VeganMoFo: A Yummy Meal & a Contest, to Spice Things Up

Last night I had some time on my hands and sweet potatoes and mushrooms that were getting a little long in the tooth, so I decided to try my hand at gnocchi and sauce (and a salad). This was my first time making gnocchi (actually I think it was my first time eating it too).  It ended up being easier than an internet search would lead one to believe, although I definitely need some practice on shaping them.

I based my recipe on Mark Bittman's from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, but I made it vegan and healthier. Directions for how to shape and cook gnocchi are pretty standard.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Mushroom Thyme Cream Sauce

This recipe serves four but is easily halved or doubled; I cut it in half for us. The sauce makes a lot, so if you don't like it too saucy you will want to scale it to your tastes.

For the Gnocchi

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus up to 1/2 cup more

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp yellow miso

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the potatoes however you like (boil, roast, even microwave) until tender. I roasted mine; if you boil them make sure to drain well. Once cooked mash in a large bowl. If you have a potato ricer, now would be the time to use it. I do not (yet...) so I just used a fork. They need to be as smooth as possible. 

Add in the nutritional yeast, miso, and salt and pepper to your liking and work in to the sweet potatoes until evenly distributed. Starting with 1 cup flour, mix into potatoes and stir until a dough starts to form. You may want to switch to using your clean hands at this point, it's easier to handle the dough. Knead lightly to incorporate the flour and bring the dough together. 

Your goal is to add as little flour as necessary and knead the dough as little as possible. I actually did not need even all the initial flour, but if you boil you potatoes I imagine they will require more flour to come together properly. Work in flour as necessary until the dough is tacky but not overly sticky. It should not be dry to the touch, but it should not stick to everything else more than itself either. It is preferable to work on a floured surface rather than incorporate more flour into the dough.  

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.

Test your gnocchi by taking a small piece of dough and dropping it into the boiling water. If it holds together the dough is where it should be. If it falls apart work in a bit more flour and test again.

Divide dough in fourths and work with one section at a time. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and have next to where you are working your dough. Take one section and roll it out into a snake 1/2 inch thick, like you did with play-doh when you were little. Cut the snake into 1 inch sections (perfection is not necessary - these are homemade). Take each piece and gently roll it on the tines of a fork using your thumb. One side should have fork impressions and the other should slightly curl around your thumb. This will help it hold the sauce. This takes some practice, but again, perfection is not necessary. Place each shaped piece on the wax paper as you go, taking care to not let them touch. Repeat with remaining sections of dough.

At this point to can set them aside to make the sauce if you haven't already done so. You want to serve them as soon as they are done cooking, so you need everything else ready to go when you drop them in the water as they only take a couple minutes to cook.

When you are ready, drop them a few at a time into the boiling water, stirring gently to prevent sticking. I put all of mine in together, but if your pan is very small you may need to work in a couple batches. Let cook for one minute more after they float to the top then remove from water with a slotted spoon. If you are going to use a butter sauce drain them well before adding, otherwise you can drop them right into your serving sauce.

Stir gently to coat with sauce and serve immediately.

For the Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound stemmed cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 large onion, diced fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp yellow miso

4 cups (one whole container) plain hemp milk

1/4 cup roughly chopped thyme

2-3 tbsp cornstarch

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preheat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add oil and mushrooms. Do not try to stir, mushrooms will stick unless you are using a nonstick pan. Just let them cook a few minutes and they will release enough liquid to free themselves. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and stir. Allow mushrooms to cook, stirring occasionally, until they are almost dry. 

Add onions, stir to incorporate, and lower heat to medium. Scrape up fond in pan and then allow to cook, again stirring occasionally, until onions soften and the pan is dry (take care to not let it burn!). Add garlic and wine. Scrape fond off bottom of pan, and cook until pan is nearly dry again. 

