Garden Fresh

Add another reason to the list of why I love what I do: Fresh produce.

On tonight's menu was Stuffed 8 Ball Squash (adapted from a recipe on the FatFreeVegan.com blog)

My wonderful sister, Susan, decided to join in my vegan-ness (at least for one meal) and she said she really liked it! The filling was simple and scrumptious: brown rice, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, almonds, and basil.

Susan wasn't just a guinea pig here, she presented something new for me to try as well. I've seen so many recipes for kale (especially since embarking on my vegan journey), but had yet to try it. She made a simple kale salad dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. It was very green and fresh tasting. I'm looking forward to trying it some other ways as well, like this Cosmic Cashew Kale and Chickpeas!

Blackberry Bliss

Ok, so I'm realizing that a lot of my recent posts have been food related, but things have been kinda crazy between work, freelance projects and theology homework, so pretty much the only medium I have time to be creative with right now (outside of work) is food- I mean, I have to eat, right?

That said, I had a rush of excitement the other day when driving home from work. As I rounded a bend in my neighborhood, I saw three girls off to the side with baskets, picking things off of bushes. I immediately began scanning the growth on either side of the road and to my surprise I saw patch after patch of wild blackberries! I got home, grabbed a bag and walked right back outside. It ends up we have numerous bushes right in front of the house and I got to picking! I only gathered a handful then, but I went back out yesterday to further investigate (just about roasted in the heat) and found that there are far more berries than I could even pick! I navigated the thorny limbs and came back in with a couple of cups of berries. I decided that I was in the mood for preserves, so I got to it.

Wild Blackberry Preserves

Mash 2 cups of berries with a potato masher and place in small pot with 2/3 cups sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until thickened and jelly-like. (I used my splatter screen over the pot to keep things from getting stickier than they already were). Pour into a glass jar and keep refrigerated. These will last for a few days in the fridge, or preserves can be frozen in jars for delayed gratification.

Going Veg

Here begins a story that really began 4 weeks ago when my BFF decided to go vegan. She dove in head-first and hollered back the proverbial "come on in, the water's fine!" and here I am, three weeks into a six week journey as a vegan.

I must say that these last weeks have been a culinary joy and I haven't particularly missed eating animal products. It's been an adjustment, of course (reading every nutrition label and asking what's in stuff at restaurants), but really I feel that this experiment has made me a much more conscious eater. During this time I've also felt very inspired to try new things and be more creative in my cooking.

Some of the dishes that I've really enjoyed are listed and pictured below. Even if I go back to meat, cheese, and egg eating after these weeks are up, I know that I've found (and have yet to find) many new ingredients and recipes to add to my repertoire!

Pan seared polenta cakes on a bed of garlicky spinach and cherry tomatoes was a real summer treat.

Slow-roasting eggplant delivers silky smooth results. Placing the vegetables cut-side down over a sprig of fresh thyme adds brightness.

This Asian-inspired udon noodle bowl with snow peas, tofu and shiitake mushrooms was so delicious and satisfying!! A creamy, ginger and coconut milk base is spiced up with some chili sauce.

One of my favorites is taco night! Guacamole salad and black beans leave no room for meat and sour cream on these bad boys.