I was thrilled to come home today from a quick overnighter (yesterday was a school holiday) to North Carolina’s captivating Outer Banks to learn that the wonderful folks at One Green Planet had published my recipe for Vegan Miso-Roasted Pumpkin and Grilled Tofu over Udon Noodles. Just click the recipe title to be taken directly to the recipe on their site. Enjoy!
And, of course, you can find 150 more seasonal delights in:
The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
Yield: 2 pizzas/8 servings (2 slices per serving)
The irresistibly adorable pumpkins at my favorite farm market inspired this pizza. I’ve enjoyed it three or four times this week with my Vegan Caramelized Onion and Apple Pizza and am so sad there is no more.
As I’ve said before, homemade pizza dough is so quick and easy to make that there is scarcely any reason to purchase it, especially since it can be frozen. Hands on prep time is just minutes, but it does take a couple of hours to rise. So, if you are super pressed for time and favor a brand like Trader Joe’s frozen dough, then go for it. If you choose the purchased route, I would definitely recommend a prepared dough as opposed to a prepared crust.
My dough of choice comes from my Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. My recipe calls for a combination of self-rising and whole wheat flours. However, for the pizza pictured, I didn’t have either, so I used all white whole wheat flour with some baking powder. The only difference I found is that it makes a softer dough and, hence, requires additional flour. The crust made this way also benefits especially from a couple of minutes in the oven before topping it and returning it to the oven to insure that the crust doesn’t become soggy.
Make the dough at least 3 hours before you plan to serve the pizza.
Blooming Platter Pizza Dough:
Yield: 2 approximate 8-inch crusts
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour (or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white whole wheat or all purpose flour combined with 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and a scant 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
Note: you may substitute all white whole wheat or all-purpose flour for both of the above. However, you will need considerably more flour, added 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is smooth and elastic, but slightly sticky.
1 teaspoon “quick rise” yeast
1 teaspoon natural sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons tepid water
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon to oil the bowl
Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine, and make a well in the center. Add the water and 2 teaspoons olive oil to the well and stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a fork until fully incorporated.
Knead for 5 minutes with oiled hands or until the dough is smooth and elastic, but slightly sticky. I knead it right in the bowl. Do not over-knead. Lift out the dough and pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of the bowl and spread to coat the interior with your fingers.
Return the dough to the bowl, rolling it around on both sides to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with a damp kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. While the dough rises, prepare the other ingredients.
Next prepare Rosemary-Garlic Olive Oil:
1/4 cup olive oil (makes sure it is super flavorful)
1 5-inch stalk of fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Combine all ingredients in a small cup and set aside.
Before preparing topping, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place two pizza stones (or two inverted baking sheets) into the oven and heat for 30 minutes.
Topping:
Approximately 1/4 cup Pumpkin and Pepita-Sage Pesto Spread (recipe follows)
Grilled Pumpkin (recipe follows)
1/2 cup Vegan Pepita and Sage Pesto
Optional garnish: fresh sage leaves or pineapple sage blossoms
Vegan Pumpkin Pepita-Sage Pesto Spread:
6 ounces Silken Firm tofu (you may you “extra firm” for a firmer end result)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Vegan Pepita and Sage Pesto
1 large garlic clove
Pinch sea salt
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. You will have more than you need for this pizza. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy as a dip with fresh veggies, spread on bagels or sandwiches, tossed with pasta, or as a pizza sauce.
Grilled Pumpkin:
Approximately 3 pounds fresh pumpkin (this weight is seeded and with pulp removed, but with the skin on)
Remove the skin from pumpkin with a paring knife. Cut pizza into bite size 1/3-inch thick slices. Spray a grill pan with non-stick spray and preheat over medium-high. Grill pumpkin, in two batches if necessary, for 2 to 3 minutes per side or unil tender with nice grill marks. Remove to a plate and set aside.
To Assemble:
Lay two 10-inch sheets of aluminum foil, shiny side down, on a work surface. Spray each sheet lightly with non-stick pray. With hands lightly dusted with flour, divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball, and place one in the center of each piece of foil.
