a bloggiversary, a recipe, and a request

Welcome to the first anniversary of "Where's the Revolution?" everyone! I can't believe that it was one year ago today that Daiku and I wrote the first post for this blog. I had been mulling over the idea of starting a blog for a while, but it wasn't until August 9th, when we went to a rally observing the 61st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki that the name and the intent of this project fully took form.

What I wanted to explore was how, in the face of such real suffering and injustice in this world, we could begin to make a difference. I truly believe that actions that can at times seem minute, such as the food choices that we make, the choice of what cosmetic or cleaning products to buy, the relationships that we establish in our community and in the broader world, can affect real change in the world. In that sense, this is a blog about green living in general-- animal rights and veganism, environmentalism, awareness, and justice.

I've made a conscious effort on this blog to let my actions speak louder than my words. When I talk about local or seasonal food, an animal-free recipe, or a consumer awareness issue, those things demonstrate my beliefs. I like looking over my old blog posts and noting how my style and tone have changed, as I'm sure is true for many of you long-time bloggers too.

But mostly, it's about the food! All the talk in the world about veganism won't do any good unless people can see and appreciate the appeal of cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, healthy food. So in this post I bring you another installment in the "vegan Iranian" series:

"salad-e-mast" (Iranian yogurt salad) (vegan)

This refreshing summertime salad, which is a cooling blend of chopped veggies, mint, and thick yogurt, used to be one of my favorites as a kid. I'd given up the idea of veganizing it, because soy yogurt tends to have the wrong texture and taste to substitute for a thick, savory yogurt. But that's where the Tofutti sour cream steps in! I made this back in June while staying and my mother's house, and everyone agreed that it had authentic flavor and feel. Try this yourself the next time a heat wave has you longing for something cool.

• 1 cup Tofutti sour cream or other thick non-dairy sour cream
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 small cucumbers, or 1/2 English cucumber, diced
• heaping TB dried mint or more, to taste (you can also use fresh chopped mint or a combination of fresh and dried)
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 TB red wine or apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, adjusting the seasonings to your taste. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Stir before serving. Eat alone or as an accompaniment to a main course.

Variation: leave out the tomatoes and onions, and add 1-2 cloves of garlic for "mast-o-khiar," (yogurt and cucumber salad), which is very similar to Greek tzatziki.

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I just want to thank everyone who visits this blog and leaves comments. I learn so much from you guys every day. I never thought blogging would lead to getting to know so many cool people, some of whom I consider true friends. (You know who you are!) Thank you so much for making blogging a truly fun and worthwhile hobby! I feel bad for any vegan who hasn't tapped into the awesomeness of the blogging community.

And lastly, one request to all you lurkers out there. I know there are many people who read this blog who do not leave comments, which is totally cool. However, I was wondering if, just this one time, I could ask you to de-lurk and leave me a comment? It could be anonymous if you wish, I just want to get a sense of who reads this blog, what you get out of it, what you would like to see more or less of, where you are, what you do, etc. (Obviously, you don't have to reveal anything you don't want to!)

Thanks, all!

a bloggiversary, a recipe, and a request