Just because you can, definitely means that you should.

Here in crown town, and in other 'tropolisis that tend to show up on obesity stat-maps as uncommonly overweight, we have these things. And they are called Fried Pickles.

They are on my top-5 things that made me move to Charlotte list. No, I'm not kidding. Good god, are they good, in a sick-to-your-stomach kind of way - similar to the sinking, queasy feeling you'd get when eating the entire can of cake frosting with a spoon as a kid.  Or, you know, last week.

I had a mature batch of kimchi. I had some cake flour. Batch of vegan ranch. And the desire for tempura. And so, this monstrosity happened:

Greasy, salty, stinky. AWESOME.

Batter was simple - flour, water, dash of oil, some korean pepper paste and salt. Dash baking soda. Vamanos.

But wait, what's this?

Is that the afore-mentioned pickley tempura wrapped in rice and nori, with avocado and daiya, topped by sesame nayo? Is it? WHY YES, YES IT IS.

Before you guys all tell me I'm not the first, well, hey, I know that. But it's 100% vegan. And ain't nowhere in this city to get it that way, 'cept my kitchen.

Tempura Kimchi Kim Bap with Avocado, Daiya, and Sesame Nayo
makes 3-4 rolls

For the tempura kimchi:

1 handful squeezed kimchi

1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp egg replacer
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup korean red pepper, ground

Vegetable oil for frying

for the sushi:

1.5 cups sushi rice
2 cups water
Dash vinegar + 1 tsp sugar
3-4 sheets nori
1 avocado, sliced thin
Small handful daiya cheeze shreds

4 tablespoons nayonaise
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Black sesame seeds, for topping

Break out that sushi mat, ladies and gents, and lesdothis.

Combine your sushi rice and water in a saucepan or rice cooker, bring to a boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes - until the water is absorbed. Remove rice to a large bowl and stick the stuff in the freezer to cool quickly.

Toss your red pepper and flour together. Spread on a plate.

Mix the batter ingredients together and whisk till smooth.

Heat your vegetable oil in a fryer or wok till hot hot hot, and make your tempura - roll each piece of kimchi seperately in the flour/red pepper mix, then dip in the batter, then gently lay in the oil bath. Do only 3 at a time - they cook quickly. Scoop out and lay on paper towels to drain. Repeat until your kimchi is all gone.

Mix your sugar and vinegar together and add to the rice. It's ok if it's still a little warm - just not hot.

Chop your kimchi into 1/2 inch wide pieces (if they don't need chopping, more power to ya - mine did!) and set them out on a plate with your other fillings (avocado, daiya).

Lay out your sushi mat and place a piece of nori rough side up. Grab about a cup of rice from your bowl and press it into the sushi, until it forms a rectangle that stretches to both sides horizontally but leaves a little space at both top and bottom. Press 1/4 of the avocado, then kimchi, then daiya into the rice, and roll away. An awesome how-to video can be found here. Repeat until fillings and rice are gone.

Mix your nayo and sesame oil in a small bowl and thin with just a teeeny bit of water. Slice your sushi with a wet knife, plate, and drizzle sesame nayo over the roll. Top with black sesame seeds, if you'd like.

Mine got a little coneheady BUT that didn't mean they weren't superdelish. A little indulgent, fat wise - tempura + avocado + nayo. But hey, that's what the gym's for *cough*.

Cheers!

Spanikopita - cashew cheese edition.

I've done the vegan, tofu-mash Spanikopita countless times, and enjoyed each permutation (with capers and roasted garlic rather than dill/mint/parsley, sundried tomatoes and smoked eggplant in addition, just the regs, you name it). Very light, soft, juicy. Not too shabby.

But methinks I've ruined that recipe for myself. Because veeg spanikopita is sooooo much better with cashew cheese.

There's a richness in this recipe that satisfies in a way that tofu cannot - it's heavy, decadent, creamy. If it's been a while since you've had Feta in your 'Opita, you'll love this. If it hasn't, you'll love it too - and be surprised at how parallel the flavors and textures are.

Now that I've made this a couple of times, in a couple of formats, my so-far-fav is the purse. In a casserole, the bottom layers of phyllo get a tad tough - making it a little annoying to cut and serve. This could be the lack of heated butterfat soaking through - hmmm.

Pursifying the spinach/herb/cheese mix makes for gorgeous presentation and gives your peeps options - filling alone, filling with pastry, or both, with a smidge of sauce. I love this sauce with "classic" 'Opita. It's a sweet, aromatic stew, and off-sets the tang of the cheese nicely.

