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Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
Iris H. (original recipe)
I've crossed the border from Eastern NY into Vermont on several occasions, once in a
while venturing quite far, though never all the way to Burlington. My sister taught me
to drive stick on one such visit, a skill I've never used since. Another time I was
exploring the Green Mountains of Vermont when it was announced over the radio that
Nelson Mandela had died. Those are my memories of Vermont. I supported Bernie Sanders
in the 2016 and 2020 primaries. If I'd thought to prepare, I'd have read one of his
books. Wait, I set my own schedule! I'm off to the library to grab his latest book!
Sometime later... Based on the excerpt from the back cover, I thought the whole
book might be in capital letters but it was not. Honestly, not much about Vermont.
The first couple chapters are a brief but fun behind-the-scenes look at the 2020
Presidential election from the Sanders vantage point.
His next main point seems to be that what I'll call the power elite manipulate
capitalism and the political system to prevent progress in very non-trivial ways,
e.g., no universal healthcare, which he argues at length we desperately need. He also
contends we need bottom-up solutions. I think the way to link the two is to point out,
we need policy solutions that result in legislation we can explain to the grassroots,
like Sanders does for healthcare, and then they must hold politicians to account on
these specific issues. This way, we bypass the corrupt media, lobbyists, etc. It
implies an unfiltered two-way dialogue between the grassroots and their representatives
in government. There are definite problems with our democracy but based on Sanders's
perspective, democracy may be our only hope.
Next, several chapters about policy reforms. True, I read this rather quickly, but
it's pretty grueling... There's a lot that needs to change!
Finally, he discusses why the Democratic Party is losing working-class voters and what
it needs to do to be something more than the lesser of two evils.
So I went in a Bernie Sanders fan and I come out the same. His arguments are persuasive
maybe but there wasn't a ton to sway me to since I already agreed. It's nice that someone
in government is advancing good policy even if he is losing votes 99-1. Bernie Sanders's
political existence symbolizes the dilemma of working within the system vs. upending
the system, in his case, finding the balance.
For instance, supporting Biden once he'd won the nomination and influencing the
Administration's agenda, despite disagreeing on many major issues. Is this a great
strategy? Or should we pull our support from candidates that don't reflect the
people's political values and priorities, make our votes as valuable to them as
large campaign donations are present-day. I live in a solidly Blue state so I am
free to vote my conscience in the general election without throwing it to someone
I disagree with more, but it's a difficult choice in a situation where your vote
actually matters, one that I believe must be made on a vote-by-vote basis. What are
you willing to give up today to get what you want tomorrow? What are the stakes,
today and tomorrow?
I agree with Sanders that the way we elect the U.S. Senate is fraught and I have my
own ideas about how to change it, but there is so much to do and this is not a top priority
for me. To become law, a bill must go through the House of Representatives, which is
essentially proportional. So a bill must pass that test still, even if it must also go
through the weird and semi-arbitrary test of passing the Senate. When you think about
it this way it's not entirely illogical, even if the practical reality is that it makes
it harder to pass laws which are necessary to implement the progressive agenda. Small
states have a disproportionate ability to block legislation which is maybe not ideal,
but on the other hand, we get voices like Sanders in the national conversation, that
apparently only a state as weird as Vermont will elect. So we read his book and try to
work with what is given, even while our aspirations are revolutionary.
Sauce
- 2 Tbs. Scallions, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. fresh Ginger, grated
Stir-Fry
- 7.5-oz. block Tofu, extra firm, chopped
- 1 cu. Watercress, chopped
- 1 cu. Baby bok choy, chopped
- To serve: Rice, Orange slices
Preparation
In a bowl, combine all sauce ingredients.
Heat oil in large pan. Stir-fry the broccoli for 2 minutes over moderate-high heat. Then
add tofu, watercress, and baby bok choy. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the sauce and cook
about 2 minutes more. Serve with rice and orange slices.
Discussion
A good ol' stir-fry! When I do this again, I will double the sauce, but otherwise, I enjoyed
the vegetable selection and I expected the orange slices to be strange but they were delightful.
I had to buy a giant bag of baby bok choy but that's no problem because they are awesome and go
perfectly with ramen noodles, slice off the bottom and drop one or two in just before the noodles go
in and you are set.
It's tempting to think that Vermont is pretty similar to upstate New York, especially your
hippie towns and ours, and because of this, I feel a solidarity with Iris, who is cooking up a
vegetarian stir-fry as I've done countless times, literally what I would consider my default
meal since becoming a vegetarian and eventually an aspiring vegan. Iris is channeling her
Chinese heritage but I think it's also a perfect culinary expression of simple rural hippie
ideals (and idealism). And since she is lactose free, I'll quickly mention that I like Ben
and Jerry's vegan offerings better than their dairy-based products! Check them out! Vermont's
23rd-largest employer.
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Virginia