Spokane Public Library hosts events on eco eats, like lentils, chickpeas … and crickets?!

Do you prefer your crunchy exoskeleton snacks with barbecue or honey mustard? If you are unsure, you can find out this week at your local Spokane Public Library branch during the “Eco Eats: Ultimate Taste Test” events.
Librarian Mason Neil leads a tour through several environmentally friendly snacks, from the everyday garbanzo bean and the humble lentil, to more adventurous but increasingly popular insect snacks, like mealworms and crickets.
The series aims to get kids curious about the production and possibilities of food, and it was inspired from our very own regional reputation for producing lots and lots of legumes.
“I love beans, legumes and pulses, and because Spokane is close to lentil and garbanzo-growing regions, I wanted a fun way to introduce the environmental and health superpowers of legumes to kids,” Neil said.
Attendees will try several food pairings and vote for their favorites. The legume and insect snacks are all roasted and seasoned, and local apple slices are served between tastings as palate cleansers.
The tastings are accompanied by discussions about all that is required of our Earth to produce food; a subject Neil has learned a lot about through a lifetime of garden chores and dirt underneath fingernails.
“I worked on an organic carrot farm for three years, worked in a greenhouse with my mom growing and selling vegetable starts as a kid, and am a master gardener volunteer now. Growing my own food and eating a plant based diet is a priority for me,” Neil said.
This event series began at the South Hill Library, continued at the Indian Trail Library and will also take place Monday at the Shadle Park Library and Thursday at the Liberty Park Library. The event is 4-5 p.m. at each location.
If you plan to attend, please note that some individuals with shellfish allergies may be allergic to insects. To learn more, visit spokanelibrary.org.
Even if you’re unable to attend, you can join in on the fun by trying a few environmentally friendly dishes and snacks on your own. Here are a few easy ideas.
Lentil soup: It’s cold, it’s dark and you need lots of macronutrients to get some pep in your step again. Look no further than the lentil, an edible seed of the legume family. One cup of cooked lentils has around 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber, meaning it won’t leave you hungry. Chop some carrots, onion and celery, cook them down in a pot, add just about whatever other vegetables and herbs your heart desires along with some vegetable broth, toss in some lentils, and in about a half-hour you’ll have a soup that just screams, “By god, I’m going to get through this winter.” Top with a small splash of white or red wine vinegar to make the flavors pop.
Toasted nuts: Imagine a nutty fragrance riding the coattails of the warm air billowing from your oven. That is exactly why you need to get in the practice of toasting nuts this winter. Make a single layer of nuts in a roasting pan, and toast on a low heat around 300 degrees. Start with about 10-15 minutes. If they smell fragrant, you’re getting somewhere. Crack them in half and check to see if the center is getting golden brown. If you like a richer toasted flavor or are toasting larger nuts, you can add another 10 minutes and check again. You can toast nuts plain, or you can toss them in sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, or some oil and your favorite savory spice blend. To keep it high protein, opt for pistachios, almonds, or peanuts (although yes, peanuts are technically legumes).
Popcorn with nutritional yeast: Yeast is a single-celled microorganism, and it happens to be made of about 50% protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. Turns out, you can grow these little guys, kill them with heat, wash and dry them, and sell it as a tasty, flakey condiment known for its cheesy, nutty flavor. And the protein is no joke. In just 15 grams of nutritional yeast, there are 8 grams of protein and only 60 calories. It also tastes great on popcorn, which itself provides more than 3 grams of protein per 110 calories. Toss the popcorn with a bit of oil, nutritional yeast and salt, and you’ll have a cheap and cozy snack that is surprisingly good for you. If you buy organic popping corn, that helps minimize the typical environmental impacts of industrial corn farms which come in the form of excessive water and synthetic fertilizer use.