One more tip - when constructing your purses, let your unwrapped dough sit out under two moistened paper towels for 10 minutes or so before beginning. The dough needs to be pretty soft to scrunch into a purse closure without breaking. The top sheet closest to the  paper towels might get a tad soggy - toss it, if so.

Classic Spanikopita with Cashew Cheese
makes 8-10 purses, 2 purses a serving

1/2 package thawed phyllo pastry
1.5 cups cashew cheese (the same mixture used in this recipe)
1 large back baby spinach
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, green parts only, minced
Additional lemon juice, a squeeze or two (optional)
2 tablespoons each - fresh parsley and dill, minced, plus 1 tsp freshly minced mint
Olive oil
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
8-10 chive shoots, the longest/sturdiest of the bunch

You'll need a large cutting board and a pastry brush.

First, blanch your spinach and rinse with cold water. Squeeze thoroughly and chop fine, scrape into a large bowl. Add all of the other ingredients sans pastry and toss well. Add a little olive oil and lemon juice until the texture is that of thick ricotta - you want some moisture, but not too much.

Preheat oven to 350f.

Lay out one sheet of phyllo on a large cutting board and brush generously with olive oil. Lay another sheet on top. Brush again with olive oil. Lay one more sheet on top.

Use a plate that will fit twice on each pastry sheet and cut it's diameter twice with a sharp knife, discarding scraps. Pile 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the center of the phyllo circle, gently lift the flat pastry into your palm, and using your hand as a mold, scrunch the phyllo into a purse shaped package, twisting the top gently to get it to close.

Place on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat until you've used up your filling and bake pastries for 15 minutes or so, until they're golden brown.

That supercute flower above is actually a chive flower, awesome right? I NEVER let my chives go long enough to flower so this sneaky little bud was a rad surprise. Anyway - grab a chive and carefully tie it in a loose knot around your purses' neck. Serve on top of a ladle of sauce.

Classy, spring-timey, and most importantly - DEELISH.

Mad, Tasty Science

Have I ever told you guys? How I've never owned a non-stick pan?

Well, this weekend, that long streak of teflon-free cookery was broken. And it's all because of this crepe recipe. Which, of course, I had to de-glutenize - so instead of flour, I used Bob's AP and Tapioca Starch, plus a tsp of xantham gum, and subbed vegetable oil for EB - but coconut oil would rule too (anyone noticed the love Coco oil's getting these days? so awesome).

So it's a different recipe. But the results are just as nom.

Oh yes, I tried with my trusty cast iron skillet. The one I've always, gleefully, laughingly made super-thin, delicate crepes with. But alas - things stuck, caramelized, adhered. And so I caved to the gods of Modern Cookware and bought me a pan.

They're just like regular crepes - except they're vegan, gluten free, and contain no refined sugars.

Nom.

Between the layers of crepey goodness, there's tons of strawberry agave jam and hazelnut carob sauce (a take on faux Nutella sans Chocolate via Veganland). Flavors were different, but enjoyable just the same. Abstinant but decadent. Awesome.

V,GF,NRS Crepes
makes 8-10 - double if making a crepe cake
de-glutenized from this recipe by VeganNumNum, amounts adjusted

2/3 cup Bob's All Purpose GF Flour
1/3 cup Tapioca starch
1/3 cup agave syrup (omit if using these for a savory dish)
Dash salt
1 tsp xantham gum
1 cup soy or almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil, melted EB, or coconut oil, warmed
1/2 tsp sugar-free vanilla essence (optional - this stuff can be hard to find)

Coco oil, for the pan (yes, use a little even on your non-stick, these things are CRANKY)

We're doing this in a blender, dears, so grab yours!

Dump it all in there and blend for 5 minutes, until everything is super incorporated. Check consistency - you're hoping for melted milkshake thickness. A good way to check - dip your finger in the batter, it should be coated to near-opaqueness with a thin, bubbly coat.

Chill your batter, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Warm your non-stick pan over medium heat and throw a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil in there, swish around. Grab a 1/3 cup measuring cup, fill it, grab the pan with your left hand, and pour at the top of the pan, swirling quickly, until the batter has circled and coated the entire bottom of your pan. If you didn't quite make it around, you might need to thin the batter just a little bit with more water/soymilk. You can also pour just a little more batter in, quickly, to repair the crepe.

