Metrowest Daily News

A taste for change at vegan potluck
By Kathy Uek, Daily News staff
Mon Jul 16, 2007

Sherborn, Mass. -

SHERBORN - The Boston Vegetarian Society held its annual potluck yesterday at the Peace Abbey, where guests enjoyed more than 200 dishes of lush vegan cuisine displayed on tables outside and in various rooms throughout the center.

"The BVS potluck at the Peace Abbey is the largest vegan potluck on planet Earth," said Mark Oliver, a member of the Boston Vegetarian Society, who based his comments on his national and international travels.

"It brings people together in the spirit of peaceful and compassionate living with people and animals," said the group's president Evelyn Kimber.

While adults and children visited with family and friends, they enjoyed dishes of savory blends, international favorites, and desserts, including vegan chocolate mousse - all made from plant foods and void of meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and honey.

Beverly Rich of Natick, vice president of the group, made the chocolate mousse with silken tofu, maple syrup, chocolate bits and a touch of vanilla.

"We invited members to bring non-vegans with them to demonstrate the wild array of food made without animals," said Kimber.

Other attendees took in the beauty of the abbey, met the animals in the small sanctuary for rescued farm animals, strolled the grounds and enjoyed the sun near a statue of Gandhi and Emily the Sacred Cow Animal Rights Memorial.

After the 250 guests feasted on the food and the setting, they walked up the street to the Unitarian Universalist Area Church at First Parish and listened to speaker Will Tuttle, pianist, composer, educator, and author of "The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony."

"We're very excited to have him talk about his book," said Dot Walsh, program coordinator at the abbey. "His book could certainly change the planet. The book outlines problems facing the world today. It is about the relationship of the food on the plate with how we live in the world. He makes a connection to what's hidden in our psyche."

Walsh referred to pictures and names of children on milk cartons - not orange juice cartons. "The cows are missing their children taken away from them, too," she said.

Walsh hoped the book made people more aware of the connection between the environment, violence and the plate.

Tuttle, a native of Concord, talked to the crowd about the invisible connection between meals and a broad range of psychological, social, spiritual, health and environmental problems.

"No one else had written about the mistreatment of animals for food and how it harms us and causes violence in our culture," said Tuttle, who received a Courage of Conscience Award yesterday. "It hardens our heart. We mentally disconnect on how it got on our plate."

While some attending the talk purchased the book at the back of the church, Mark Eisenberg of Acton said he's heard it all before.

"We've heard the stories, which is why we're vegan," said Eisenberg, who attended the event with his wife and three children."