Beginning in the center of the ball and working your way to the edges, use your fingertips and palms to gently press the dough into a circle about 8 1/2 inches in diameter, leaving a slightly raised 1/4-inch wide rim. Brush the entire surface of each very lightly with the Rosemary-Garlic Olive Oil; you will likely have some left over. Lift each piece of foil one at a time, crust and all, holding it taught, and place on one of the baking stones. Bake for 2 minutes. Remove the stones from the oven and spread a very thin layer (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) of Pumpkin and Pepita-Sage Pesto Spread on each crust. Divide the pumpkin evenly between the two crusts, arranging pieces in concentric rings. Return the stones to the oven and cook for about 7 minutes, switching the position of the stones halfway through if pizzas seem to be cooking unevenly. Remove the stones from the oven again and dot each with about half of the Pepita and Sage Pesto (1/4 cup each). Return the stones to the oven and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes or until the crusts are golden and the topping is hot. Remove the stones form the oven, slide the pizzas, one at a time, onto a cutting board, and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve immediately garnished with sage leaves or, if you’re lucky enough to grow this herb: ravishing pineapple sage blossoms.
Note: this pizza reheats beautifully on a pizza stone in a 350 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Yield: 2 pizzas/8 servings (2 slices per serving)
All things autumn was the inspiration for this absolutely addicting pizza. I’ve enjoyed it three or four times this week and I have not yet had my fill!
Homemade pizza dough is so quick and easy to make that there is scarcely any reason to purchase it, especially since it can be frozen. Hands on prep time is just minutes, but it does take a couple of hours to rise. So, if you are super pressed for time and favor a brand like Trader Joe’s frozen dough, then go for it. If you choose the purchased route, I would definitely recommend a prepared dough as opposed to a prepared crust.
My dough of choice comes from my Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. My recipe calls for a combination of self-rising and whole wheat flours. However, for the pizza pictured, I didn’t have either, so I used all white whole wheat flour with some baking powder. The only difference I found is that it makes a softer dough and, hence, requires additional flour. The crust made this way also benefits from a couple of minutes in the oven before topping it and returning it to the oven to insure that the crust doesn’t become soggy.
Make the dough at least 3 hours before you plan to serve the pizza.
Blooming Platter Pizza Dough
Yield: 2 approximate 8-inch crusts
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour (or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white whole wheat or all purpose flour combined with 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and a scant 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
Note: you may substitute all white whole wheat or all-purpose flour for both of the above. However, you will need considerably more flour, added 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is smooth and elastic, but slightly sticky.
1 teaspoon “quick rise” yeast
1 teaspoon natural sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons tepid water
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon to oil the bowl
Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine, and make a well in the center. Add the water and 2 teaspoons olive oil to the well and stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a fork until fully incorporated.
Knead for 5 minutes with oiled hands or until the dough is smooth and elastic, but slightly sticky. I knead it right in the bowl. Do not over-knead. Lift out the dough and pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil into the bottom of the bowl and spread to coat the interior with your fingers.
Return the dough to the bowl, rolling it around on both sides to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with a damp kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. While the dough rises, prepare the other ingredients.
Next prepare Rosemary-Garlic Olive Oil:
1/4 cup olive oil (makes sure it is super flavorful)
1 5-inch stalk of fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Combine all ingredients in a small cup and set aside.
Prepare the Apple Cider Vinegar Reduction:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch sea salt
Combine ingredients in a 1-quart saucepan and simmer over medium-high until reduced to 1/4 cup. Reduce heat if necessary, so that mixture doesn’t scorch. Pour into a small ramekin or cup and set aside.
Before preparing topping, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place two pizza stones (or two inverted baking sheets) into the oven and heat for 30 minutes.
Caramelized Onion and Apple Topping:
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium-large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 small-medium apples, stemmed, cored, cut into 1/4-inch wedges; cut wedges crosswise into 3 to 4 pieces
Sea salt to taste
1/2 cup Blooming Platter Smokey Cheddar Vegan Cheese Spread
Optional garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for approximately 15 minutes or until onions are beginning to develop a golden color. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent onions from scorching. Add apple, 2 tablespoons of the Apple Cider Vinegar Reduction, and a pinch of salt, and continue sauteing and stirring about 10 minutes, or until onion is deeply colored and apple is tender and has developed some color. Add water, a teaspoon at a time as needed if mixture appears to be drying out. Check for salt and adjust if necessary. Remove the skillet from the heat.
