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Lunch-n-Learn 5: A Visit from the Commissioner

by Tim Frick

The former City of Chicago Commissioner of Environment paid us an impromptu visit for last week’s lunch.

Tim whipped up a peach gazpacho sourced from our friend (and Mightybytes client) Terry Walters’ Clean Start cookbook alongside a three quinoa salad with tomato vinaigrette and seared vegetables. The learning topic du jour was—naturally, given our guest—sustainability and the state of environmentalism in Chicago.

Timing for our talk on sustainability was fortuitous. Just minutes before we sat down to dine we received news that Mightybytes is now officially a B Corporation. We spent a few minutes talking about what that means and then dove headlong into a rousing discussion of all things green (which we were reminded is a dirty word in environmental circles) with our high profile guest.

Learn: Chicago and the Environment

Suzanne Malec-McKenna served as Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Environment for seventeen and a half years. She is also a Fellow of the Field Museum in its Environment, Culture, and Conservation Division and a contributor to The Huffington Post. During her tenure with the city, Suzanne was involved with or oversaw a variety of momentous endeavors, including:

During our hour plus together, Suzanne answered questions and enlightened us on many of the projects with which she was involved during her tenure at the Department of Environment. She talked at long length about Chicago’s thriving clean energy and sustainability communities and areas in which they are driving innovation, including many great details on how the Chicago Center for Green Technology became the first rehabilitated municipal building in the nation to receive the LEED™ Platinum rating. It has since become a national model for sustainable design and technology.

We also discussed Mightybytes’ approach to helping environmental organizations and clean energy companies develop strategic digital communications initiatives (but that’s a post for another day).

Here are some pics:


Lunch: Peach Gazpacho and Three Quinoa Salad

While Suzanne enlightened us with environmental wisdom, we snacked on Tim’s culinary creations sourced from the Andersonville Farmers Market. Check these recipes out:

Peach Gazpacho with Heirloom Tomatoes recipe from Terry Walters’ Clean Start.*

Mightybytes Lunch-n-Learn Five

  • 1/2 small red onion
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped heirloom tomatoes, any variety
  • 3 cups chopped peaches, pitted, not peeled
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
  • 1 dozen ice cubes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare ingredients, chop onion, pepper, tomatoes and peaches into large chunks. With food processor running, drop in jalapeño and process until minced. Turn off processor and scrape down sides. Add onion and process on pulse to coarsely chop. Repeat this procedure with the bell pepper, then the tomatoes, and finally with the peaches.

Transfer all ingredients to a medium pot or large bowl. Place basil and tarragon in food processor, pulse to chop and transfer to pot with tomato mixture. Place ice cubes in food processor, process into coarsely shaved ice chips and stir into soup. Stir in olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let sit 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop, but do not refrigerate. Stir again before serving.

Three Quinoa Salad with Seared Vegetables, Tomato Vinaigrette, and Corn and Three Pepper-Tomato Chutney

This recipe is loosely based on Polenta with Portobello Mushrooms, Greens, and Tomato Vinaigrette from Terry Walters’ Clean Start. I modified it significantly, replacing polenta with red, black and brown quinoa and instead of portobello mushrooms I used seared wild mushrooms, pattypan squash, and zucchini. I also eyeballed the portions to accommodate feeding a crew of nine. Portions here are more comparable to Terry’s book, which serves four.

Mightybytes Lunch-n-Learn Five

Tomato Vinaigrette

  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp plus 1 Tsp aged balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup combined herbs (I used sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and parsley from my garden)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh tomato (seeds, skins, and all)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place garlic, balsamic vinegar, and herbs in mixing bowl and process in food processor. Add tomatoes and process, adding olive oil in a steady stream to emulsify. Season with salt/pepper.

Red, Black, and Brown Quinoa

  • 1 cup each of red black and brown quinoa
  • 2 cups water for each kind of quinoa
  • Pinch of salt

Add each kind of quinoa and a pinch of salt to separate pots with water and cook until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork and let sit, covered, until it is time to assemble the meal.

Seared Vegetables with Tomato-Pepper-Corn Chutney

Terry’s recipe calls for portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and baby spinach or arugula. I kept the arugula but instead used the following (remember this was for nine people):

  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • 2 sweet red onions, diced
  • 2 ears sweet corn, sliced from the cob
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 quart small yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 1 each red, yellow, and orange pepper, cut into ½” dice
  • 1 quart container baby pattypan squash, cut in half
  • 3 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally
  • 1 bag wild mushrooms, such as crimini, shiitake, and oyster
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup plus one Tbsp chopped parsley

For the Chutney:

Toast corn kernels in a dry skillet until they are browned. Set aside. Saute onions and jalapeno pepper in 1 Tbsp of the olive oil until starting to brown. Deglaze pan with white wine and stir until liquid is reduced and onions are somewhat caramelized. Add honey, some of the vegetable broth, and cherry tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes have broken and chutney starts to thicken, adding broth if the mixture becomes too dry. Add the red, yellow, and orange peppers and cook until they are just softened. Add corn and toss in a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Stir well.

NOTE: Personally, I like the peppers to retain some of their crisp. If you prefer a more traditional style chutney, put them in along with the tomatoes and let them cook down.

For the Mushrooms and Vegetables:

Toss the remaining two tablespoons of oil and tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with the two kinds of squash. Heat a large, deep skillet until very hot and toss in squash, waiting until one side is browned before flipping, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Squash should still be slightly crunchy and caramelized on each side. Be careful not to overcook. Toss in half of the remaining parsley and stir.

Empty skillet and add mushrooms, being careful now to overcrowd skillet. Brown for 5-10 minutes on each side or until golden brown in color and still firm. Toss with remaining parsley.

NOTE: This could easily be done on the grill as well. To grill vegetables, toss them in a tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil with salt and pepper before grilling. If using mushrooms, you might want to stick with Terry’s suggestion of portobello. They don’t fall through the grill as easily.

Putting it all Together:

Stir ⅓ of the tomato vinaigrette into each quinoa. Layer side-by-side in a shallow serving dish. Top with tomato-pepper chutney, seared vegetables, and mushrooms. If you’re not concerned about this being a full-on vegan meal, some crumbled feta or parmesan is always a nice touch. Enjoy!

Final Thoughts

We are lucky to live in one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the country, but that didn’t come without the hard work of a lot of people like Suzanne. And it won’t continue without tireless advocacy for clean energy and conservation initiatives across all walks of the sustainability movement. I think it’s safe to say that we all left the lunch table appropriately satisfied in both belly and brain, and galvanized by Suzanne’s friendly and intelligent approach to environmental communications.

Next up is Professor James giving us the lowdown on Apple’s GarageBand with a delectable bounty served up by Chef Cesar. Stay tuned!

Lunch-N-Learn 6




* Reprinted with permission from Clean Start © 2010 by Terry Walters, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Gentl & Hyers

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