Tomato-Peach Caprese (vegan & plant-based)

Today I offer a perfect late summer vegan/plant-based recipe and an apology…for being “gone” for so long.

First the recipe:

Tomato-Peach Caprese is perfect for a light summertime snack, lunch, or dinner. Made with Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese, fresh peaches and tomatoes, and chopped pistachios, it is especially light and refreshing served with cucumber slices, but serve it with crostini for a treat that is a little more substantial. We love the ricotta, but if you can’t find it locally, feel free to substitute Better Than Cream Cheese. But, good news: all Tofutti products are available at PlantX.

Ingredients:

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1.5 ounces chives, snipped (use kitchen shears); reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large ripe peach, diced

1 large ripe tomato, diced

1 to 2 tablespoons pistachios, finely chopped

Sea salt

Accompaniments: crackers or cucumber slices

Directions:

At least 30 minutes before preparing, combine garlic and olive oil in a small container and let steep at room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese, red wine or balsamic vinegar, chives, and pepper until completely combined. Spread onto serving plate or board.

In another small bowl, gently toss together tomatoes and peaches with 1 tablespoon garlic oil and spoon on top of ricotta. Drizzle with remaining garlic oil and sprinkle with reserved chives, pistachios, and sea salt to taste.

Serve immediately with crackers and/or cucumber slices.

*Created exclusively for Tofutti Brands, Inc. by Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter.

The apology:

As some of you may know, over a year ago, much to my delight, Tofutti Brands hired me as a recipe developer and food photographer. But, since fall 2020, I have also been a full-time teaching artist in the Upper School at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, VA, where I concurrently–and gratefully–serve as the curator of Perrel Gallery. This rich new path follows a 16-year career as a public high school art teacher. And Tofutti isn’t my only side hustle, as I manage a busy magazine and newspaper freelance writing business.

I share this not as an excuse, but an explanation for my too-long neglect of my beloved website, The Blooming Platter.

Initially, I planned to post a recipe every time Tofutti did, but that plan got sidetracked by life and by my obsessive weekly recipe creation and testing. However, with this post, I am recommitting to that plan. I sometimes create other recipes which I will also share here. But for the most part, I am so consumed–see what I did there?–by my tasty work for Tofutti that virtually all my new recipes include Better Than Cream Cheese, Better Than Sour Cream, or Better Than Ricotta.

Substitutions/Tested Recipes

You can certainly try substituting other brands BUT be advised that, not only are Tofutti my favorite plant-based cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta, but the recipes have only been tested with these products.

Get the Skinny

To make sure you don’t miss a single recipe, visit Tofutti here and sign up for our mailing list where your privacy will be respected and you will not be inundated. But you will receive all our recipes and eCookbooks, with the next featuring recipes for busy school and work mornings, afternoons, and evenings, as we gear back up for another school year.

Mini “Cheeseball” Pops

It would be downright wrong of me not to share this recipe before New Year’s because every southern gal knows it’s not a proper party unless there’s a cheeseball on the table.

But for our Christmas Cheer Open House, I felt guests would enjoy the food more if they could pick it up and pop it in their mouths without a plate–though I provided plates–and I was right!

These were a hit and were even included on a New Year’s appetizer menu by a chef who saw my post in a plant-based Facebook group for chefs and serious home cooks.

But don’t wait for a party to make these. Filled with different ingredients, they just might be a way to get kids to eat more veggies!

Mini “Cheeseball” Pops

Yield: approximately 20 pops

8 ounces vegan cream cheese (I used Follow Your Heart brand though any brand–or home-made–could work as long as it is fairly firm)

1/2 to 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup roasted and lightly salted shelled pistachios, chopped

1/4 to 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: pinch garlic powder

20 straight pretzels

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients with a fork. Using a small scoop–or just a spoon (but a scoop is so quick!)–form 1-inch balls. Place on parchment paper (or foil or waxed paper) in a lidded carton if not serving immediately. Insert pretzel sticks, cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Recipe notes:

1) As you insert the pretzel stick, it may hit a diced ingredient and start to force the ball apart just a little. Don’t panic! Just use the fingers of your other hand to gently squeeze it back together.

2) Feel free to experiment with other ingredients–though the red and green is especially pretty–maybe dates, pecans, and sliced green onions or parsley.

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