It can be tricky getting the batter to coat the pan when using oil - but trust me, it'll prevent disaster. You'll get the hang of it after a couple, and any misshapen crepes can be hind in the midst of the cake!

Cook these guys at medium heat for 4-5 minutes on side one, another 2 minutes on side two. They will be browned on the first side - which is tasty and fine. They don't become chewy or crispy, as there's no gluten. Stack them on a plate as you go - no worries, they'll be fine.

I used about 1 1/2 cups of strawberry agave jam (2 large containers strawberries, juice of one lemon, 1/2 cup agave, simmered) and 1 cup agave-sweetened hazelnut spread. I dusted each layer with carob as I went, as well as over the top. And spooned the leftover, thickened strawberry syrup all over the place too.

Good. Can make healthy claims. Do try. Happy Late Easter!

Fawaffles

The age old question - How to Grill Falafel - has been answered.

I sound kind of stuck up saying it like that, I know. Forgive. I am excited.

Cookout season is upon us and you guys know I like to stick everything ever on ze grill. Luckily, a pal and my's craving for falafel coincided with her monthly weekend grillfest and I had to get creative - and fawaffles were born.

Now, that doesn't mean you HAVE to grill them - they're super-awesome straight out of the waffle press, drizzle with tahini + hotsauce, pickles a-sprinkled - but if you want a little char on 'em, form the patties, wafflize them, and throw them over some hot coals. I do love a char on my falafel and that's the perfect way to accomplish it.

Plus, no frying! Healthy! Yay!

Fawaffles
makes 9-10 burgers

2 cups falafel mix (OR get industrious and go at this from scratch)
2 eggs or 2 eggs worth of egg replacer
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
Super finely minced red onion - I used about 1/2 of 1
2 tablespoons freshly crushed garlic
Dash cumin
1 tablespoon minced sundried tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Canola spray for the press

Tahini sauce, hot sauce, minced pickles and turnips for serving

Vegan Note - if using egg replacer, make your batter a little dryer - try 1 1/4 cup water, let the batter sit, and check consistency.


General Note - You want a slightly thinner batter than if you were frying the falafel - not crumbly, pretty mushy and wet. If using a mix, remember to let the batter sit for 10-20 minutes after combining everything to allow for rehydration.


Beat your eggs (or mix egg replacer) with water and oil in a separate bowl. Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl, add water, and stir thoroughly. Let sit 10 minutes and stir again - again, you're looking for mushy, not crumbly.


Heat up your iron and spray liberally with canola. Put a ball the size of a large lemon in the middle of your grill and close. Let the waffle cook for about 5 minutes, until it browns just a teeny bit. Remove to a plate to cool. Using a smaller amount of batter makes for a circular patty - if you'd prefer square, use a tad more batter.


Finish off your batter.


We made these ahead of time and once they were grilled, stuck them in (grilled, of course) pita with all the fixings. Lordy lordy, this might be my new party trick this summer -they were LOVELY.

For the sake of preserving Falafel as an awesome vegan protein source, I'm planning on reworking the eggless recipe over the next couple of weeks (not a huge Ener-G fan over here, sad to say). Stay tuned, my vegan darlings!

The many uses of Cashew Cheese

You guys know I've been playing around with ground cashew cheese. You could also call it fermented cashew butter. Or cultured nut puree. Starting with this recipe, and being inspired by HHL's techniques and experiments, I've added lemon, tons of roasted garlic, a little agave, and a bit more nutritional yeast. No nutmeg for moi, as well.

And since I can't handle Daiya (just tooooo weird and processed tasting, don't hate me!) I've been looking around for cheese alternatives (that don't make me want to hurl) as a way to eat less big-business dairy. And so far, this fermented cashew cheese is at the top of my list.

What do I do with things at the top of my list? Put them on pizza.

Cashew cheese is traditionally a raw foodist trick, so I feel a teeny, tiny bit of guilt sticking it in a 500 degree oven. Ah well.

Look at those tiny, awesome brown peaks of crispy goodness.

But what else could you do with a pound of stinky, tangy, ricotta-like cashew cheese?

Hmm.

HMMMM.



Oooh, I know. Quiche!

My girl Elle's weekly cleanse potluck really brings out the vegan, gluten-free baker in me, apparently. And let me say, Darlings - these were pretty killer. Did a Roasted Tomato/Cashew Cheese combo and a Caramelized Onion, Roasted Mushroom and Spinach combo. The cheesy pie was tangy, sharp, lovely, while the Spinach was much milder (still nom).

