Oklahoma

Smoky Southwestern Vegetable Dip

Ranger L. (original recipe)

I'm struggling a little with this entry. It's not that I don't have any impressions of Oklahoma. I just don't really have a unifying angle on what to write about. You look like a pan! The corn is as high as an elephant's eye! Zero permanent natural lakes! (But ecologically significant small, ephemeral ones called playas.) Famous race massacre! See? I guess I could force the issue.

Many states have panhandles but consider, for instance, Florida. Does Florida really need a panhandle? It's shaped like... not a pan! But Oklahoma. You'd burn yourself on Oklahoma City without a decent panhandle. Because your state is shaped like a pan.

I'm holding off on writing about agriculture because it is a complicated issue but I do like the idea of reintroducing elephants in highly managed experimental populations in the American Southwest. 10-14,000 years ago there were elephant-like mammals across North America. This would be a long-term, phased project, and we'd need a degree of commitment to conservation that will require a generational shift in attitudes which I believe is possible but beyond what I am likely to see in my own lifetime. It's fun for us to imagine.

Pronghorn can outrun every extant predator because they evolved along side the American cheetah. Talk about charismatic megafauna! Unrelated: the biggest cat that can purr.
If you don't like wolves, you're going to not love cheetahs!

Playas -- round, shallow depressions that form temporary wetlands -- play a number of important ecological roles in western Oklahoma. They are biodiversity hotspots and provide habitat to migratory waterfowl. They also recharge aquifers at many magnitudes greater a rate than surrounding land. It's tempting to think playas gonna play, but "more than 80% of playas have been modified by land convertion" (source) so let's try to be mindful of this.

I'm not sure what to say about the famous race massacre other than to acknowledge it. Wait, it was just brought to my attention -- WHICH famous race massacre?! Would you prefer I continued to compare you to a pan?

I guess I will grapple with the uncomfortable question of why both these events occurred here and conclude that oil is corrupting. A glance around the world supports this. Maybe it was a bad time in U.S. history, a bad time to make a mark. Terrible atrocities against Native Americans occurred in my own northern state of New York (albeit earlier), AND we were the last Northern state to abolish slavery (whoah) so don't feel alone, Oklahoma. We have a lot to work through.

Tofu

• 7.5-oz. block Tofu, extra firm, pressed

• Juice of 1 Lemon

• 1 tsp. Chipotle powder

Smoky Vegetable Dip

• 2 red Mini bell peppers, halved and cleaned

• Drizzle of Olive oil

• Sprinkle of Salt

• 15-oz. can Black beans, rinsed and drained

• 7.5-oz. can Corn, drained

• 1/4 medium or 1/3 small Cucumber, chopped

• Juice of 1 Lime

• 1 Tbs. Nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp. Chili powder

• 1 tsp. Smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp. ground Cumin

• 1/4 tsp. Salt

• Pepper

To Serve

• Avocado, cubed

• Sunflower seeds

• Pita, torn

• Tortilla chips

• Celery sticks

Preparation

Combine lemon juice and chipotle powder. Marinate your pressed tofu for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight.

Drizzle your pepper halves with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Allow to cool slightly, then dice.

To make the Smoky Vegetable Dip: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Then crumble in the marinated tofu with a fork or your fingers. Serve with avocado and friends!

Discussion

This was a pretty decent lunch but my 1st attempt suffered from two preventable conditions. First, it was under-seasoned. I could have at least added some salt. Second, I didn't marinate the tofu because I was too lazy and it would have been tastier if I had. I substituted tofu for cottage cheese which is a pretty heavy lift to begin with but not unimaginable, with a little effort.

So I decided to make this again even though it messed up my posting schedule. This time I marinaded the tofu, roasted the peppers, and doubled the seasoning. It turned out pretty great. I think the lesson is that sometimes a little extra effort is the difference between an OK lunchtime and a great one. Also, they tell you, don't leave things for the last minute because then you have no time to adapt. Despite my lazy first effort, I was able to learn from it and return with a new, improved offering because I am mostly ahead of schedule. I knew this challenge would be a big undertaking. I only decided to embark on my journey in mid December, and yet my tireless planning and hard work prepares me for turbulence along the way and has me headed for success, by this small measure.

North Carolina

Oklahoma U.S. firsts: shopping cart, parking meter, Girl Scout Cookies

Tennessee