To Assemble:
Remove the rosemary from the olive oil, strip the leaves off the stalk, mince, and set aside.
Lay two 10-inch sheets of aluminum foil, shiny side down, on a work surface. Spray each sheet lightly with non-stick pray. With hands lightly dusted with flour, divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball, and place one in the center of each piece of foil.
Beginning in the center of the ball and working your way to the edges, use your fingertips and palms to gently press the dough into a circle about 8 1/2 inches in diameter, leaving a slightly raised 1/4-inch wide rim. Brush the entire surface of each very lightly with the Rosemary-Garlic Olive Oil; you will likely have some left over. Lift each piece of foil one at a time, crust and all, holding it taught, and place on one of the baking stones. Bake for 2 minutes. Remove the stones from the oven and divide the onion-apple topping between the two crusts, spreading evenly to the rims. Divide the Cheese Spread between the pizzas, dotting the top of each with teaspoon-size dollops. Sprinkle each with half of the minced rosemary. Return the stones to the oven and cook the pizzas for 9-11 minutes or until the crust is golden and the topping is bubbly, switching the position of the stones halfway through if pizzas seem to be cooking unevenly. Remove the stones from the oven and slide the pizzas, one at a time, onto a cutting board. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of the remaining Apple Cider Vinegar and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve immediately garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.
Note: this pizza reheats beautifully on a pizza stone in a preheated 3350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
I decided to end Vegan MoFo 2011 on a sweet note.
But, first, speaking of sweet…
A big thank you is in order to Isa and all the good folks who are the driving force behind Vegan MoFo. Thank you so much for continuing to feed this fire and for making it so easy, not to mention gratifying, for all of us vegan bloggers and many, many readers to participate. What a beautiful thing.
Though MoFo officially ends today, I will still be here offering new recipes several times a week to Blooming Platter readers and subscribers. So I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already. It’s now easier than ever and you can do it via email, no rss feed necessary. Just look over at the top of the right-hand sidebar and follow the simple prompts.
And now a sweet for the sweet, but, not so sweet that you couldn’t serve this warming dish for a fall breakfast or brunch, which is how I first enjoyed it.
I grew up loving my mother’s biscuit-style Strawberry Shortcake which, incidentally, she would sometimes allow my sister and me to enjoy for breakfast. So, my fall version of this treat is based on a sweetened pumpkin biscuit.
And it’s topped with a quick and spicy apple and walnut saute. Your kitchen will be perfumed with some of the best fragrances of fall.
Yield: 4 Servings
Note: the following is the Herbed Biscuit recipe from my new Blooming Platter vegan cookbook without the herbs, but with the addition of dehydrated pumpkin powder and a little natural sugar. Just click here to order the dehydrated pumpkin from Barry Farm. I am partial to it rather than pumpkin puree, as it adds lots of flavor and golden color, but no additional un-needed nor unwanted moisture which requires additional flour and, hence, a heavy biscuit. However, if you have a vegan pumpkin biscuit recipe you like, feel free to substitute. Just add about 2 tablespoons of natural sugar to a cup of flour.
My special biscuit method requires freezing the vegan butter and shortening, so don’t forget to pop it in the freezer the night before you plan to make them. And I highly encourage taking the tiny bit of extra time to employ my modified french puff pastry folding method. You won’t believe how buttery and flaky the two together will make your biscuit-shortcakes.
Pumpkin Shortcakes
Note: this recipe makes about 10 biscuit-shortcakes, more than you need, but they are delicious plain and reheat nicely, so I predict you’ll be glad to have them on hand.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup plain or unsweetened soy milk
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (or 1 1/2 cups all purpose or white whole wheat flour + 1 tablespoon baking powder)
1/2 cup dehydrated pumpkin powder (I use Barry Farm brand–it’s like a fragrant golden powder)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder (add only if using the self-rising flour)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or your own mix of ground cinnamon, clove and nutmeg to taste)
1/4 cup natural sugar
4 tablespoons frozen vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons frozen vegan butter + 2 tablespoons refrigerated vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
Warm Spiced Apple Filling (recipe below)
About 1/4 cup of your favorite vegan whipped topping, sweetened cashew cream, or even vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar into the soy milk and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder (3/4 teaspoon if using the self-rising flour and 1 tablespoon if using all purpose or white whole wheat), pumpkin powder, pumpkin pie spice, and natural sugar, and stir with a fork to combine. Make a well in the center. Spray your box grater very lightly with nonstick spray for easier clean up and then grate the frozen shortening and frozen vegan butter into the well. Whisk the soy milk mixture and add it to the well.