Vegan quiche can be tricky. You don't want to use a ton of egg replacer - add too much and the stuff tastes horrible, like someone mistakenly dumped half a tin of baking powder in the mix by accident, very metallic, odd. Plain tofu can be boring, soggy, not quite as textural as you want. Too much cornstarch as a thickener gives a dusty texture to the filling. What's a girl to do?

Use a little tahini and cornstarch mixed together, that's what! Masked by all the herby, flavorful additions to the tofu filling, you can't taste 'em, and you end up with a sliceable quichie pie (as long as you let it cool first, that is. Ah, mad vegan science).

I've got to warn you all - this recipe was pretty seat-of-the-pantsy. Meaning, amounts could be off by a little bit. Ah, disclaimers. Let's proceed.

Edit: I've made these three times in the past two weeks, and think I've got it down pretty pat. Adding a vegan/GF pastry recipe, as well!

Vegan, Gluten Free Quiche (basic recipe - filling suggestions below)

1 10 inch GF, vegan crust (recipe below)
either: 1 12 oz box firm tofu + 1/2 small juice-box of silken tofu OR 1 box medium firm tofu + 1/2 box soft tofu (the former will give you a chunkier, more scrambled-egg-like quiche - the latter, a softer, more custard-like quiche)
1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tsp turmeric
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, 1.5 tsp (or more to taste)
Tons of freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp miso
Dry mustard, pinch

to thicken:
1 tablespoon tahini, mixed with 3 tablespoons soymilk or water
1 tbsp cornstarch

for crust:
1 cup GF all purpose flour mix
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xantham gum
3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening
2 tablespoons EarthBalance or other vegan margarine
1 tsp salt
Garlic + onion powder, dash each
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon cold soymilk or water (or a little more)

Drain your tofu in a colander over the sink for 10 minutes.

Make your crust - Mix your dry ingredients together, then chunk the "butter" and shortening into the flour. Use a pastry cutter to cut the shortening and butter into tiny breadcrumb sized pieces. Add liquid a tablespoon at a time until the dough balls up easily and is moist enough to incorporate all the flour without being slimy. Cover and chill while you prep the rest of your tofu.

In a large bowl, combine tofu and flavoring agents, using your paws to squish and smash until scrambled-egg consistency is reached. Preheat your oven to 325f.

Whisk last 3 ingredients together thoroughly in a separate bowl, add to tofu mixture, mix very well.

Add your filling of choice, but remember - the less liquid, the better. This recipe depends completely on keeping liquid content to a minimum, so roast your veggies first - and if using spinach, blanch and squeeze.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the center puffs a tiny bit and the pastry is golden. Yup, I said an hour and 15. You're almost just dehydrating the pie - low, long heat is the way to go. A crust will form atop the tofu, giving your pie structure.

Pretty deeeelish and almost eggy enough to fool your picky eaters. I've tried tons of combos, filling-wise -
Smokey Tempeh, Roasted Tomato, Spinach, Mushrooms
Spinach, Dill, Mint, Parsley
Fresh Tomato + Cashew Mozz, Basil
Roasted Tomato, Cashew Cheese, Chives
Mushroom and Shallot
Tempeh Sausage, Parsley, Mushroom and Spinach

And on and on. It's all been lovely.

Look closely at the below pic - you can see dollops of delish cashew cheese:

The way I add the cheese to the tofu is by using a small spoon to make 10-12 divits all over the pie, then spoon about a tsp of cheese into each divit. Uses about 3/4 of a cup of cashew cheese per quiche. Then I smooth the top of the quiche gently, blending the cheese into the tofu just a tiny bit.

Luxe and vegan. Serve with salad. And hot sauce.

Cheers!

I like to party.

And I love bringing food to parties.

It started out when I did a lot of hanging with a particularly non-soy-friendly crowd in NYC - I knew there'd be bacon in everything people brought to whatever potluck/shindig was getting crammed into someone's incredibly tiny apt, so I'd play it like I was going to anyway - you know, I just had this vegan lasagna in the fridge and it needed to get eaten.

Over time, I've developed preferences for party-friendly food. It can't look confusing - ingredients should be evident. Small is good - one hand probably has a drink in it. Slimy, gooey textures scare people off (I learned this after making a crock pot full of Swedish Meatballs for a cocktail party that people would stare at suspectfully as they walked by, like some meatball amoeba was about to pour forth and consume them). Basically, it stands to reason that if you can get everything you want people to taste in a single bite (maybe two), that's the best way to go.

