem
with creating green jobs is the same
one experienced by virtually every oth-
er sector during these tough economic
times.
“It’s not good. But that’s because
the overall job market is not good,”
said Robert Pollin, economics profes-
sor at the University of Massachusetts-
Amherst and a consultant to the U.S.
Department of Energy on stimulus
spending.
Pollin said getting the stimulus
money out into the economy has been
tough because of difficulties establish-
ing how it should be awarded and a
reluctance on the part of businesses to
invest matching dollars.
“You will get a lot of jobs if you
spend a lot of money,” Pollin said.
“But we haven’t spent the money.”
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 25

Composting: Not as
fussy as some think

By Lee Reich Evelyn Mosley and her

Associated Press grandson, Andrew,
work in the
Pity the beginning gardener who dares to read composting area
about composting. behind her
What novice would not be intimidated by the too Germantown home.
often very complicated instructions, as well as al- She composts
leged needs for exotic or hard-to-find ingredients? leaves,grass and
Some British gardening books, for example, might kitchen waste.
have you tossing in your pitchfork and gloves in
Karen Pulfer Focht
despair trying to find soil for your compost pile. The Commercial Appeal files
Many British “authorities” recommend laying down
26 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
a 1- to 2-inch blanket after every foot
or so of other ingredients. Where are
you going to find all that soil?
In fact, soil is a nice, but surely not
necessary, addition to a compost pile.
Rather than those layers, just add
sprinklings of soil to your compost
piles. Or none at all.
‘Clean’ leaves, stems and
fruits
The directives most likely to per-
suade a beginner to abandon com-
posting are those telling us not to
compost diseased plants or plant
parts. The same could be said for
warnings against composting plants
or plant parts harboring insect pests.
You might similarly be instructed to
keep weeds out of your compost piles.
Is any of this possible or desirable?
Unless you regularly douse your
property with a slew of insecticides
and fungicides, you are unlikely to
find much plant material that does
not host some insect or disease pest.
That’s if you looked closely enough.
You might find a clean leaf here and
there, but nothing in quantity, and
surely nothing worth picking through.
And if you follow warnings against
using weeds, you miss out on the
sweet revenge of reincarnating them,
from agents that rob plants of nu-
trients and water into compost, which
has the opposite effect.
It’s all good
So forget all the talk about keeping
pest-ridden plants and weeds out of
compost piles. Using a finished com-
commercialappeal.com
post that has been fed such things
should not cause any problems.
What spells death to insect, disease
and weed pests in a compost pile is a
combination of heat and time. Pile up
compostable materials in a big batch,
with attention to the mix of ingre-
dients, air and moisture, and intense
heat soon follows.
Get a long-probed compost ther-
mometer (you can find them at
Charleysgreenhouse.com, Fed-
coseeds.com, Gardeners.com or John-
nyseeds.com, among other places)
and watch the dial spin as high as 160
degrees, which is hot enough to kill
virtually all pests in short order.
A casually made pile, built grad-
ually over a few weeks — especially
at this time of year with weather
turning cooler — will generate little
heat. But let any pile of living or
once-living material sit long enough
and it will eventually turn dark brown
and crumbly. Along the way, pests
will have expired or been gobbled up
by other microorganisms. A week at
100 degrees could have the same
killing effect on some pests as an
hour at 140 degrees.
Garden gold
You cannot do much better for your
garden than to lavish it with compost.
And you need plenty of raw materials
to make plenty of compost.
Don’t waste any compostable ma-
terials — including weeds and pest-
ridden plants — by bagging them up
as garbage or burning them.
The Commercial Appeal
Composting primer
Here are some composting basics:
GETTING STARTED
The first step would be to determine
the best system for you. Some people
opt to create a compost pile in a corner
of the backyard, sometimes enclosed
by a wire, cage-like structure. Others
prefer a large covered bin that rotates.
The price varies according to the
bin’s features, including whether it
turns or stacks. A basic black plastic
bin with a screw-on top runs about
$100. Check with the local municipality
or environmental center to see if
discounts are offered.
A pile works just great for leaves and
grass clippings, but when you want to
incorporate food waste, its time to use
a bin to prevent rodents.
Apartment dwellers also can
compost right in their kitchens,
sometimes speeding the process with
red wriggler worms or another species
that breaks down organic matter. This
is called vermicomposting. Specialized
bins are sold for indoor use, The worms
are available online.
WHAT TO TOSS IN
Think brown and green — a mix of
the two is best.
Browns include wood chips and
dried leaves from trees. These items
are sources of carbon. So are
newspapers.
Greens can include grass clippings
and other yard waste and food scraps,
including vegetable or fruit peels and
coffee grounds. These provide
nitrogen.
Use twice as much green material as
brown material if you can turn the pile
often. If you don’t turn your pile, go
more 50-50 or even 2-1 in the other
direction to start.
By adding soil or some compost, you
Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 27
can jumpstart the process.
It’s recommended that you don’t
throw meat or fish scraps or dairy
products into your compost bin. Those
could attract rodents. Material treated
with pesticides also should not be
composted, nor should you use weeds
that have gone to seed.
You’ll also want to keep the compost
pile moist, but not wet, and make sure
it’s aerated.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
If you just put your organic materials
into a pile and let it decompose on its
own, it takes about a year to produce
compost.
Start in autumn, when the leaves are
falling.
For faster composting, use a unit
that rotates. One such unit has three
separate bins. The decomposing
material is turned from bin to bin, as it
decomposes.
If you use blood meal or corn gluten
to speed up the process and turn the
compost bin every day, you can have
compost in about six weeks.
WHEN IT’S FINISHED
Finished compost will be cool, brown
and crumbly and smells fresh, like soil.
It can be used as organic fertilizer in
your yard or to fertilize house plants.
Associated Press
28 GOING GREEN | Sunday, November 7, 2010
MEATLESS MONDAY
Restaurants adapt veggie ‘concept’
Restaurant consultant Andrew Free-
man & Co. recently released their ‘2011
Trend List’ of 18 up-and-coming ideas
that restaurateurs should be watching.
The prediction: veggies will boom in
restaurants next year.
Here are some key points:
Even meat-minded chefs are veg-
ging out as ‘flexitarian’ goes main-
stream. Meatless Mondays and veg-
etable-based tasting menus are gaining
traction as guests realize it’s not all
about the meat on the plate.
Many eateries nationwide have al-
ready realized that Meatless Mondays
are great for business and a creative
way to showcase skills. In April, celebri-
ty chef Mario Batali began offering
commercialappeal.com
Meatless Monday options in his 14
restaurants nationwide; others have fol-
lowed his lead. Meatless Monday dining
suggestions are now popping up in Za-
gat, the Chicago Tribune, Organic Au-
thority and Food & Wine.
Not only are Meatless Mondays
popular, they make good sense. Restau-
rateurs can use plant-based meals to
transform an otherwise slow business
day into an opportunity for special
sales, creative promotions and original
dishes. The success of eateries like
Dovetail (New York), Nage (Washing-
ton D.C.), Maoz Vegetarian and Tender
Greens (San Diego) show the popu-
larity of the Meatless Monday concept
with chefs and customers alike.
The Commercial Appeal Sunday, November 7, 2010 | GOING GREEN 29

