Summer Solstice Vegan Picnic

It was a gorgeous day for a picnic, and Well on Wheels welcomed the change of seasons this weekend with a festive summer feast.  I was asked to cater an intimate outdoor party at a home in West Hartford for a client who loves animals. Her yard was filled with beautiful flowers that welcomed birds, butterflies, and guests.

Outdoor themed parties are always my favorite because I love garnishing food with fresh, seasonal flowers and greenery.  This is the time of year for daisies, bee balm, peonies, blackeyed susans, butterfly bush, lavender and roses.  I also found some lovely dill blossoms that popped with festive color and some young grape vine tendrils that I weaved into the display of fruit kabobs.

The crudites platter was accompanied by a Cannelini Bean and Artichoke Puree topped with Parsley Oil.  This was a lovely and luscious taste combination enhanced by a little bit of Dijon mustard.

For the salad I tossed baby spinach and fresh organic strawberries with a balsamic vinaigrette and toasted candied walnuts.  Then I scattered some cute little pansy blossoms on top for a garnish.

The hot appetizer was Mushrooms with Toasted Walnut and Spinach Stuffing.  The main entrees for the meal were Pasta Primavera with Snow Peas, Stringbeans, Carrots, and Cherry Tomatoes, and Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta.  Guests helped themselves to seconds and thirds while raving over how delicious everything was.

We finished with Strawberry Rhubarb Tarts and Chocolate Covered Strawberries.  These seasonal favorites put a smile on everyone's faces.

Thank you, Mona, for asking me to cater your party, and for including me on this special day!

Vegan Summer Party

Summer is my favorite time of year to cater a party, not only because the weather is perfect for indoor-outdoor gathering and the veggies are bursting with flavor, but because of the flowers.  I love the bright bold contrasts of yellow and orange sunflowers with pinkish purple coneflowers that light up the garden and instantly make a table setting that much more appealing.

And summer flowers like nasturtiums make the perfect garnish on a plate.  I have a ton of herbs in my garden as well, so dill and parsley blossoms also made an appearance on several platters today.

The menu featured appetizers of Eggless Egg Salad in Endive Leaves, Cashew Cheese and Sundried Tomato Relish on Crostini, Olive Tapenade ("Vegan Caviar") on Crostini, and Cherry Tomatoes Piped with Avocado Cream.

The centerpiece entree was an impossibly amazing Pastaless Lasagna made with paper-thin slices of eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash that I layered with a tofu and spinach ricotta and Daiya mozzarella, and topped with marinara and fresh basil.  Yes, it would've been nice if I had gotten a photo of this but, alas, it got devoured before I remembered to pick up my camera.

Overheard snippets of conversation from dinner guests:  "I'm in food heaven"... "and this is all vegan??" "but this tastes just like lasagna!"... and lots of "this is SOO good."  Always so nice to hear!

Memorial Day Mock Chicken Salad

I spent the day at my parents' house for a pre-Memorial Day picnic. Some years we get together and my mom overdoes it by turning the holiday into a summery version of Thanksgiving, which is nice, but I leave feeling as if I can't eat for another week. This year it was more casual with straightforward picnic fare, some of which was vegan.

There were the usual hamburgers, grilled chicken and kielbasa with sauerkraut for the omnivores, and for me there was salad with a delicious tahini dressing my mom successfully concocted (tahini, lemon juice, agave syrup, olive oil, sea salt), potato salad made with Vegenaise, and mock chicken salad.

These last two are creations of mine that I can safely bring to nearly any picnic if I want to achieve the illusion of normalcy. Regular people eat them. You'd never know the difference with the potato salad. And most people are pleasantly surprised by the tempeh "mystery meat."

The key ingredients are: Litelife garden veggie tempeh, Westbrae Organics Dijon mustard, Vegenaise and Bubbie's pure kosher dill pickles. If you don't use these, I can't vouch for the quality, because the pure awesomeness of this holy-trinity-plus-one really justifies any effort you might need to make to find them.

This is one of the easiest vegan recipes for a simple light lunch or picnic potluck. It can be made in a hurry, and leftovers only get better as they sit in the fridge.

The most critical step that must not be overlooked is to boil the tempeh before crumbling it into your salad. This plumps up the block of soy curd, softens the texture, releases the flavor and, once squeezed dry, also allows for the absorption of flavors. I hope you will make it one of your family favorites for years to come.

Tempeh Mock Chicken Salad

8 ounces tempeh, cut into cubes

1/2 cup Veganaise
1 stalk celery, chopped fine

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 minced dill pickle

1-2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp sea salt

splash of apple cider vinegar

In a medium sauce pot, bring water to a boil then boil tempeh cubes for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with water until cool to the touch.

Squeeze tempeh cubes to remove water, then crumble into a large mixing bowl and combine with chopped celery, carrot and pickle.

Stir in remaining ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Season with sea salt and vinegar at the end to really perk up the taste. Serve in a sandwich or mounded on a bed of lettuce.