Somewhere, there is a juicy summer peach out there just waiting for you to make this gloriously colorful and breathtakingly flavorful salad.
Find my surprisingly simple recipe at One Green Planet.
Don’t keep that peach waiting!
Don’t miss this opportunity to win one of six Vegan Heritage Press titles by Amber Shea Crawley, Bryanna Clark Grogan, Tamsin Noyes, Jon Robertson, Robin Robertson, and yours truly!
Three books will be given away and to make sure you are in the running, just follow THIS LINK and then follow the easy instructions.
May the best–okay, just the luckiest–vegans win!
This decadent pie takes “layers of flavor” to a whole new level, proving that 1 + 1 = 10! Six, actually, but who’s counting?!
Wait until you try my Cream of Coconut-Peanut Caramel Layer! Try not to eat it all like candy before assembling the pie. 🙂
Find the surprisingly simple recipe and back-story HERE at One Green Planet!
Find the back-story and simple recipe for these cupcakes HERE.
And if you don’t have lemon verbena growing in your garden, run, don’t walk, to the nearest garden center or farmer’s market. It has become one of my favorite herbs: pretty, versatile, and easy to grow!
Jeeps are for girls! Read on…
On Monday, I posted on FB about my 8.5 mile hike with my good gal pal, Katherine Jackson. But I didn’t mention it here, as food was not really the focus. Getting to and from Lake Drummond in The Dismal Swamp on a 90+ degree day was!
While I loved our time together, the exercise, and the beautiful lake, I’m not so wild about all of the mosquito/fly bites I came home with on my calves and ankles, though it was my own fault. While we were slathered in sunscreen, we neglected insect repellant. At any rate, worse still is my bruised big toenail on my left foot. I was wearing good shoes, so I’m not sure what happened other than that I had discarded my last pair of footies–holes had appeared in every one–and wore a pair of my husband’s athletic socks which I had to kind of “squish” into my shoe because the socks were too big.
Last night, I finally acknowledged a true injury, so I soaked it in epsom salts, rubbed it with alcohol, and iced it this morning. But it is apparent that I cannot wear closed in athletic shoes, footies that fit or no, until this toe heals, and I walk miles every day with our dogs even when I don’t hike. I REALLY hope I don’t lose the nail.
So, I woke up this morning resolved to find a solution made more urgent by the fact that my beloved cousin, Earl, is coming from Houston on August 8 specifically for day hiking. Do you ever feel almost “called” to stop in a store where you rarely, if ever, shop, knowing that they will have what you need? Well, that happened today with Off Broadway Shoes.
Years ago, I purchased my all time favorite summer walking shoes there. It was one of the designs that resulted from the Nike/Cole Haan partnership. I wore them for two seasons unti they finally had to be retired. (In fact, I bought a pair of unworn Nike/Cole Haan slip-ons this summer at a consignment store thinking they would be my go-to summer shoes even though the size was smaller than I normally wear. Sadly, however, they kill my feet, though they were comfy in the store.)
Though Off Broadway didn’t have any Nike/Cole Haans, they did have a brand I wasn’t familiar with called J-41 which combines Jeep technology with style, comfort, eco-friendliness, and animal friendliness in their Vegan Collection! The style I chose, “Hampton,” is from that collection. And they match my sky blue Vespa. 🙂
According to their website–and the shoe box–“J-41™ products are made with 100% recycled and recyclable packaging. All J-41 outsoles are constructed with partially recycled rubber. In this small way we hope to do our part to help save our great outdoors for future generations. Recycle On.”
Not only that, but these Jeep designed shoes are said to be trail rated, contain compressed rubber with superior traction and durability, and boast toe and heel bumpers for protection against the elements. Plus, the Jeep Memory Foam Footbed is removable and contoured to cradle feet. Sounds good to me. And look at those cute–but not too cute–little flowers!
I wish I hadn’t wrecked my toe, but I think I did the best I could for shoes to baby it while it heals. If you are similarly on the go, I hope you’ll check them out. You can purchase them online and they have a number of closed-toe styles.