Work in nutritional yeast and miso until mushrooms and onions are evenly coated then pour in 3 3/4 cup hemp milk and thyme. Stir to combine and simmer for a couple minutes to allow flavors to come together. Reduce heat to low. Dissolve cornstarch into remaining 1/4 cup milk and add to pan. Stir to incorporate and return to a gentle bubble to thicken. The sauce should be the consistency of a reduced cream sauce - thick enough to easily coat the back of a spoon, but not gloppy. That is also why I used cornstarch as opposed to flour, for a silkier texture. 

Hold over low heat while you cook the gnocchi. Follow directions above for cooking and saucing gnocchi. 

B's Favorite Salad

Serves 4

4-6 handfuls baby spinach, picked over, washed and dried

12-16 strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 cup pecan halves, toasted or lightly candied

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction (if you don't have this lying around you can approximate it by doubling the balsamic vinegar and adding a couple tablespoons brown sugar)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

salt and pepper

Divide spinach, strawberries, and pecans between four plates. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. In a small sauce pan combine oil, reduction, vinegar and shallot. Place over low heat and bring to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and whisk vigorously until dressing emulsifies. Quickly divide among salads and serve. 

If you make, or have access to, a vegan cheese that you enjoy eating out of hand this is the place to use it. You want something creamy and either mild, like chevre, or strong, like Stilton. Just crumble over salad and enjoy. Diced avocado would also be yummy and provide a nice, creamy texture.

A Contest

Guess what I'm making. If more than one person gets it right I'll put your names in a hat and draw one. The winner will get some of whatever this is sent to them! You have until Sunday at midnight, PST, to enter. Good luck!

VeganMoFo: A Discussion and a Product Review

I've rarely run across a fermented food I don't like. I love miso, soy sauce, pickles, sourdough bread, and yogurt, just to name a few. One of my newest discoveries in the world of fermented food is kombucha, a fermented tea that originated somewhere in China and eventually made it's way to eastern Europe. It can be something of an acquired taste, but like other raw fermented foods it has reported health benefits. They include, among others, providing friendly probiotics and a good source of B vitamins. 

Why should we care? Americans in particular, but all of us who live in modern, industrialized communities, are being cleaned to death. Our food is sanitized beyond recognition. It is pasteurized, irritated, quadruple washed, and laced with antibiotics. We are bombarded with advertisements telling us we are bad parents or loved ones if we don't constantly rub down every surface with bleach and wash our hands with antibacterial soap every thirty minutes.  

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not against hand washing (in fact, please do it regularly, it is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease).  But we are cleaning ourselves sick.  Bacteria can not be all lumped together as one evil empire out to get us, but we are waging war as if it is. In fact, bacteria is very important in maintaining our health, our good health.  I'm sure you've all seen the commercials for various, mostly dairy, products touting their brand of bacteria that will boost your immune system or keep you regular (heaven forbid we eat some fiber). While the motives of these companies suck they do touch on a valid point. Friendly bacteria play a critical role in keeping our digestive and immune systems healthy. 

Besides salting and drying, fermentation was one of the few ways our ancestors had to preserve food prior to the introduction of canning and, most recently, freezing. It also happened to have healthy "side effects". When your gut is appropriately populated with healthy bacteria the icky bacteria that make us sick have a hard time finding a foot hold. That is why it is so important to eat fermented food after taking a course of antibiotics. Again, I'm not against modern medicine, and by all means, please follow your doctor's advise. But if you are told to take antibiotics it would be wise to supplement your diet with some miso soup or yogurt to help yourself recover. Antibiotics wipe out all bacteria, irrespective of benefit to the host. You can help speed the repopulation of of your body with good bacteria by eating live fermented foods.  

