Father's Day roundup

Getting ready to fire up the grill for Father's Day?  Or maybe you've already warmed it up on Memorial Day and want to try something different this month.  Either way, there are some great menus to discover for the vegan dad who enjoys his food cooked in the good old outdoors.  Here are some sites to check out for inspiration:

Father's Day Vegan Barbecue - Vegetarians in Paradise put together this fabulous menu for dad that includes skewers of seitan and veggie kabobs which heat up nicely on the grill.

Dad's Day Afternoon - Great title, and great recipes from Vegetarian Times.

Eco-friendly Vegan Father's Day - A complete menu of appetizer, entree, beverage, and dessert recipes that are environmentally conscious and vegan.

"Cheesey" Tofu Scramble - Why not surprise dad with breakfast in bed?  This video shows you how to get dad's day off to a hearty and heart-healthy start.

Gifts for Dad - Vegan buying guide for dads who love to cook.... and brew beer!

Happy Father's Day!

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Fresh from the Garden - A Totally Raw Picnic

(raw vegan picnic spread)

I am so excited to have been selected to participate in Foodbuzz.com's 24, 24, 24 this month! My proposal was to create an entirely raw vegan menu using fresh, seasonal produce sourced from local farm markets and gardens. As a member of the Chapel Seed Community Garden in New Haven, I was able to use the picnic area under their beautiful grape arbor as the location of this feast.

(me making opening remarks at Chapel Seed Community Garden)

The menu was created with vegetables, flowers and fruit from my little 6' x 10' plot and the larger community plot at Chapel Seed, as well as from a lovely CSA in North Haven called Nature's Mirror (who will also be at the Spring Glen Farmer's Market in Hamden).

(Kim and Mike Melillo who run Nature's Mirror)

Though it's early in the growing season, the produce is already plentiful. . . delicious romaine lettuce (thanks Walter!!), Swiss chard, dinosaur kale, mustard greens, cabbage, snow peas, snap peas (thanks David!!), radishes, cilantro, basil, carrots, strawberries and raspberries.

(lovely rainbow chard and dinosaur kale)

I am grateful for the beautiful weather that perfectly complemented the occasion. I think this was the first sunny day for the entire month of June! I know it made the plants happy, too.

We feasted on a menu of:

Nasturtium Cannolis Filled with Macadamia Cheese

Crudites with Creamy Avocado and Macadamia Dip)

"Sea"sar Salad with Avocado and Pear

Mediterranean Kale and Swiss Chard Salad

Shredded Cabbage Pad Thai

Curried Cashew Mock Chicken Salad

Fresh Berry Tart with Date Nut Crust

Thank you to all who came out for this fun event: members of the community garden, New Haven Land Trust, friends, family (especially mom and dad - I don't know how I could do this without you!!). I'll be looking forward to hosting more events like this in the future. Leave me a Comment here or send me an Email!

(enjoying the spread)

(mom dishing it out)

(chatting with friends)

(mmmm. . . so good. . .)

(thanks, Dianna, for the gorgeous food photos!)

Nasturtium Cannolis with Macadamia Cheese

I was in production mode today preparing food for the Fresh from the Garden Raw Picnic tomorrow, which will be part of Foodbuzz.com's 24, 24, 24 this month.

Earlier in the day I picked some tender nasturtium leaves from my garden plot at ChapelSeed Community Garden. They're kinda like grape leaves, only not as tough and slightly peppery in flavor. I suspected they would complement the savory richness of a raw nut cheese, so I decided to make some stuffed rolls for the picnic (recipe below)

I started by soaking the macadamia nuts in water overnight to soften them up and remove the enzyme inhibitor. After draining and rinsing them, I put them in a food processor with mellow white miso, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.

I pulsed the mixture together just until crumbly, then gradually added more water to get a semismooth paste. I then added some dried and fresh herbs, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. The result is an Italian inspired creamy ricotta-like filling that tastes rich, but is not heavy.

Onto the cannolis. . . First, I spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese along the bottom end of the leaf.

Then I rolled it up like a burrito (or in this case, little cannolis).

Tomorrow, I will be laying them on a platter and garnishing with lovely orange and yellow nasturtium blossoms. Can't wait!!

Macadamia Cheese "Rawcotta”

2 tsp mellow white miso

2 cups macadamia nuts (soaked, drained and rinsed)

3 Tbl lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

½ tsp sea salt

1-2 cloves garlic

1 Tbl onion powder

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

Fresh black pepper

2 Tbl fresh parsley

Enough water to chop

In a food processor, pulse together miso, macadamia nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, garlic and onion powder into a thick paste. Empty into a bowl and add remaining ingredients.

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.