That's not to say I'm above standing at the wedding buffet, scooping pounds of spinach/artichoke dip onto a plate waaaay to small to hold the steaming mass, but if I'm the one at the wheel, things usually get tiny and complicated. Anyway.

Hello, burrito sushi.

Fiesta time, mi mujeres y hombres. You might think nori + salsa = weird, and you'd be right. But goodweird.

This is a pretty straightforward recipe - just make a batch of sushi rice but treat it like this recipe for yellow oats - some faux-chicken (or real, if you're so inclined) stock, saffron, garlic, a dash of turmeric for color.

Then, for the filling -

Queso Fresco (vegan darlings - try some Daiya OR crumble a teeny bit of firm tofu, toss with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder)
Refried Black Beans
Salsa (mine's simple - handful cilantro, one large tomato diced fine, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/3 medium red onion diced fine as well, half a lime's juice, 1 fresh jalapeno, again, fine dice, salt and pepper to taste)
Sour cream (again, darlings - I love this recipe for Soy Sour Cream, give it a whirl or just leave it out!)
Shredded Lettuce
Avocado

- being as conservative as possible. I used about 3/4 - 1 tablespoon of each filling, and still ended up with jumbo rolls.

As long as you don't add any oil or fat to the rice, it'll maintain its stickiness enough so that you don't have to add vinegar/sugar.

Just a piece of advice - if you're making these for 5-6 hours in the future (and especially if they're sitting overnight) double wrap these rolls with nori.

Burrito Sushi Rice

makes enough for 6 rolls

2 cups short grained white rice ("sushi" rice) washed
3 1/2 cups water mixed with 2 cubes faux-chicken boillion
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon safflower
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Boil the broth and seasonings and add rice, stir, and cover. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Let sit 10, uncover and stir, and cool (either on the stove, or if you're anxious to get burrito-sushi makin, in the freezer).

I totally made a batch a couple weeks ago (because I had a ton of fajita making leftovers and wanted to do something weird with them, you know how it is) with standard sushi rice and they were decent. Flavoring the rice really makes this shine, however.

Slice, drizzle with hot sauce, skewer with festive toothpicks, and serve.

Weekly Eat - Chicken-Fried Tofu

This recipe is so flexible, you can make it a ton of different ways:

Vegan, replacing egg with egg replacer (redundancy dept. of redundancy)
Gluten free, by dredging in GF all-purpose flour first, using GF breadcrumbs second (I make it this way most often because the crust holds up superbly, even between slices of tomato and lettuce!)
Healthy, by drizzling with olive oil and baking rather than frying (directions below)
Parmesan, by mixing some cheese into the breading mix and stuffing with a little more, plus herbs
Sesame, by adding seeds to the breading mix and drizzling with sesame oil when baking

Last night, I made it just veg - the recipe's below. Check out that golden, crispy crust:

This either ends up next to a pile of roasted garlic mashed potatoes and collards, or in a big ol' club sammich, like so:

Pretty killer. And, honestly, best right out of the pan. I've been known to go through a third of a block of tofu just standing at the fry station! With fakon, onions, tomato, lettuce, plus mustard and mayo, you've got something between a BLT and a Club Sandwich - yeah, you might pull a muscle opening wide enough to get that whole thing in your mouth BUT it'll be well worth it.

Classic Chicken Fried Tofu
serves 3-4

1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup hot water mixed with dash garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, dash sesame oil, dash Bragg's
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
Fresh black pepper
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup panko
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs mixed with 1 tablespoon water, beaten

Corn or Vegetable oil, for frying

Slice your tofu shortways into 8 pieces and marinate in the water+garlic+salt+Bragg's for 30 mins.

On a plate, mix your flour, salt and pepper. On another, mix your yeast, panko, onion and garlic powders.

Scramble your eggs in a bowl big enough to fit a piece of tofu.

Straight from the marinade (let a tad drip off) dredge the tofu first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, being careful not to rub the coating off as you go (wash your fingertips between tofu slices - accumulated egg/flour will mess with your coating). Set aside on a dry plate or cutting board. Repeat until all slices have been dredged.

Heat your oil to medium-high and put out a plate lined with paper toweling. Three at a time is what fits best in my 10 inch skillet, but break up your batches as you see fit! They'll need less than a minute a side, then carefully flip, another minute, remove to toweling to drain.