Kombucha is a yummy, bubbly way to get some of those healthy bacteria (the fermentation results in carbonation). It's not inexpensive, so I don't drink it all the time, but I have been trying to shake the tail end of a cold for the better part of a week so I splurged and drank a whole bottle last night. GT's is the brand available in my area. They have both straight kombucha, in four flavors, and what they call "Synergy" which is 95% kombucha and 5% juice. I've liked all the flavors I've tried so far, except the strawberry Synergy. You can also make kombucha at home if you are feeling adventurous, directions on how can be found all over the internet. I intend to try it soon (but you know what they say about intentions...).

(In reference to antibacterial soap, just say no. It is only effective in making the bad stuff stronger, and likely contains ingredients that are hazardous to our health. Studies show you are just as well off using a good natural soap, hot water, and adequate time - at least 15-20 seconds.)

VeganMoFo: Cobbler

B and I went to a friend's for dinner on Saturday and I was asked to bring dessert. Cobbler is always popular, so I decided to make individual ones. They are easy to reheat and you can make as many or as few as you need. This version is also done, start to finish in about a half hour from things you probably have on hand, making in great for last minute company or cravings.

I usually make my cobbler southern style with a crust that bakes up through the fruit, but I used a biscuit topping for this one, both because it is pretty and it is easier to portion out individually.

Individual Berry Cobblers

This recipe makes enough for four, but it is super easy to scale to your needs. Basically you need 1 cup of frozen berries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon liquid for each serving. It is important that everything be hot when you put the biscuits on so that they cook thoroughly from top and bottom.

Filling

2 cups frozen blackberries (no need to thaw)

2 cups frozen raspberries

1/2-3/4 cup sugar (up to you depending on how sweet you like your dessert)

1 tbsp orange liquor, or 1/2 tsp orange extract

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup orange juice (juice of one orange)

Topping

1/3 cup soy milk

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup biscuit mix (I used a homemade mix. It's good, but I want to work with it some more before I post it)

1 tbsp turbinado sugar

Place 4 6-8oz ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and place in oven. Preheat to 425.

Mix soymilk, vinegar, and vanilla together and set aside to curdle.

Place 1 1/2 cup of each of the berries and the sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook until berries are thawed completely, stirring frequently. Add liquor or orange extract and allow to simmer while you make the cornstarch slurry. Mix the orange juice and cornstarch together until completely smooth. Add to berries and cook, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens. Add last cup of frozen berries and turn heat all the way to low.

Pour soymilk mixture into biscuit mix and stir just until evenly mixed.  Take baking sheet out of oven. Working quickly, portion out 1/2 cup berry mixture into each ramekin then top with three scoops, a generous tablespoon each, of biscuit dough. Try to keep them from touching so they bake evenly. Sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar and return pan to oven. 

Bake 15-18 minutes, until biscuits have puffed and turned golden brown and delicious and filling is bubbling.  Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes before serving.  If you are making these ahead of time just place them in a warm oven for 15-20 minutes to reheat.  Serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream or tofu whip.

Yes, I made five and the recipe is for four.  I scaled the berries as I explained and I just doubled the biscuit topping and plopped the extra dough on the baking sheet next to the ramekins as drop biscuits. Yummy warm and slathered with apple butter.

VeganMoFo: Survey

I've not done a survey on this blog before, so I thought this was a good way to get a post done for MoFo :) This one is from Liz at Food Snobbery is my Hobbery.

