We pulled into Lynchburg, VA late on a Tuesday night and headed over to Lynchburg College. We found the parking lot that we were supposed to park in for the night, and as we were circling around to set up “camp”….we were greeted by some enthusiastic students who thought it would be fun to moon the big blue bus. We got a good laugh. 
The next morning we had the opportunity to speak with some environmental science classes and tell them about our journey. We were parked in a pretty conspicuous spot on campus, so the lunch hour drew many students and faculty in and we had fun talking about living green. Our tour coincided perfectly with their “Year of the Environment” We had such a great time chatting with them and hearing what they have been doing to reduce their footprint on campus. We even had one kind student bring us some organic vegan chili as a little gift! It was delicious (send me the recipe if you’re reading this!). The Lynchburg College campus is gorgeous and the people were so kind. We were treated to a great lunch in the campus cafeteria…and we even filled up the RV with their grease!
After the college, we headed over to a local elementary science magnet school to do a demo. The kids lined up on the sidewalk and Matt told them about the wonders of veggie oil. After that, they came into the RV to check it out. It’s always fun to see your home through the eyes of a child :). We heard excited screams of “y’all have a TV in here?!” and “can I come with y’all?”. They loved the RV and we loved them. What a fun bunch of kids. They also loved having their photos taken…so be sure to check out the album.
We had the opportunity to talk with 3 television stations and 2 newspapers there as well. Our voices were almost gone at the end of the day!
Before we left town, we went out for pizza with Liz. Liz is the younger sister of Jackie…and she the one who helped set us up in Lynchburg. We have also emailed back and forth for years…but were finally able to meet face to face.
If you are ever in the area…be sure to check out this lovely town.
Photo album here.
Hey there y’all!!! This is your vegan chili man from Lynchburg College. I just recently checked out the photo album and blog and read that you wanted the recipe. Absolutely not a problem.
If you want VEGGIE chili, but not quite VEGAN, use MorningStar or Quorn brand crumbles (meant to replace ground beef). But these are not necessary, and I am pretty sure (not 100%, though) that neither of them are vegan. Anyways,
1. sautee 1 chopped onion and about three tablespoons of chopped garlic in safeflower oil until lightly brown.
2. add 2 (homegrown and/or organic is best)squashes, chopped into bite-sized pieces. Let simmer until soft.
3.add in two small cans of (again, organic always preferred, or even better, locally grown…) diced tomatoes. Ithink the small cans are 16 oz. again, not sure.
*** if you are using the crumbles, add these before the tomatoes and let simmer with garlic and onions for about 2 or 3 minutes.
4. peel & chop into bite-sized pieces 2 carrots. Boil until slightly soft, but still firm. Add these.
5. Add one can of tomato paste, stir until the paste is evenly distributed throughout the ret of the stuff.
6. Add two cans of kidney beans, one can of red beans, and one can of black beans. (after all, they are good for the heart!)
7. What spices you use is entirely up to you, but I use (aprx.) a palm-full of salt, just as much black pepper, tablespoon full of cumin, tablespoon of chili powder, a few dashes of oregano, and if I have it, a palm full of freshly chopped cilantro.
8. Finally, THE HEAT. I like my chili hot. I use about five or six chopped jalepenos and put in about three or four spoonfulls of whatever hot sauce I have at the time. The jarred jalepenos work best, although fresh ones are really good too (hotter than jarred).
9. Let all this simmer for about an hour or two, then enjoy- and let others enjoy!
Best wishes guys. Anytime you’re in VA and hungry (or constipated) come on through Lynchburg and I’ll fix you up some chili!
-Shane
ps- will you send me the photo of me, my daughter, and your daughter, please! It is pic #8 on your Lynchburg slide show. I’d love to put it on myspace with a link to your website!
Comment by Shane Durie — March 24, 2008 @ 8:40 am