Founder and Executive Director of Teens for Food Justice, Kathy Soll believes that all New Yorkers should be committed to ending hunger, food insecurity and poor nutrition in one of the world’s greatest cities and that connecting youth to this mission and each other is a critical part of that achieving that goal. Teens for Food Justice was built on the concept that hands-on volunteering and helping others builds character and creates a unique level-playing field where people of all backgrounds can contribute equally through ha...
Founder and Executive Director of Teens for Food Justice, Kathy Soll believes that all New Yorkers should be committed to ending hunger, food insecurity and poor nutrition in one of the world’s greatest cities and that connecting youth to this mission and each other is a critical part of that achieving that goal. Teens for Food Justice was built on the concept that hands-on volunteering and helping others builds character and creates a unique level-playing field where people of all backgrounds can contribute equally through hard work and commitment, something hard to find in an increasingly polarized, stratified world. She also believes that service is a powerful tool for tapping young people’s talents, resources, and abilities, helping them flourish and work productively with others, and that youth who help solve social problems become more positive, engaged, hopeful adults who remain active throughout their lives on behalf of social change. Prior to forming Students for Service in 2010, she raised and educated two children in New York City’s public and independent school systems, serving in various leadership capacities within their schools’ PTAs and other community organizations. A lifelong New Yorker, she has also worked in the for-profit sector in management and marketing.
Cashew Chèvre Cheese
To Make Rejuvelac (fermented probiotic culture, needed to make Vegan cheese):
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Organic Brown Rice (can use millet, quinoa or other whole grain)
- 6 cups filtered water
Directions:
1. Put the grains in a large glass jar and add water.
2. Cover with sprouting lid or cheesecloth, secured with rubber band.
3. Let soak for 12 hours. Drain and rinse. Cover with cloth and place upside down at an angle, in warm spot,
allowing the grains to continue draining.
4. Rinse the grains twice a day with water, draining each time until the grains have begun to sprout. This will
take about three days for brown rice. Time will vary depending on which grain and temperature of the
environment. Once you see a tail on the grains, it is time to culture them.
5. Culture the rejuvelac by dividing the sprouted grains equally between two glass jars. Cover the grains in each
jar with three cups of filtered water. Place a piece of fresh cheese cloth, secured with a rubber band, over
each jar and let it sit for three days in a warm spot until the water turns cloudy and white, and has a tart,
lemony flavor.
6. Pour the liquid through a strainer into clean glass jars. Compost the grains and use the liquid to make the
cheese. The rejuvelac can be saved in the fridge for up to four weeks.
To Make the Basic Cashew Cheese:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 5-8 hours
- pinch of salt
- ¼ - ½ cup of Rejuvelac
Directions:
1. Process the cashews with salt and ¼ cup rejuvelac in blender on high, until smooth.
2. Add up to ¼ cup more rejuvelac if needed to process cashews.
3. Transfer to a clean glass bowl and cover. Let rest at room temperature for 8-36 hours (the longer the cashew
cheese sits, the sharper the flavor will be). The cheese will thicken as it cultures.
To Make the Cashew Chèvre Cheese (2 varieties; fresh herbs and garlic-sundried tomatoes):
Ingredients:
- 1 TBS Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup, chopped and packed fresh herbs
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 6 sundried tomatoes
Directions:
1. Add the Nutritional Yeast and salt to the Basic Cashew Cheese.
2. For the herb variety; chop a variety of fresh herbs (I used parsley, sage, thyme, and tarragon). Depending
on the size of the Chèvre log you want to make, will vary the size of the cheese cloth. I used a piece of cheese
cloth that was 8” x 5” and covered the center section with the herbs leaving a inch on all sides.
3. Spoon the cashew cheese (now Chèvre) in a line down the center of the herbs. Using the cheese cloth, wrap
the herbs around the Chèvre cheese creating a log shape. Tie both ends with twine and refrigerate for 6-8
hours until firm.
4. For the garlic and sundried tomato variety; line a small bowl with cheese cloth. Puree six sundried
tomatoes until smooth and spread over bottom of bowl on top of cheese cloth. Add 1 tsp chopped garlic to ½
cup of the cashew Chèvre cheese. Put the ½ cup Chèvre cheese with garlic on top of the sundried tomatoes in
bowl. Smooth out the top and cover with the sides of excess cheese cloth. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Use the
cheese cloth to help unmold the cheese from the bowl.
5. Place on cheese board and garnish with fruit and crackers!