1. Name a song that involves food in some way.
 - Lollipop
2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?
 - Whatever fits my current interest. A bread cookbook is probably next.
3. What did you eat today?
 - Leftover peanut noodle salad, broccoli chowder, and fruit
4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.
 - Faux shrimp
5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?
 - Smells Delicious
6. Favorite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?
 - Depends on what kind of food I'm eating. Salsa or Tapatio for Mexican, Siracha for Asian, Trader Joe's for general hot sauce.
7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?
 - 23 the first time, brief relapse, then 24.
8. Favorite vegan cheeze?
 - Teese
9. Cutest baby animal?
 - Um. All of them? duh. 
10. Favorite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?
 - Boysenberry for preserves hands down. But I love fruit butters too.
11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?
 - Not consistently, I eat a varied diet, including a few fortified foods like soy milk. And I take a tablespoon of Original Himalayan Crystal Salt solution dissolved in water every morning. It's a natural source of every trace mineral (all 84).
12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?
 - I can't pick just one. Apples, pumpkins, squash, stew, all things baked. 
13. What food would you have a hard time living without?
 - Spices
14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
 - Tea
15. It's 10PM and you're starving. What do you eat?
 - Quick "refried" beans (smashed canned pintos), guacamole, and chips
16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?
 - Kalyra likes seaweed, Kunin likes almost everything, and Jewel likes everything except maybe raw onion. No joke, we can't leave anything on the counter. They will all eat bread and Jewel has started even eating tomatoes and bananas that I leave out. It's pretty obnoxious.
17. Worst injury you've gotten in the kitchen?
 - I cut my finger pretty deep once. And I have several burn scars on my arms.
18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?
 - Google
19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?
 - Peaches and apricots 
20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?
 - Barbara's Shredded Oats
21. Favorite soup to make on a rainy day?
 - Veggie soup
22. What's your favorite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?
 - My Green Smoothie
23. Favorite brand of root beer?
 - Virgil's
24. What is one dish that you have never but would like to veganize?
 - Beef Stew

Here is Jewel eating a yellow cherry tomato that she took out of the bag we got in our CSA basket. I think that was her third one of the day. Ridiculous.

How to Eat Pasta On a Diet

I love pasta, but giant plates of white noodles don't usually make the "10 most healthful foods list". Also, most Americans do not eat only a single serving of pasta when they sit down in front of a plate of penne.  So we need to come up with better ways to include pasta as part of a healthy and satisfying diet. Two of the simplest ways to increase the health factor of pasta dishes are to switch to whole wheat and to bulk it up with vegetables.  This dish uses both these tricks to make a yummy and satisfying dish that won't break your resolve to eat better. 

Chilled Peanut Noodle Salad

Sauce

1/4 cup smooth, organic peanut butter

1/4 cup lite coconut milk

1/4 cup water (or more coconut milk)

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp chopped onion

1 tsp sriracha

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp hoisen sauce

1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

Salad

1/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti (I used Trader Joe's Flax spaghetti)

1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 cup shredded red bell pepper

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 scallions, chopped

Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth.  Set aside.

Cook spaghetti in rapidly boiling, salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside to cool while you assemble the remaining ingredients.  

I julienned the cabbages, carrot, and pepper using a mandoline set to 1/8th inch. Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add cooled spaghetti and mix until evenly combined. Add sauce and toss until all ingredients are thoroughly coated. Serve immediately or cover and stash in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

This serves 4 (or 2 very hungry individuals). I served it with some steamed, marinated, and sauteed tempeh for extra fiber and protein. The sauce also makes an excellent dipping sauce, just omit the water to make it a little thicker. This recipe is easily multiplied if you're feeding more people, and can be made well in advance of serving time. Just be warned, if you store it for awhile you are going to want let it sit uncovered for a few minutes before you serve it. The cabbage, like other members of the brassica family, smells rather... potent if it is left to sit after being cut (i.e. it smell a lot like ass when you first uncover it).

There is no reason we need to give up our favorite foods when we make a commitment to eat healthfully, we just have to find ways to make them more nutrient dense and eat them in moderation. Whole wheat pasta is a good source of fiber and protein, both of which are stripped from white pasta. Peanut butter is a great source of healthy fats and protein. And the veggies are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. What it equals is a delicious pasta dish that fits in with a healthy lifestyle. Hurray!

This is calculated using regular coconut milk, not lite. Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): 312 Calories; 14g Fat (37.2% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 322mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. Calculated using MasterCook software.

MoFo Day 2: Kitchen Organization will Set You Free!

