Chickpea and Rice Soup

Riffing on a recipe on the PPK blog (part of the upcoming Veganomicon), which I've already pre-ordered, I'm making the following Soup:

1 Onion
A splash of olive oil
1 cup of carrots
1 8 oz. pkg. of crimini mushrooms
1/2 t. celery seeds
1 t. thyme
a pinch of rosemary (crushed)
2 T. mirin
1/3 c. miso
4 c. veggie broth
2 c. or more, water
1 can of chickpeas
2 cups cooked rice (I had some leftover--you can see on Isa's blog, she uses soba noodles)
1 pkg. frozen spinach.

Saute onions, add carrots, mushrooms, herbs, cook until onions are translucent. Add mirin, miso, broth and water. Add chickpeas. Cook until carrots are fork-tender. 20 minutes before serving, add rice and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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vegan, PPK, soup

Yummy Miso-Baked Tofu

Made this last night--it was delicious! I would make it again, but I'd omit half of the soy sauce. Also, we didn't broil it, we baked it at 450 for twenty minutes. It was perfect. The ingredients are all things you probably have in your kitchen, and it was *very* quick to make. I served it with steamed delicata squash and rice.

Hamilton Eats Local

I grew up right next to the Hamilton College campus in Clinton, NY where my parents still work. Today the college is participating in the Eat Local Challenge along with other colleges in the Northeast. They're holding a campus-wide picnic filled with local ingredients. My mom says they even found flour milled locally. She's headed over to the picnic right now. Hamilton College contracts with Bon Appétit, a national food service company who seems to have the most ecological, forward thinking approach to their work of any of the big mass market food providers. The head chef at Hamilton College, Ruben Haag says he regularly seeks works with about a dozen farmers from upstate New York. Pat Raynard, the general manager of Bon Appétit at Hamilton College was quoted in a press release saying, "I don't know of anyone else who is closing down campus and holding a huge picnic where the farmers will be on hand."

Technorati Tags:
farm, garden, local, organic, carbon, eat local challenge

Trader Joe's Organic Humus

Has Trader Joe's changed the formula for it's organic humus? I bought some yesterday and I ate the whole container myself, almost in one sitting. It tastes like what my Syrian grandmother would have made if she liked humus. No, really, she didn't, I'm not sure why, she favored tabouleh. So, I learned to make humus from my mom, who I think got her recipe from a vegetarian cookbook. I'm very picky about humus--I don't like it chunky, and I don't like extra spices like cumin or anything like that.

But the Trader Joe's humus is perfect--it's thick, you can really taste the tahini, and the garlic, lemon and salt are all balanced beautifully. In fact, if I were to change it at all, I might just add a touch of olive oil, which you could do easily if you were going to serve it. I wish I had bought more, yum!

Back from Seattle

Morel Mushrooms at the Market
Originally uploaded by plainsight

Selma and I recently went home to Seattle for a visit... It's amazing to be back on the Left coast where local food is really valued. The local neighborhood farmers market is 90% organic, all local, all food (no crafts, imports, etc.) and is so different from what we find here in Maryland (at least what I've found so far). There are also goodies like these morel mushrooms that are a particularly northwestern treat.

I'll be posting again soon about a great bakery and an amazing new Fair Trade chocolate sauce. Meanwhile, here's a photo round-up of our trip.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille
Originally uploaded by plainsight

We went to see the new Disney movie over the weekend, and to use up what was left of the week's CSA box, I made this loose interpretation of ratatouille. "It doesn't look like the one in the movie, mom," Selma commented on the presentation of the dish in the movie, and added, "that one had a special sauce." Kids are so literal. She gobbled it up, regardless.

I omitted the tomatoes I usually put in my ratatouille, used only salt, olive oil, and basil for seasoning. Vegetables were yellow squash, onions, and zucchini, I added a can of white beans just before serving, and served over butterfly pasta.

Wikipedia says this about the origin of the word ratatouille:

The name of the dish appears to derive from the French touiller, "to stir", although the root of the first element "rata" is slang from the French Army meaning "chunky stew".

They also have a recipe in their Wikimedia Cookbook.

Technorati Tags:
beans, vegan, local, ratatouille, disney

Birthday Cupcakes

Creamsicle Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by plainsight

Does it seam as if I only make one kind of cupcake? This one has been a favorite for a while now--and while I do have many vegan cupcake recipes I love, I haven't felt the need to make any other kind--these are just so moist, and yummy--orange and vanilla-y, chocolate buttercream--mmmm.... Maybe I should go have one. Blueberries from Blueberry Gardens, where we went picking this weekend.