2. Incorporate the wet into the dry ingredients by stirring with a fork so that the warmth of your hands doesn’t melt the shortening and butter. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-inch square pan and place it in the oven to melt the butter. Remove the pan as soon as the butter has melted.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, pat or roll the dough to about 1-inch thick (1/4-inch thicker than for my biscuits). Fold it like a business letter: fold one side two-thirds of the way across and fold the remaining 1/3 back across. Pat or gently roll the dough out to a 1-inch thickness again, turn it a quarter turn and repeat about 4 more times. Do this fairly quickly so that the dough doesn’t warm up.
4. Lightly flour the work surface as necessary. The last time you pa the dough to a 1-inch, cut out biscuits wih a 2-inch biscuit, cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place each biscuit in the prepared pan and flip to coat both sides with melted butter. Bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. While biscuits bake, make filling (recipe below).
5. When cool enough to handle, either place a biscuit on each of 4 plates; top with 1/4th of the Warm Spiced Apple Filling; garnish each serving with a tablespoon of vegan whipped topping, sweetened cashew cream, or vegan sour cream and a light dusting of ground cinnamon; and serve warm. Or, split the biscuits and place 1/8th of the filling inside and another 1/8th of the filling on top, garnish, and serve. Save the remaining 6 biscuits in an airtight container for another use.
Warm Spiced Apple Filling
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts
2 medium apples (I like our local Winesaps), cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup natural sugar
1/4 cup ground cinnamon or to taste
1/4 cup ground ginger or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground clove or to taste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add walnuts and toast, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove nuts to a paper towel-lined saucer. Add apple, natural sugar, and spices. Saute for about 3 minutes or until apples soften. Add maple syrup and cook another minute or two until apples are very tender. Add all but 1 tablespoon of walnuts, stir, and heat through. Remove from heat and use as directed above.
This is omnivorous husband-approved comfort food, no question about it! But it won’t weigh you down and it is infused with lots of vitamins, not to mention flavor.
You can use any kind of pasta you choose, but I love the shallow “bowl-shape” of the orecchiette because it holds more of the creamy sauce.
Roast the squash in advance so that it’s ready to roll when you’re ready to roll out dinner.
Yield: 4 servings
8 ounces orecchiette (or other favorite pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups firmly packed 2-inch pieces of kale, thick stems removed
2 medium cloves garlic
1 cup plain soy creamer
1/4 to 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (depending on how cheesy and thick you want the sauce)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 4 teaspoons rough chopped walnuts or toasted walnuts
2 acorn squash, cut into approximately 1 x 2-inch chunks and roasted (I cut the squash in half, remove seeds and pulp, cut it into chunks, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, stirring after 10 minutes. I find it easiest to peel the squash after it has cooled enough to handle, but you can peel it before roasting if you prefer.)
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook just until al dente. Meanwhile, make sauce. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add kale and cook, stirring almost constantly, for approximately 3 minutes or until almost tender, but still bright green. Add garlic and saute for another minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent garlic from scorching. Add soy creamer, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, and stir to combine. Fold in roasted acorn squash and heat through, stirring frequently. When pasta is cooked, drain, and fold it into the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve immediately garnished with a few chopped walnuts.
I love my Kale, Walnut, and Rosemary Pesto, but I’ve enjoyed so much of it recently, that I wanted to transform it just enough to be a fresh take without taking away from its beautiful balanced flavors. So I decided to combine it with some soy creamer and use it as a sauce to coat golden butternut squash and chewy-tender tubes of whole wheat penne pasta.
Roast the butternut squash in advance so it’s ready to go when you are ready to eat!