Or: Why Being a Little OCD Pays Off

From Veg*ns are Friends, Not Food

Friends who come over often comment at how I "whip up" things to eat with little notice.  I do this more with baked goods than dinner items, since dinner is usually a more involved endeavor, but this principle applies to all types of cooking. Being organized will make you a better cook.  I can throw together a last minute dessert or a quick appetizer because I keep a well stocked kitchen and, more importantly, I know where everything is.  

I have cooked in a variety of different sized kitchens, and while I love my current kitchen, and have more room than I have a right to complain about, it is not perfect. I utilize several strategies to maximize the space I have to work with. Regardless of the size of your kitchen, you can benefit from organization.

My Baking Station

Drawer dividers are invaluable in large drawers.  It is also important that you give each thing a place and put it back in the same spot every time.  If you know where your tools are you'll be a lot more likely to use them.

Because I cook and bake frequently I have two sets of those items which I use most often.  This includes measuring cups and spoons.  Having doubles of my most often used tools is a huge time saver, since I don't have to stop to wash and dry a dirty utensil when I find myself needing it again in the middle of a recipe.

Counter Top Storage

Don't underestimate the value of a couple of well placed crocks.  While I prefer to keep my counters as clutter-free as possible, I couldn't do with out these.  You can place these exactly where you need them and they are easy to move in order to clean.  This is my baking crock.

This one is next to the stove.

Right next to the stove crock are all my cooking tools.  This is the stuff that I most frequently use when I'm cooking on that side of the kitchen.

Pantry Organization

Equally important as organizing your tools is organizing your pantry.  This accomplishes two things: one, you will always know what you have on had and where to find it.  Secondly, properly stored food will keep much longer.  The picture above is my baking shelf; I also have a shelf with all my canned goods and ethnic ingredients, one with dried fruit, chocolate, and preserves, and one with oils, cereals, and miscellaneous, plus the one below.

This shelf holds all my legumes and cooking grains.  Notice that everything is in airtight glass containers (the best choice for keeping out bugs and moisture) and clearly labeled.  I chose quart mason jars for most of my storage (and pint sized for a few smaller items) because they are inexpensive (about $10 for a dozen), clear for easy viewing, and very durable.  

Spending a weekend or a few evenings cleaning and organizing your kitchen will pay off in huge time savings in the future. It's also a money saver since your food will stay fresher longer and you'll be less likely to buy multiples of items because you can't find what you could have sworn you had. Furthermore, with designated containers you can purchase your essentials from the bulk section of your favorite store which is nearly always less expensive and more environmentally friendly than buying the same item prepackaged. It is so much easier and more enjoyable to cook in a well organized, well stocked kitchen. Find a system that works for you and implement it, it is time well spent.

VeganMoFo Begins

If you've found this blog as part of VeganMoFo - welcome!  Please feel free to comment, it's so nice to know people actually read my blog :)  I'm excited (and a little nervous) to be participating in this event with so many other amazing bloggers.  On to the food!

Garden Bounty: Part 1

As I mentioned in my last post, the sweet basil in my garden was ready to be hacked back again, and hack I did on Saturday.  Those zucchini are about the size you'd find in the supermarket to give you a reference for how huge that bunch was.  I also pulled 3 little Stupice tomatoes and both Hungarian Hot Wax peppers and Banana peppers.  I'll be posting recipes incorporating all these ingredients soon (if I can prevent B from eating all my tomatoes long enough to actually use them in a recipe).  We'll start with the basil.