Edible

Butternut Squash and Leek Tart
Originally uploaded by plainsight

Don't you love food in edible containers? This past week, with bootie from our CSA box, I've made cabbage rolls--based on an old Syrian family recipe--using Gimme Lean in place of gound lamb--they really tasted like childhood to me... And on Wednesday night, this sort of calzone. The filling--butternut squash, leeks, greens, etc.--is based on one of my favorite recipes from a wonderful book In Nonna's Kitchen, a book of recipes and stories from Italy's grandmothers. Instead of the traditional savory pie crust, I used some Trader Joe's pizza dough that I had on hand. It was delicious, and my mom, who was visiting used up some old baguette by making a sort of roasted tomato bruschetta to compliment it. We also had salad from the CSA and a non-local bottle of shiraz.

Speaking of Edible, Have you heard of the Edible Communities newsletters? They're beautiful small magazines that highlight local food producers--they exist in many parts of the country, you can find out if there's one in your area on their web site. If there isn't, there's information on how to start your own. The current issue of Edible Chesapeake has a piece by local DC author Samuel Fromantz, who wrote Organic, Inc. The piece is reprinted on the web site, and talks frankly about what's better-- local or organic. I agree with him, that if you're making that decision, you're one of the 1-2% of the country that's an informed consumer and either will help the environment. The challenge is how to enlighten the remaining 98%.

Kitchen Incubator

Check out La Cocina--a business incubator for food entrepreneurs in San Francisco.

Here's a direct link to their site.

Notice the lips...

blueberry picking
Originally uploaded by plainsight

...are stained blue--I don't think he even has a basket. This is Jay, blueberry picking last summer at Blueberry Gardens, and organic orchard (and yoga/massage center !!!) in Ashton, MD. I've decided blueberry picking will be one of the things we do on my birthday, which is coming up on Sunday. Since this photo was taken three days after my birthday last year, I'm guessing that the time is right!

Technorati Tags:
organic, garden, farm, local

Mom's always right.

WATERMELON EATER
Originally uploaded by foreversouls

When I was a kid, my mom always said, "A colorful plate makes for a healthy meal." Of course she's right about that, and yesterday, she was right about one more thing. I'd always thought of watermelon as a fun snack, but it turns out, it's a superfood--full of lycopene, vitamin C, and other great nutrients all with only 46 calories per cup!

Oh, in other food news, the July+Aug issue of VegNews just came out, and with it, my article about "Benevolent Businesses," green companies with great perks for employees.

Also, many of you are aware of the kurfluffle that erupted after a nutritionist and former vegan slammed veganism in an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times siting both faulty science and shady legal ideas. Well, the Public Editor--an ombudsman between the Times and its readers--has responded to the piece saying the Times was irresponsible--and that even though the article was opinion, they should not have allowed it to be printed without rebuff, knowing full well that the evidence sited was not up to snuff. (Thanks Hilary--for pointing this out!)

Technorati Tags:
watermelon, superfood, vegan, vegetarian, vitamins, momNew York Times, Veg News

Best Veg Restaurants in DC

Compassion over Killing is sponsoring a contest to vote for the best veg restaurants in the dc area. You don't have to register to vote, but if you do, you'll be entered in a drawing for some nice prizes.

Is someone at the FTC a Princeton grad?

When I heard that Whole Foods was trying to buy smaller natural food chain Wild Oats, I was a little disappointed. When we lived in Princeton, NJ a couple of years ago, there was a small, local Wild Oats in walking distance from campus. But while I was there, a huge, new shiny Whole Foods opened a couple of miles away. They didn't compete much because Wild Oats catered to the walking/biking crowd around campus, and Whole Foods, the suburbanites with cars (I was both). I didn't want them to close Wild Oats but I thought, worst case scenario, if they close Wild Oats, it means the local Co-op, also walking distance from campus, will do even better. But some of the folks I know who are still in Princeton were quite upset about the prospect.

Now, the Federal Trade Commission is challenging the merger citing, believe it or not, Anti-trust concerns. In a world where Safeway and even Wal-Mart are selling their own brands of organic food, a merger of this scale is in no way an anti-trust violation. An opinion piece by Daniel Gross in Slate explains the issue in great detail. Gross Begins:

The U.S. attorney scandal has raised fears that the Bush administration is misusing the levers of government to punish political opponents. Now I think I've uncovered another sinister example of the administration using government lawyers to stick it to liberals. And this time, Bush is aiming for the belly!