Yield 4 servings
8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
1 cup Vegan Kale, Walnut, and Rosemary Pesto
1/2 cup plain soy creamer
2 cups 1-inch pieces of roasted butternut squash (Halve squash lengthwise, remove seeds and pulp, cut into pieces, toss with a tiny bit of olive oil, and roast approximately 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven, stirring after 10 minutes. I find it easier to peel it when it is cool enough to handle, but you can peel it before roasting.)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional garnish: sprigs of fresh rosemary
In a large pot of boiling, generously salted water, cook pasta just until al dente, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together pesto and soy creamer. If you want the sauce to be a little looser, whisk in olive oil, a tablespoon at t time, until desired consistency is reached. When pasta is cooked, drain, return to pot, and place over medium heat. Immediately add sauce and toss together quickly. Then add butternut squash and toss gently again. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the pot from the heat and serve the pasta immediately topped with sprigs of rosemary if desired.
My fresh take on beans-and-greens presents lentils and kale as a hardy, yet light, salad that is equally good served warm or at room temperature, and makes the perfect bed for a piece of grilled tofu drizzled with a delectable sauce. This dish is a powerhouse of vitamins and protein, simple enough for any day, but lovely enough for special occasions.
Here I serve it on its own with a shimmering slice of lemon and a sprig of fresh rosemary from our garden.
4 cups rough chopped and firmly packed kale, thick stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 of a medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Sea salt
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 pound steamed lentils (I buy the Trader Joe’s brand which is actually 17.6 ounces)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: juice of 1/2 of a medium lemon
Finely chop kale in a food processor and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and saute lightly, stirring frequently, just for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for only about 30 seconds. Add kale and cook, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes or until kale is tender but still bright green. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Adjust seasoning if necessary with salt and pepper and, if you want added brightness, stir in the lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yesterday, I promised a dish from The Blooming Platter Cookbook that would be delicious served with my Vegan Caraway-Havarti Cheese Spread on Melba toast that I posted yesterday.
So here it is! It is my pleasure to share this simple but special recipe inspired by a salad I enjoyed at a tiny bistro in Paris on my husband’s and my twentieth wedding anniversary trip two summers ago. That salad contained no Tempeh Bacon, nor does the recipe in the cookbook. But I love the addition, which I just created, so I’m thrilled to share it with you here.
Note that the recipe calls for starting with dried lentils, but I often just buy a 17.6 ounce package of Trader Joe’s steamed lentils, sold in their produce section, and use the whole package.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
2 1/4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups green lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained
3 tablespoons olive oil (or 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon walnut oil)
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large apple (any variety)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon snipped chives
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Optional: Quick Vegan Tempeh Bacon (recipe follows)
1. In a 2-quart covered saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and bay leaves to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in lentils and gently simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Check at 10 minute intervals, as lentils are easy to overcook; they should be firm enough to hold their shape when tossed with the other ingredients. Add more hot water if necessary to prevent sticking or scorching. (Skip these steps if using pre-steamed lentils.)
2. While the lentils cook, make the vinaigrette. In a large serving bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until well blended and slightly emulsified. Set aside.
3. Halve the apple lengthwise, scoop out the core with a melon baller or spoon, arrange each half cut side down on a work surface, and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices. Then stack several slices together on their sides and cut them into 1/8-inch matchsticks. Add to the bowl with the dressing as you cut them, and stir gently to coat in order to prevent discoloration. Stir in the onion and chives.
4. When the lentils are cooked, drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Remove the bay leaf. (Obviously, skip this rinsing and draining step if using the pre-steamed lentils.) Stir the lentils into the dressing mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, to taste. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Cover and chill the salad several hours before serving to allow flavors to marry.
If including the Temp Bacon, add just before serving.
Quick Vegan Tempeh Bacon:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-8 ounce package tempeh (I use Trader Joe’s brand), sliced cross-wise into about 20 slices 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use a light variety)
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoons natural sugar
Sea salt
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh slices to the pan and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Liquid Smoke, 1 tablespoon of natural sugar, and a pinch of salt. Saute, without disturbing for 2-3 minutes or until caramelized, but not burned. Flip slices and repeat with remaining ingredients. Turn off heat. Flip slices one more time and allow them to sit for a minute or two just to absorb a little more of the flavors. Remove them from heat and serve immediately. (The pan drippings are really yummy. If I’m using, say, chopped onion in a recipe with compatible flavors, I like to add the onion to the skillet and stir them around to absorb some of the drippings which are too good to go to waste!)