I love pesto and this is one of my favorite ways to use it.  I don't actually have a recipe for my pesto, I just do it to taste each time, since the quantity of basil varies each time, but here's what goes in: 

  - Basil (you can add spinach if you need to stretch your basil)

  - Toasted Pine nuts (pecans are a good alternative if you're out of pine nuts)

  - Roasted Garlic (several cloves add nice garlic flavor without the overwhelming sharpness of raw. I separate several heads as a time into cloves and then roast them until soft and mellow. Store in freezer and thaw as needed)

  - Raw Garlic (just a clove or two)

  - Extra Virgin Olive Oil (you can omit the broth and use only oil - it's amazing but not so figure friendly)

  - Veggie Broth (a great way to make your pesto lower fat, but I still recommend adding at least a tablespoon or two of olive oil for flavor and texture)

  - Nutritional Yeast (cheesy flavor and a great source of B-complex vitamins and protein for vegans)

  - Yellow Miso (essential - provides the salty, "aged" flavor of parmesan, and is an excellent source of trace minerals and probiotics)

  - Kosher Salt

I prefer to make pesto in my food processor, but a blender will work (my blender makes it too smooth for me, but B likes the extra creamy texture the blender creates).  The basil in the picture above made a quart of pesto.  I froze half of it in ice cube trays for later, used a cup in the dip below, and the last cup is waiting in the 'fridge to be poured over pasta.  Yum!

Pesto over "Cream Cheese"

This is a super easy and delicious appetizer.  You can make the pesto ahead of time and then pour it over the vegan cream cheese of your choosing just before serving.  This is always gobbled up in a flash.

Pesto-"Cream Cheese" Dip

This is basically the same thing, but with the pesto and "cream cheese" blended together.  It's a nice choice for bigger parties or smaller crackers since all you have to do is dip, making it easier to eat.  I made a sundried tomato-basil version of Julie's crackers to go along with this one, but I need to work on them a little more before I post my modifications.

A Growing Garden

Here are a few choice pictures that B took yesterday.  As you will see about half of it is huge and the rest looks kind of empty.  Most of those squares have been planted at this point and I started seeing sprouts last week.  A few squares are still empty because I am trying to stagger my planting a bit for a more gradual harvest as opposed to all at once.  On to the pictures. 

Full Length Garden View

As you can see we did a raised garden.  We chose this option for two reasons.  We rent our house, so we are limited in how and where we can modify the property.  This side yard was empty so we didn't have to worry about changing/moving/destroying anything already in place.  Secondly, the ground in this area is extremely compacted and rocky, so rather than trying to till it up and amend the existing soil we decided it would would be a lot less work to just build up and have great soil from the start. Also, because this was the only real available space on the property and is bordered by the house and the side fence B built it 18 inches high, both to give the plants plenty of footing and to raise them to give them a chance for a bit more light each day.  The grid you see is based on Square Foot Gardening in an effort to maximize this limited space; it also provided the perfect structure for the drip system B put in.  

If you ever wanted to know what lettuce looks like when you let it grow - you're looking at it in the bottom right of the picture.  We really need to eat more salad...

Beans and Zucchini

At the bottom of the picture are my bush beans (green/string beans).  I've already harvested a very large handful of beans, and a second flush is ready to go.  At the top are my zucchini plants.  I gave the two zucchini's a full 9 square feet and they are still growing into all the neighboring plants.  I've already pulled 4 squash, the last two pretty darn big, and there are lots more little ones on there.  Look for zucchini bread in an up coming post!

The First Tomatoes

I have four varieties of tomatoes: Early Girl, Longkeeper, Stupice, and Cherry.  These  are the Stupice - the first plant that's ripening for me.  We've pulled a couple of cherry tomatoes, but this is the first real crop.  The other plants are laden with fruit, but due to the surprisingly cool weather we've been having they are slow to ripen.  Luckily in So Cal we don't typically get a freeze until well into November, so they still have lots of time.  

Bell Peppers

A sweet little baby and a big one in the back.  I have four Bell pepper plants, a Banana pepper, a Hungarian Hot Wax pepper, and a Chocolate pepper plant.  All of them are producing rather prolifically, so I'm trying to figure out how to use them up.  I prefer red bell peppers, so I'm leaving mine on to ripen, except when I need a green one for Cuban Black Beans (holy moly, it may be the only way I ever eat black beans again! I'll be doing a post on them soon).

