Why Community Crops?

Community Crops supports local farming, food accessibility and the creation of sustainable businesses.

The Yazidi Farmer Outreach and Education Project was initially funded by a grant from the Woods Foundation.

The project is headquartered at Prairie Pines and includes classroom trainings, technical assistance and land/infrastructure access so that the Yazidi have access to resources to start farming. The end goals of the project are to strengthen their farming skills, increase food security within their community, and help them start their own farming businesses.

The Yazidi community is already familiar with growing food. A large part of their diet is vegetables. Yazidis love many of the same vegetables that we are familiar with in the United States. Tomatoes, parsley, cucumber, eggplant,  peppers, swiss chard, zucchini, radish, fava bean, watercress and many more!

Below are a couple recipes you can try from the Yazidi culture. This summer, you’ll find their produce available at the Veggie Van and other locations soon to come!

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

•  300 g basmati rice
•  1 cup of oil
•  500 g of chicken breast
•  1 cup of peanuts
•  1 cup of almonds
•  2-3 chopped potatoes
•  1 tablespoon of salt
•  1 cup of green peas
•  1 cup of chopped carrots
•  1-2 cups of vermicelli
•  2 tablespoons of Biryani Baharat
•  4 boiled eggs
•  1 teaspoon of sumac
•  1 cup of raisins

Instructions:

Using the oil of your choice, sauté vermicelli and the rice. Chop the chicken breast into cubes and cook it using a small amount of oil. Chop the carrots and potatoes into cubes and fry them in oil. Sauté peanuts, almonds, raisins and peas separately in oil. Hard boil the eggs. Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl adding salt and Biryani Baharat to the mixture.

Note:

To serve, dish up the above mixture on a flat plate. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them in half before spreading the sumac on the eggs. Eat from a small plate by using your hands or a spoon.

Yazidi Salad

Ingredients:

•  4 small cucumbers unpeeled
•  3 ripe, firm tomatoes
•  ½ medium red onion or fresh green onion
•  2 thinly sliced sweet yellow or green peppers
•  3 tablespoons of roughly chopped parsley
•  ¼ tablespoon of kosher salt
•  3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice (about one medium lemon)
•  1-2 tablespoons of vinegar
•  2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes and onion into small cubes. Add to a medium bowl. Remove the seeds from the pepper and slice very thin. Add to the bowl. Add the chopped parsley. In a small bowl use a whisk to combine the lemon juice, salt, vinegar and olive oil. Add to the salad ingredients. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Note:

You may prepare and combine the vegetables a few hours ahead and refrigerate without adding the dressing. Toss the vegetables with the dressing right before serving. Adjust salt to your taste.