Roasted Pepper Pecan Pesto Pasta

Red bell peppers are blackened in the oven, then seasoned with garlic, lemon
juice, cumin and hot pepper flakes. Breadcrumbs and pecans add texture and
protein to this play on an Italian classic, before this pasta sauce is tossed with
linguine and fresh basil. This recipe is courtesy of Circle B Kitchen.

1
1 red pepper, halved /2 cup pecan halves grated for garnish
1 1 1
/2 cup bread crumbs /2 tsp. salt /2 cup fresh basil, chopped for
1
1 garlic clove, minced /4 cup extra virgin olive oil garnish
1
1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 pound linguine /2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1
1 tsp. ground cumin /2 cup parmesan cheese, for garnish
1
/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Turn on the broiler of an oven.

Place the pepper halves cut side
down on a baking sheet and broil 2-4
inches from the flame for about 12-15
minutes, or until the skins have
blackened.
Place the blackened pepper in a
bowl covered in plastic wrap or in a
sealed zip lock bag. Let the pepper
steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove the
pepper from the bowl. Scoop out the
seeds and slip the skins off, but do
not rinse under water. Cut the peeled Red bell peppers are blackened in
pepper into large pieces and place in the oven, then seasoned with garlic,
a food processor. lemon juice, cumin and hot pepper
Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon flakes for this savory main course.
juice, cumin, red pepper flakes,
pecans and salt to the food
processor. Begin to pulse and blend Place a large sauté pan over
the pesto ingredients together. Slowly medium-low heat. Spoon the pesto
add the olive oil to the food processor into the pan and toss with the drained
while blending, so the pesto becomes pasta to heat through, adding as
a smooth paste. much of the reserved pasta water as
Bring a large salted pot of water to needed to make a sauce to your
a boil over medium-high heat and preferred consistency.
cook the linguine according to Serve the pasta in equal portions
package directions. Reserve a cup of on plates. Sprinkle with grated
pasta water when you drain the parmesan cheese and fresh chopped
linguine. basil and parsley and enjoy. Serves 6