Adventure On!
These beautiful tarts are so easy to make from summer’s bounty of butter beans, figs and fresh herbs.
The availability of these ingredients along with my Southern-steeped heritage were the inspiration for this unusual but really mouth-watering combination.
The butter beans cook while you make and bake the crust and then just get processed with the other ingredients. And the drizzle is short on cooking time. So, the tart goes together much more quickly than you would think, especially for something so darn pretty.
Find my recipe at One Green Planet. Thanks OGP!
I have teamed up with the effervescent Laura Theodore, aka “The Jazzy Vegetarian,” of Public TV and blog radio fame to offer a sizzlin’ summer give-away!
We think it is THE vegan give-away of the summer!
Laura and I both brake for farmer’s markets. Since our seasonal approaches to vegan cooking are so splendidly simpatico, we decided to join forces and offer our wonderful readers, viewers, listeners, and supporters the chance to win one of three prizes.
The prizes include various tantalizing combinations of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes by yours truly, Jazzy Vegetarian: Lively Vegan Cuisine That’s Easy and Delicious by Laura, and a CD entitled “Better Days” also by the multi-talented Theodore, who is an acclaimed jazz singer.
For contest rules, a bit more “flavor,” and to enter just follow this link.
Good luck!
Need a tasty topper that is as delicious and nutritious as it is cool and hydrating, not to mention lovely to look at?
Then just follow this link to my recipe on One Green Planet.
Thanks Team OGP. It’s an honor for my “platter” to be on your “planet”!
Yield: 4 servings
This dish tastes so cool and refreshing on a summer evening. The tanginess of the sauce is the perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the summer squash. And it’s delicious with lots of other dishes too!
The dish was inspired by the anti-vegan, Guy Fieri, of Food Network fame. On a recent program, he roasted root vegetables and served them with a horseradish sauce. I didn’t watch the rest of the program, so I don’t know the recipe for his sauce, but this one is good enough to eat with a spoon!
I served this dish to my friend, David (the choral director at our school, otherwise known a my “building husband”), with my Savory Southern Tarts with Butter Bean Filling and Sweet Tea Drizzle and a side dish of sliced heirloom tomatoes sprinkled with a little sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and nutritional yeast, garnished with a sprig of basil. It was the perfect light, but satisfying antecdote to the 97 degree temperatures.
2 small to medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Japanese eggplants, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegan Horseradish Sauce (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place all squash pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle very lightly with sea salt and toss to coat. Place pan on middle rack of oven and roast for 20 minutes, tossing and turning after 10. Remove pan from the oven, sprinkle squash lightly with black pepper to taste, toss lightly, and spoon onto a serving platter or individual plates. Drizzle with sauce (9and serve warm or at room temperature. Alternatively, sauce may be passed in a small bowl.
Vegan Horseradish Sauce (You will have some leftover and you’ll be so glad!)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, purchased or home made (I tend to prepare Vegenaise over Nayonaise if using purchased)
1-2 tablespoons horseradish, or to taste (not “prepared horseradish,” as it is not vegan)
1 teaspoon Dijon or yellow mustard
1 large clove garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Adjust seasoning if necessary and whisk again. Store, covered, in the refrigerator, until serving time.
Dear “dog”! This is surely the best “dog” I’ve ever eaten, much less made, and it ranks right up there with some of my favorite meals.
Last night, my dear, dear friend, Sharon Clohessy, aka Ms. C–the art specialist for our district–and I went on a beach picnic for two. She lives at the oceanfront, so we loaded up, walked across Atlantic Avenue (think Monopoly board) up a little path shaded by a canopy of trees, and we were at the wide sandy beach.
We love being able to do such “frivolous” things mid-week when school is not in session. But we enjoyed ourselves so much that we plan to continue right into the fall. Time spent with Sharon is always magical, and we happened to be at ocean’s edge during the “magic hour” when everything takes on a silvery, barely pinkish hue. I haven’t been so relaxed, yet stimulated by our conversation, in a long time.
