Burning Ivory, Giant Sturgeon, Yarn Bombs.

I was interested in an article I read last week about Gabon, on the West Coast of Africa, burning 5 tons of ivory seized from poachers. Gabon has a zero tolerance for wildlife crime and this is a strong message informing them that they will not put up with this poaching. Last year was apparently one of the worst years for elephant poaching ever. Thousands of elephants are being killed every year despite the ban which was enacted in 1989. The biggest market is in Asia, not only for ivory, but for rhino horn and any items they believe have medicinal properties. Gabon is stepping up its institutions and laws to help combat this crime. In case you are wondering, as I did, the rhino horn is more akin to the composition of hooves than to elephant tusks being predominantly keratin.

Picture in the news yesterday of a British couple visiting BC and fishing the Fraser River at Chilliwak, they had caught probably the biggest white sturgeon ever. They say it was not tagged, so probably had not been caught for at least 18 years. They figured the fish was about 500 kilos and about 4 metres long. The fish was released, they are protected because they are classified as an imperilled species in BC. The third person is President of Great River Fishing Adventures. There is a video on the web site which is quite interesting to watch.

Have you heard of yarn bombing, I hadn’t, now I am investigating it, sounds somewhat odd to me.

Here is a recipe which looked delicious and would be very suitable for L. Diane Wolfe’s life style along with any others who practice veganism. Nothing to stop anyone else trying it as well of course. It looks absolutely delicious.

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup

By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Did you over indulge? Just a little? Don't worry,I've got a body and soul soothing cure. Mulligatawny detox soup. It's chock full of antioxidant vegetable goodness with detoxing spices to boot. Cook it on the stove top or in a Crock Pot and let it simmer for the afternoon, filling your kitchen with a comforting aroma that feels like one big hug.

Mulligatawny is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. But this version is not the traditional mulligatawny recipe with chicken. Nope. It's meat-free and dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free. The spices promote detoxing and healing. But best of all? You won't feel deprived doing what's good for your body. This mulligatawny is a mouth crush of flavors sweet and savory, creamy, spicy and tangy- all at once.

This delectable post-modern version of mulligatawny is deliciously complex. The chick peas give it a boost of protein; the apple gives it a sweet-tart kick. Use organic vegetables for maximum detox. Adjust spices if you prefer a mild soup- cayenne pepper has heat.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic Super Veggie Juice
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas , drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk , stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions

For a slow cooker:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

For stove top:

Heat the avocado oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.

Options:

If you desire a smooth soup, puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (or puree- carefully- in small batches, tightly covered, in a blender or food processor ) until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot. Heat over low heat until serving.

If you prefer more texture, puree only half the soup, or mash lightly with a potato masher until you have the consistency you desire.

Total Servings: 6

Have a great day