The only bummer about frying these babies is that the oil collects a fair amount of refuse, which you then have to skim off/strain out. Baking them in the oven is cleaner, but makes for a drier slice (if you decide to go this route, bake them in a preheated 375f oven for 20 minutes each side, until the crust nicely golden and firm to the touch).

Try this on your "I don't like Tofu" pals and convert them. Or make it for your inaugural spring picnic this weekend, perhaps?

Good Luck Brekkie

Remember how I said, long ago, that brunch was my favorite meal of the day?

It still kinda is, but we've been trying to eat fewer eggs lately. I dunno why. Just have been.

And with this meal, eggs are optional. Not needed, but one crispy-fried on top of the bean pile makes for a lovely little detail. Since the rest of the meal is vegan, this is an easy one to convert - so please do.

This began as a meal for a client and turned into dinner for us as well - the next night. Brekkie for dinnie is a big deal around here, but with a crunchy piece of chicken-fried tofu on top, this little ditty will transition seamlessly to nighttime. It's even awesome by its lonesome, as the leftovers I ate for lunch can attest to.

There's a little foraging-magic in my batch, thanks to a favorite springtime heralder - Onion Grass.

Very closely related to Chives, I use this stuff all the time. Our lawn's never been treated with any chemical, so I don't stress. Not quite as aromatic as chives and a little tougher, I tend to use this grass in stews, instead of raw. In the summer, once the lawn is cut, you can smell onion for hours. Hilarious.

Hoppin' John, as ya'll know, is an inexpensive dish - black eyed or crowder peas, a ham hock, an herb or two, spoon over white rice, finito. I fancied this up a bit since I can't help myself. If you're looking for a more basic version, the Tubes have many, many recipes for you to peruse.

Good Luck Brekkie (aka - Veggie Hoppin' John over Soysage Fried Rice with a Fried Egg on Top)

makes 2-3 servings

For the beans:

12 ozs fresh or frozen black eyed peas - look in your store's frozen veggie section
2 tablespoons olive oil
Handful mushrooms, chopped
1 medium white onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
Chives or onion grass, handful, chopped
Thyme, dried, 1/2 tablespoon
Ton of black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock or water (if using water - add salt to taste)
Smoked salt, 1 tsp
Dash sesame oil
Pinch cayenne

Heat your oil in a medium soup pot. Add carrot, onion, pepper, and celery. Saute until onion starts to turn translucent - about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, herbs fresh and dried. Saute another 3 minutes. Pour in your stock or water, and add remaining ingredients, including beans.

Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium-low - simmer, stirring frequently, for an hour, until beans have softened and some have broken down, making a killer potlicker.

Meanwhile, the rice:

2 cups day-old rice, brown or white, cooked, chilled (the key to fluffy fried rice - chilling it!)
3 soy sausage patties or a 1/2 fist sized chunk of seitan, diced small
3 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoons sesame oil + 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup mushroom or faux-chicken broth, warmed

Heat your oil in a wok over medium-high heat and add sausage - cook until browned on a side or two, about 6-7 minutes. Add scallions, rice, and toss, mixing well. Add stock and quickly stir rice continually, until all stock has been absorbed. Cover and set aside.

If you're preparing another protein to accompany your John, go right ahead. If not, serve your stew atop a spoonful of fried rice. Garnish with parsley and if you're super-hungry, eat with boiled cabbage and sliced tomatoes.

Your gramma'd be so proud!

I used to hate spring.

Until I started gardening.

For whatever reason - pastel colors, too much sun, Spring Cleaning. Since I started growing my own tomatoes, squash, cukes and whatevers, I find myself looking forward (somewhat, at least) to warmth, sun, rain, all that heralds the end of winter. Autumn still has my heart but Spring'll do for now.

Our local farmer's market scene, while small compared to places like NYC and (closer) Atlanta, is pretty verdant. It's growing yearly, too, which is exciting to watch. This week, the first of the asparagus appeared - and there were lots of big eyes and grabbing hands. Smugness, like you'd just robbed a bank. Awesome.

Our garden, as usual, will be mater-full and super water-needy. But tomatoes, more than any other vegetable, exemplify the reasons to grow your own food - picked fresh off the vine they are sharp, succulent, textural, phenomenal. Worth the schlepping and gentle, careful care, for sure. I can't wait.