Serving suggestion: If you would like to serve the salad over grilled apple slices as in the photograph, cut 1/4-inch thick apple slices and grill them in an oiled grill pan over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until tender, but not mushy, and nice grill marks appear.
Thanks to Old Beach Farmers Market (OBFM) co-founders, volunteers, vendors and patrons for a wonderful morning yesterday at the fall “Harvest Market.” I’ve never before been a vendor anywhere, much less at a Farmer’s Market, but what a rewarding experience!
Every Saturday in the summer and on middle Saturdays from October to December (see remaining dates below), the parking lot of Croc’s Eco Bistro is transformed into a delightful Farmers Market (and a couple of blocks away is a new Art Market and Green Market). OBFM is the 5-year old brainchild of Croc’s co-owner (with her husband Kal), Laura Habr, and her mother, Ann Wright, a well-known and beloved freelance writer in our area, with lots of help from a community of “locavores.” Laura, who is a mover and shaker in the Virginia Green movement and all things eco-friendly and sustainable in the Hampton Roads area, is one of the genuinely warmest and most humble people you will ever meet and is the first to credit a “team” of people with both the Market’s and the restaurant’s success.
The weather was absolutely perfect and any anxiety I had as a first-timer quickly melted away with Laura’s enthusiastic greeting and her pleasant and efficient set-up of a table and chairs she let me borrow. Since I am not a regular, I travel light. But, no tent, no table, no chairs? No problem! Within minutes, thanks to Laura and my good friend Sharon Tanner, a real estate broker, beekeeper and former director of CAC/MOCA’s Boardwalk Art Show, I had a respectable, if modest, display of Blooming Platter Cookbooks.
It wasn’t until Friday that my super-busy week allowed me to turn my intentions to my participation in OBFM. So, after school in a mild panic, I swooped into the bank for some $1 bills, zipped out to Stoney’s Market for pretty pumpkins (green, orange, and tri-colored), headed back to Party City for a sage green tablecloth, and finally ducked into the fabric store for some tobacco-colored burlap. Before dashing out the door on Saturday morning, I printed a couple of signs, loaded everything, including a case of cookbooks, into the car, and headed out. I guess if I was more experienced, I wouldn’t have forgotten my business cards!
In between the pleasure and privilege of chatting with and selling/signing books for friends who came a marketing, as well as delightful people I met for the first time–all with engaging stories (like the couple who had lost 180 pounds between them)–I enjoyed people- and pet- watching. This was a practiced market crowd and the colorful reusable market bags alone were a feast for the eyes, never mind the goodies inside like, say, adorable pink-eyed peas Who knew?
Even the family whose car I gently backed into when leaving (blind spot!) were lovely and generous. That’s a story for a different day, but the only damage to speak of–and it was minor–was to my car and, as luck would have it, someone had backed into it about a week ago, so the quarter panel is going to be replaced this week anyway! Talk about feeding two birds with one cracker…it really was a charmed day.
The word appears to be out that, even if you have never met a vegetable you liked, you can come to the market for some seriously delicious noshing to be enjoyed while browsing or sitting in a little cafe that Laura set-up next to the Croc’s booth. I had the honor of being positioned between it and the Peylon’s Baja Grill booth, so I enjoyed chatting with both Laura and Kal and an adorable gal from Peylon’s, all of whom generously sent me home with some of their wares to sample.
Croc’s brand of hummus is the best around. It’s balance of flavors it spot-on, which may have more than a little to do with Kal hailing originally from Lebanon. I loved chatting with him about Sunday dinners at his grandmother’s in the place of his birth.
And I’m a fan of Peylon’s because they offer, at their Norfolk location, vegan sour cream and cheese and make some delicious vegan “fish tacos.” So I was happy to be the recipient of some of their salsa and guacamole. If you haven’t tried their Pineapple-Habenero salsa, it has really beautiful color and flavor and a not-too-intense after-burn.
Thanks again, Laura, Ann, et al for the invitation to participate in OBFM and for the kind reception. You walk the green walk and talk the green talk in the most beautiful way.
OBFM Holiday Markets: Nov 19 and Dec 17, 20011, 9am -12pm, Croc’s Eco Bistro, 19th Street, VA Beach,VA