Carrot Tops

I started these carrots from seed.  B is super excited about them.  They are Nantes if I remember correctly.  You can see my behemoth Paris Cos Romaine lettuce towering over them.

Sweet Basil

I planted three sweet Italian basil in the garden (I have another two in containers on the porch).  They are doing really well.  I hacked them back at the beginning of September and made a huge batch of pesto that I froze and they are about ready to be harvested again.

Thai Basil

I actually haven't used this yet, but it is so pretty with it's deep purple edging that I don't even care.  I am planning on making a big batch of vegan Pho soon, so this will be perfect.

I've got broccoli, broccoli raab, napa cabbage, cilantro, two types of chard, two types of kale, several more lettuces, arugula, and spinach coming up that were all started from seed.  I'll post pictures of those when they've gotten a touch bigger.  Between our CSA and our garden we'll be meeting most of our produce needs which makes me super excited (it also makes me want to rip up all the silly bushes and grass in our yards and plant useful things).  But I'm not bitter, really... one day we will own our own home and I can have a giant garden! Until then I am very pleased with the one B built - good job babe!

A Step in the Right Direction

I was happy to find this information today.  

Alton Brown has long been my most favorite chef on Food Network and it is welcome news that anyone on that network is recognizing the problems our current food system is causing and making an effort to address the issues (no, he is not going vegetarian, but like I said - it's a step).  I realize some of my readers may not watch that network due to the prolific use of animal products by, well, every single show.  But long before I went veg I learned much of what I know of cooking from watching Food Network and am still quite the addict (and still learning).  

If you use Dish Network you should check out the channel Veria.  They have lots of interesting holistic shows, including a cooking show called Naturally Delicious by Ann Gentry, founder of the restaurant Real Food Daily in L.A.  Her show is completely vegetarian, and almost completely vegan (I saw her use an egg once, in a recipe for pancakes, where it was completely unnecessary, and a tiny bit of cheese one other time, but those were the only digressions).  If you are a cooking television addict like me it is very refreshing to watch a program in which you can eat every item made without having to modify the heck out of it.

In other news, I signed up to participate in VeganMoFo.  I hope it is the catalyst I need to blog more often, so be sure to check back frequently in October since I'll be posting close to every day ::gulp::! 

Camping Eats

B and I went camping with my family for a week in August.  I made a number of items to take with us so I would have plenty of things to eat while everyone else was chowing on animal... things.  While I failed to take pictures of most of what I made I thought I'd share what I took.  I made: black bean burgers, simmered seitan (for steak night), seitan sausage, and for my night to cook for everyone I made five-bean chili (even my aunt's father enjoyed it, and she told me he is very resistant to vegetarian anything!).  We also took a variety of fruit and veggies, a big batch of hummus, and I made a couple types of cookies.  

Homemade Granola

For breakfast I made us a green smoothie for every day.  I froze them in quart jars and took them that way.  It worked pretty well, but they were a little... funky... by the end of the week.  If you can figure out a way to actually keep half of them fully frozen until the last half of the week it would be ideal.  Additionally, I made the banana bread I have posted previously and the granola pictured.  It was my first time making granola and while I was happy with it, I am going to play with it a bit more.  I want to try and get more clumps.  It is very healthy, but not really lowfat, due to the healthy fats from the nuts, flax, and a small amount of coconut oil.  I don't want to eliminate fat entirely, but I want to try lowering it a bit without sacrificing too much nutritional value. 

  

Homemade Granola with Dried Cranberries

And finally, while everyone else was getting hopped up on coffee this is how Mom and I started our day: 

Camping is a fun and inexpensive (once you've bought the reusable equipment) way to vacation. Living outside need not mean eating unhealthy, boring, or processed foods.  Eating well and getting in touch with nature go hand in hand, and that's what us "crunchy, granola hippies" love, right :o)