For our meal, I was inspired by a food feature in a recent magazine–maybe Southern Living?–about non-traditional hot dogs. One was Thai and I have been fantasizing about it ever since. However, I didn’t use their recipe, which wasn’t vegan anyway, preferring instead to create my own.
I decided on a kale and cabbage slaw (even though kale isn’t in season here)–because a day without kale is like a day without sunshine–and a Chili-Lime Mayo, though that name doesn’t do it justice, as I also whisked in creamy natural peanut butter and coconut cream. OMG! It is out of this world, good enough to eat unaccompanied, as you can see in the photo below. We topped our dogs with fresh cilantro leaves and chopped cashews. Truly, this is a stunning rendition of a lowly “dawg.” I ate leftovers for lunch AND dinner today!
Sharon contributed marinated cucumbers, a delicious Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, and, for dessert, simple pitted cherries and sliced white peaches. So perfectly simple and elegant.
Even if the beach is far away from wherever you call home, I hope you will “relish” this special dog.
Yield: 4 servings
4 whole wheat hot dog buns, split in half lengthwise not quite all the way through, drizzled with olive oil, and toasted 7 to 8 minutes on a baking sheet at 400 degrees (wrap in foil and keep warm, if desired)
4 of your favorite vegan “not” dogs, grilled (2 minutes on each of 4 sides on an oiled indoor grill pan; adjust time if grilling outdoors; wrap in foil and keep warm if desired)
Asian Kale Slaw (recipe follows)
Chili-Lime Mayo (recipe follows; you will have some left over and you’ll be glad!)
4 or more tablespoons cilantro leaves
4 or more tablespoons chopped roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts
Place about 1/4 of the slaw on each toasted bun. Top with a grilled “not” dog. Add a generous squiggle of the Chili-Lime Mayo, and top with 1/4 each of the cilantro leaves and chopped cashews. Serve immediately.
Asian Kale Slaw
If I’ve learned anything about cooking, it is that people’s palates vary dramatically. So, while this balance of flavors tasted perfect to me and my friend, you may want to adjust the sweet-tangy balance, and you should feel free to do exactly that! Fluffying with a fork is a key step.
2 cups coarsely torn and lightly packed fresh kale
6 leaves ocabbage (I used green cabbage, but use red if you prefer)
1/2 cup 1 1/2-inch carrot pieces, peeled
1/2 of a yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, stemmed and cored, all seeds removed
1/4 cup vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)
2 tablespoons natural sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Pinch sea salt or to taste
You may shred the veggies by hand, but I use the grater attachment of my food processor. If using a food processor, pack the kale into the tube, turn the machine on, and use the plunger to press the kale firmly and steadly onto the blade. Repeat with cabbage, tightly rolling two leaves at a time and feeding them into the tube in the same manner. Repeat with carrots. Scrape veggies into a medium bowl before repeating with bell pepper, as it may create significant moisture that needs to be drained/blotted. Add the pepper to the bowl of veggies along with remaining ingredients and toss the mixture with a fork to combine. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Chili-Lime Mayo
As with the slaw, this balance of flavors tasted delicious to me and my dining companion, Sharon–as you can see, she’s “drinking” it out of the bottle!–but feel free to adjust to suit your taste.
1/4 to 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (homemade or prepared; to cut the tang, use half vegan sour cream)
Zest and juice of 1/2 large lime
1 teaspoon Sirachi chili sauce or to taste (feel free to substitute your favorite chili sauce)
1 tablespoon softened creamy natural peanut butter (I heat it for a few seconds in the microwave)
1 tablespoon cocont cream (not coconut milk)
Pinch of sea salt
Optional: 1 clove garlic, minced (I don’t prepare this mayo with garlic, but I think it would be tasty, so if it sounds good to you, add it!)
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth in a small bowl. Spoon into a “squirt” bottle if desired to allow you to add it to your “dogs” in a pretty squiggle. Refrigerate until serving time.
