This recipe is a creation of Jon's, inspired by a story told to him by our Portland friend Brooks who had delicious carnitas in Austin, TX that were cooked in a very unusual braising liquid. The recipe calls for braising and then baking, so it's basically a two-step process requiring very little fuss, but quite a bit of time.

Here's the recipe for the slaw:

• 1 medium sized jicama root, peeled and sliced into julienne strips
  
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
  
• 1 chayote squash, peeled and julienned
  
• 3 or 4 small mint leaves, minced
  
• 3 or 4 small basil leaves, minced
  
• 1 small sprig of cilantro, stems removed and minced
  
• 1/2 of a serrano chile, seeded, ribbed, minced
  
• 1 plum tomato or half of a larger tomato, chopped
  
• 1 quarter of a red onion (or white onion rinsed under cold water), diced
  
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon of orange juice
  
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

  When you slice your chayote squash, don't discard the seed. It's tender and delicious, and considered the best part of the squash here in Mexico. The seed is best when cooked, but it's tasty raw as well.

  Julienne means to slice into thin sticks. In this case, I made them about an inch and a half long, and just thick enough for the vegetables to maintain some crunch.

  Toss all of the ingredients together. Adjust seasonings. Serve.

  There are lots of variations that work for this recipe. You can add julienne strips of an apple (Granny Smith apples are especially good), or you can make it into more of an Asian influenced dish by replacing the olive oil with toasted sesame oil, replacing the salt with a teaspoon of fish sauce (or shoyu for vegetarians), and sprinkling chopped roasted peanuts on top as a garnish. You can even add green papaya and/or green mango.

  I think this slaw would also be great served with fish or chicken, or as one component of a composed salad. I've been fantasizing about a Mexican nicoise salad, with brandade of bacalao, salted giant capers, rinsed and sliced in half, chopped boiled eggs, roasted anaheim peppers, and this salad with the addition of white beans out of a can, served on toasted, thin tortillas.

  I love this salad because it's tasty, cheap, healthful, keeps well (it's still crunchy on the third day), and the main ingredients are local to us here in Mexico.

What a wonderful film. You and the girls and everyone involved must be so proud. I especially loved the "Big Night" like banquet / party scene. The audience member really got it right that there's a really positive vibe in here that feels like family and that unlike other food films it doesn't make you want to go home and throw out your food or want to throw your hands up with doom and gloom. It really feels optimistic and full of possibility.

I love that I get to see the CSA in action every week with the back story vividly in my mind now. What an amazing connection and contribution. I'm looking forward to following this developing story and to doing what I can to help.

I was at the BAM screening of WOYP and wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic doc. It’s really a wonderfully positive addition to the growing body of film and literature about food politics. I’d picked up a postcard at the Manhattan Borough President’s Food Politics conference last Fall and have been eagerly awaiting a chance to see it ever since.

Also, I’m doing some research on school gardening and garden-based learning programs for the BP’s office. I noticed there is a garden at the girls’ school at the end of the film, and I’d love to know if that came about in the course of shooting the film, or if it had been there before and if there are any garden-based learning opportunities there for the students. Any information you have and want to share would be greatly appreciated. Or if you could put me in touch with the principal or dietician or whoever else is in charge of the garden, that’d be great too.

Congratulations on a wonderful documentary. It is funny, emotional, beautiful, timely and important. You take on a huge subject and make it understandable. Seeing the world through the eyes of families, and especially the children, totally works. I really found it a delightful movie about a subject that matters greatly to me and clearly is of fundamental importance. Serious questions are raised yet the touch is light and wonderfully human.

I am proud of my small association with the project and told Celeste how great I thought it turned out. She can’t wait to see it and was sorry not to be in New York. Good luck with the film and I look forward to hearing more about its progress.

My students' comments were mostly positive, in terms of admiration for the two narrators of the film, whose intelligence, curiosity and activism they deeply admired. In fact, they expressed some shame at being older yet not as involved in issues affecting them as Safiyah and Sadie. There was some discussion about the differences they perceived between themselves and the girls in terms of background, family life and environment and how these might partly account for the gaps in awareness of health issues, access to people and information, etc.

I explained that part of the reason I chose the film was for its depiction of the "whole food" (or "food justice" or call it what you will) movement as one cutting across age, class, gender, national and ethnic boundaries and uniting people in the common goal of accessing the safe, healthy, affordable and sustainable food supply that is our right. Many of the other films I had to chose from failed to convey this, and some proposed solutions I found difficult to, well, swallow. I much prefer the strategy of supporting small farmers, for instance, than that of focusing on getting organic food into Walmart. Along these lines, I would love to see a film explore the formation of member-owned food co-ops that use multiple members' labor, committment and buying power to encourage ecologically and socially informed, responsible consumption and to allow people access to these products affordably.

In short, the film facilitated a rich and timely discussion. I'm thankful to have seen it just when I did and to have been able to share it with my students. Very best of luck to you all in getting it out there.

Hi Catherine - thought you might have a WE LOVE SMASHED VEG CATEGORY SO I CONTRIBUTED MY WINS-EM-OVER-EVERY-TIME Cauliflower dish - no dairy! Can be made very grown up by upping the garlic and the red pepper flakes!

Super Cauliflower-tastic

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• Water
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (more if, less if)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt & Black or White Pepper to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste

1. Trim cauliflower stalks and separate florets. In large stockpot, add cold water and 1-2 garlic cloves. Place cauliflower in large steamer basket and place into stockpot. Bring to boil, about 10 minutes.
2. When cooked, remove water and toss boiled garlic in with the cauliflower. Remove the strainer. Return pot to low heat and add olive oil. Mash all with potato masher.
3. If you don’t have a potato masher, use the back of a heavy spoon or fork.
4. Taste and add salt and experiment with the use of white or black pepper seasoning. Use crushed red pepper for garnish for to spice up the dish.
5. Serve warm - tastes great cold too!

*Adding your favorite fresh herbs bring a different taste thrill - try dill or oregano. Try a lemon squeeze over a bite-ful for a tasty zing...