By March 2028. The Elohi Foods grant came through. Hannah called me and the quality of her voice told me before she said the words. She and Denise had been awarded sixty thousand dollars in startup funding from the Cherokee Nation Business Development Program, with a path to additional funding contingent on first-year milestones. It was enough to begin—to set up the formal structure, make the first producer relationships, develop the market connections they'd been mapping for months.
I drove to Tahlequah that evening and we sat at Hannah and Thomas's kitchen table and went through the plan together. Denise joined by phone. The first priority was the producer side: identifying traditional food producers in the region who were currently selling locally or not selling at all but had products with larger market potential. I gave them six names immediately. The Stilwell bean woman was first on the list.
Thomas made dinner—he'd learned to cook competently over the past year, the steady accumulating way that motivated people learn—and we ate while talking through the work ahead. Wren, from her position in a bouncy seat on the table, contributed occasional sounds that Hannah interpreted generously as enthusiastic support.
I thought about what Elohi Foods could be in five years. The Stilwell woman's beans sold nationally to people who wanted real traditional varieties. Summer sourcing networks for restaurants that claimed Indigenous food authenticity but currently had none. A supply chain that made traditional practice economically sustainable rather than charitable. These weren't small ideas. But every large thing starts with one conversation and one yes.
The Stilwell bean woman was the first name I gave Hannah that night, and it felt right —because beans are exactly the kind of food that carries a whole story inside them. Thomas’s dinner was warm and practical, the way all good things are at the start, and on the drive home I found myself wanting to keep that feeling close. This bean and carrot salad is the kind of dish I reach for when I need to remember that nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated —that the most grounded, meaningful things often aren’t. It’s a small, honest recipe for a night when the ideas were anything but small.
Bean and Carrot Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) mixed beans (such as kidney, cannellini, or pinto), drained and rinsed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or shredded
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly under cold water. Peel and thinly slice or shred the carrots. Finely dice the red onion and chop the parsley.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), and garlic powder until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine. In a large bowl, add the beans, carrots, red onion, and parsley. Pour the dressing over the top and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Rest and serve. Let the salad sit for at least 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 240 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 310mg