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!

Vegan Cooking Party



Want to celebrate a birthday in a unique way?  Why not have a cooking party with Well on Wheels as your host?  We create a menu together, I show you how to make the recipes, you get to eat and enjoy good food with your guests.  This is what a group of friends did recently and I was happy to be a part of it.  We started the meal with a lovely salad of Baby Spinach and Heirloom Tomato Gremolata.  This was quick, easy to make, and a big hit with everyone.

The main course was Ratatouille with Butter Beans and Polenta.  We made the polenta from scratch by gently boiling some corn meal in water with some seasoning, then poured the mixture into a pan to cool. 

Alternating slices of polenta were stacked with the Ratatouille and Butter Beans, then garnished with basil chiffonade and chopped parsley for a pretty presentation.

For dessert I did a gluten-free vegan Chocolate Pudding Cake and served it with fresh figs and raspberries.  The cake was ooey gooey in the center and firm on top.  Even though it doesn't make for a pretty presentation (it's tough to get the slices out without them oozing into a big chocolate mass on the plate!), it still tasted good. And the fruits added a nice sweet contrast to the rich chocolate.

I hope this new foray into gluten-free vegan cooking becomes an adventure for all those attending!