Gross goes on to illustrate how the FTC allows huge mergers like that of AT&T and Cingular to occur, but somehow doesn't want to encourage growth in a more progressive industry.

Where does your bread come from?

If you eat bread, even bread made at home, you're most likely consuming wheat gluten--the same ingredient causing problems in all the bad pet food (and now chicken feed) a few weeks back. The FDA has little control over what goes into your bread because, not surprisingly, many of the vital ingredients are imported from China. This morning on National Public Radio, there was a story saying that the newly appointed FDA "czar" has basically no power (not unlike most czars in history, US or otherwise), even though he was appointed in response to the pet food crisis.

A story this morning in the Kansas City Star says our wheat gluten was mostly produced domestically until 2000 when import quotas were lifted. Subsequently, most domestic producers went out of business. According to the star, [it is] "estimated that the U.S. consumes about 530 million pounds of wheat gluten annually. Government figures show that about 386 million pounds of that were imported."

Take Action
What does all this mean? To me, It means I want to know where my food comes from. The best way to do that is to buy your food as close to its source of manufacture as possible. Barring that, caveat emptor, be an informed consumer.

Ask Your Baker
Ask at your bakery where they get their gluten. More pointedly, ask if any of their ingredients are produced in China. If you buy bread at a grocery store, look at the packaging. Visit the web site listed and send them an e-mail. Call customer service numbers. If there aren't any on the packaging, Google the company, you'll most likely find something. It takes consumers telling companies they care where their ingredients come from for change to happen.

Let me know when you've found out, and I'll create a web-list of bread companies that use domestic gluten. I may also try and contact the two remaining domestic producers to see if they can provide a client list.

Talk to your Representatives
Stronger FDA oversight is needed to insure the safety of imported ingredients. This will take new legislation. Call or e-mail to let your representatives know you're concerned about where your food comes from.

Beyond Food Safety
The importation of ingredients like wheat and soy have effects beyond food safety. Domestic farmers and manufacturers are going out of business. Support your local growers and local bakeries, and small local manufacturers. Visit local farms and farmers' markets. Get to know your food producers. My friend and fellow blogger, Hannah and her family do a great job finding local sources for almost anything, and she writes periodically about it on her blog. I'm looking forward to reading the new book by Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, where she chronicles a year of eating food "from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."

(x-posted on Hook and I)

A Favorite Comfort Food

We actually had this dinner last night--but it's become a new family favorite, and since it's so easy, I thought it would make a good Friday night meal. When I was a kid, a favorite lunch for both my brother and me was grilled cheese with tomato soup. When I stopped eating heavily processed foods, it was a meal I missed. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Hillary told me about the Creamy Tomato Soup from Imagine foods. (And 'tho it's creamy, it's free of dairy and soy). It's not condensed and comes in a 32 oz. container, so one box feeds a family of four. We made grilled "cheese" with Vermont Organics Multigrain bread and Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese (a mix of their cheddar and montery jack varieties). I served the meal with sliced apples, just like my mom used to. It was quick, yummy, and everyone (including my omnivore husband) devoured it.

Oh, a process note--my mom taught me to make grilled cheese by buttering the outside of the bread--I find with the soft breads I use, that's not necessarily enough fat on the pan itself, so I've been putting the grease (Earth Balance Margarine, in my case) on the skillet itself.

(x-posted to Hook and I)

In my mailbox

0412071331.jpg
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Look what came in the mail today!

This cute little tome is part of the new "hybrid" format herbivore magazine has taken. They're publishing this tiny book a few times a year, but publishing online monthly and they've added subscriber-only forums and lots of other cool stuff... Lookin' good guys!

Peanut Coconut Curry

Peanut Coconut Curry
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

When we lived in Seattle, I would often cook with my friend Cynthia. Usually, we'd do it at her house, because she had a larger kitchen. The kids would run around and entertain each other, and we'd make dinner.

We usually did this on nights when James was away on his ship, or her husband was traveling for work, but sometimes the guys would show up in time to eat. This curry was a favorite of ours. We adapted the recipe from a cookbook of Cynthia's (I don't remember which), but we made it much, much richer by upping the coconut and peanut content, and we toned down the heat (i.e. cayenne) so the kids would maybe try it.

