ZUNI, NM (Jan. 22, 2025) — At the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, food sovereignty programming isn’t limited to the growing season. It is a year-round endeavor dedicated to knowledge sharing — and bringing people together to celebrate traditional, healthy foods and cultural connection.
Originally known for garden kits and rain-harvesting barrels, the nonprofit organization’s food sovereignty initiative has evolved over the years to incorporate workshops and classes that engage families of all ages. Just last month, ZYEP concluded a series of offseason Family Cook Nights that served more than 50 families in Zuni Pueblo.
Held once per month from October to December, the Family Cook Nights give Zuni families opportunities to learn how to make healthy plant-based recipes together. Each event can accommodate three families in person at ZYEP’s Ho’n A:wan Park facility and 12 or more families virtually through the Zoom platform.
Khassandria Hattie, one of ZYEP’s food sovereignty leaders, organized each Family Cook Night event. She created detailed packets that included each night’s menu, lists of ingredients and required cooking equipment, and step-by-step written instructions. She also ensured that participating families received the equipment and ingredients they would need to prepare the featured recipes.
“Khass did an amazing job organizing the cook nights,” said Brittny Seowtewa, ZYEP’s food sovereignty coordinator. “She made sure the packets would be accessible to even elementary-school readers so they could help, and she added activities to the packets — including puzzles and games in the Zuni language. I give her full credit for the success of this program!”
On Oct. 24, families gathered to make roasted tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, corn and tomato salad, and puff pastry apple rings. Hattie said her goal with each month’s recipes is to incorporate ingredients sourced from local gardens.
“Some of our most commonly grown ingredients are tomatoes, onions, garlic, and root vegetables like beets,” she explained. “We used one small purple beet in our roasted tomato soup to enhance the flavor and color. That was Brittny’s idea, since we don’t use artificial dyes or additives in our recipes, and the families really enjoyed it!”
Seowtewa also volunteered the dessert recipe. She said she was looking for an option that wouldn’t be labor- or time-intensive and also would be a good fit for Halloween.
“The puff pastry apple rings were perfect,” she said. “You don’t need to do a pie filling. You just dust the apple rings in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and then roll them in the pastry. When they’re baked, they look like pumpkins!”
On Nov. 21, families learned to make vegetable lasagna, fall fig and pear salad with pecans, and olive oil cake with lemon berry compote. Hattie said she was looking forward to showing participants how to make a savory, filling lasagna without using animal protein.
“We used vegetables that anyone can grow in a garden, and that really gave the meal an edge,” she said. “The families were surprised by the quick prep work and how delicious it was.”
“No one missed the animal protein!” Seowtewa added. “It can be challenging to please all taste buds, so it was great to see the positive feedback. People even asked for more, which speaks volumes.”
The olive oil cake was another pleasant surprise. Hattie called it a decadent, lush, airy dessert.
“The olive oil isn’t powerful and complements the lemon,” she said.
“It was very light, with a hint of lemon from the lemon zest,” Seowtewa agreed. “It wasn’t a complex recipe, and families can easily find all the ingredients locally.”
ZYEP’s Family Cook Night on Dec. 19 coincided with shi’deshkwi (winter solstice fasting) in Zuni, so the ZYEP team moved all participation to Zoom. The community responded with enthusiasm.
“We sent out 22 packets!” Seowtewa reported. “During this time of rest, families should be home together, avoid eating animal products and abstain from spending money. Some people struggle with recipes, shopping and feeling hungry, however, so this was a good program for this time. They could stay home and create a hearty vegan meal together, and we provide the ingredients, recipes and instruction for free.”
The menu for Dec. 19 included chili bean soup, blue cornbread muffins and sunflower cookies.
“The soup was vegetable dense, with two types of beans for a hearty dose of protein,” Hattie said. “I’m glad the December program aligned with our fasting time, which can be challenging for a lot of people. We will do it again this year.”
This year, the ZYEP Food Sovereignty team also is planning to bring back its popular Summer Workshop Series, which the youth project opened up to the general public for the first time in 2024. The workshops will take place once per month in June, July, August and September, and then the Family Cook Nights will take over.
Last year’s workshops included topics such as water conservation, composting, vermiculture, healthy recipes with garden produce, and seed saving. Each interactive, hands-on workshop welcomed 40 to 65 participants of all ages, many of them family members seeking to learn together; these numbers are an increase from the previous year, which saw attendance of 30 to 50 people per workshop.
“It was the right decision to open up the workshops to the public, because they are wonderful opportunities for us to learn alongside each other,” Seowtewa said. “Some of our families are new to all this, but we have some seasoned gardeners as well. Going forward, we will continue collecting feedback and evolving our programming to meet the needs of all skill levels.”
At press time, Seowtewa and her team were already busy preparing for the start of the new growing season. This spring, ZYEP’s 5th annual Garden Kits Distribution will take place in late April in recognition of Earth Day.
“This past year, we distributed 50 free garden kits to registered families,” Seowtewa said. “We provided each family with high-quality hand tools, a wheelbarrow, watering cans and seeds. We also provided 20- by 14-inch ‘grow bags’ to families that don’t have space for a home garden. We’re analyzing how those items worked for families and, with their feedback, we will design this year’s kits.”
“Last year was a tricky growing season, with a late-spring frost and a lack of moisture early on,” she continued. “In the gardens, plants grew, but they were stressed. That being said, our community is resilient, and our families are already troubleshooting and talking about modifications for this year. They are excited to get started. We can even feel the kids’ excitement, which is wonderful, because they also are learning resilience and perseverance.”
She also noted that ZYEP remains deeply committed to its ongoing food sovereignty-related partnerships in the community.
“We don’t have the capacity for a big garden here at ZYEP, so we assist with other community gardens,” she explained. “We’re looking forward to our continued work with the Zuni Housing Authority, the Department of Natural Resources and our Agricultural Advisory Committee.”
ZYEP’s Food Sovereignty initiative provides access to resources, instruction and knowledge sharing. Made possible with support from the New Mexico Department of Health’s Healthy Kids Healthy Communities, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Newman’s Own Foundation, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, CoBank and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the program brings community members together to share the journey from prepping, planting and nurturing to harvesting, seed-saving and healthy recipes.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09)
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