I haven't made it in a long time, but I did on Monday night. I called Cynthia to say "do we really use a whole can of coconut milk in this?" She reassured me, that my notes were accurate. And everyone but Jay devoured it (he is still a pretty picky two-year-old, but I don't complain because he likes most vegetables, he just likes his food straight up, no sauces). I served four adults and two kids, and there were enough leftovers for four people tonight, so it does make a big batch.

A side note--this recipe could easily be converted for the slow cooker. I would just sauté the onions with the oil and spices, then add everything but the greens to the cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours (until potatoes are soft), add the greens in the last 20 minutes of cooking.

The Recipe
(serve over brown rice -- I made 3 cups dry rice and that was plenty for this recipe, as I said it serves a crowd)

1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 T. cumin
1 T. yellow mustard seeds
2 t. ground coriander
1 t. turmeric
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
3 in. piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 med. sweet potato, peeled and diced small
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can white beans (some times I use those heirloom speckled beans)
2 med-large yukon gold potatoes, diced (not peeled)
1 15 oz. can coconut milk (I use full fat, but low fat is also fine)
1/2 c. smooth (unsweetened) peanut butter
1 lb greens (I like collards or mustard greens--spinach works fine too), roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in oil over med. heat, add spices, and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic, ginger and sweet and white potatoes. Sauté for 10-15 minutes.

Add coconut milk, tomato, peanut butter and beans. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft (can take up to 40 minutes). This is a good time to make the rice.

Just before serving, add the greens and cook until wilted.

Serve over brown rice.

Creamy Lemon-Dill Noodles

Sunday's usually crockpot day for me, but the lid broke last weekend, so I was at a bit of a loss for what to make. Even thought we're in the middle of a cold snap, It's Easter, and I wanted something that seemed like spring.

I ended up making a simple white sauce for some whole wheat angel hair. The sauce had a nice light flavor and everyone, including the kids, loved it. Served with peas, spinach, and my mom's version of a Waldorf salad. We took it over to some neighbors to share, so unfortunately, I have no pics, but it was tastier than it was pretty, anyway.

Creamy Lemon-Dill Sauce
(Makes enough for 1 lb. of pasta)

3 T earth balance margarine
1/3 c. unbleached flour
1 1/2 c. unsweetened soy milk (or more, as needed)
1/2 t. garlic, minced
1 t. dried dill (or 2 t. fresh)
1/3 c. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste.
1/4 c. chopped parsley

Melt margarine in a skillet, add flour, and cook for at least 5 minutes over medium heat. Flour need not brown but should be fully cooked to avoid a flour-y taste to the sauce. Add soy milk and whisk until smooth. The sauce will not thicken fully until it simmers, and at this point you may find you need to thin it a bit. Add the seasonings (except parsley), and then turn off the heat, adding more milk to thin if necessary. Taste and add more lemon juice and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Pour over just cooked and drained noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

------

Waldorf Salad

3 small apples, diced (not peeled)
1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. roasted/salted sunflower seeds
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. soy mayo
1/4 c. orange juice
salt and pepper

Combine chopped fruit, veggies, raisins and seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together soy mayo, orange juice, salt and pepper (you can use white pepper if you don't want black specks) Coat the fruit mixture with the dressing and serve. Chill salad if you're not going to serve it right away. This make s a great kids lunch salad because the juice and mayo keep the apples from browning.

Deconstructed Taco Salad

Deconstructed Taco Salad
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Selma loves Vegan Lunch Box and when she saw her lunch today, the insisted it was photo-worthy. It's actually leftovers from our make your own taco night (tomatoes, refried beans, soy sour cream, mexican rice, oops! I should have added the avocado!), repurposed so she can make her own nachos at Spring Break Camp. Yea Leftovers!

Jamba Juice hides Dairy in their Smoothies

Boing Boing says:

I recently noticed that the Jamba Juice ingredient book doesn't say what's in the non-dairy goo they add to their smoothies, claiming that the specific composition is a trade secret. They say that if there's something you're allergic to, you can ask them and they'll tell you if it's in there, like a culinary game of Go Fish. I wasn't sure if this was legal, so I mentioned it to Ben Popken from Consumerist and he did an excellent job of running the story down. Turns out that Jamba's non-dairy blend contains...milk!

Via my brother, boing boing and ultimately, The Consumerist.