Friday, July 20, 2007

Food when you’re sick

Generally, soups are not something I am in the mood for during the hot summer months. But when I’m sick, I crave soup. And I’ve managed to pick up the respiratory cold that’s been going around my corner of the office. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find a vegetarian soup that delivers the comfort of chicken-noodle soup when I’m sick. A lot of vegetarian soups tend to be heavy on the spice, acidity or cream, none of which I’m in the mood for even when I’m feeling healthy, let alone sick. One soup my mom used to make when I was feeling under the weather is still good for me these days: potato soup, basically a really thin version of mashed potatoes. If only I could make it as good as she used to, without a recipe!

Since chicken-noodle soup is not on my menu these days as a vegetarian, I decided to try my hand at a quick vegetarian version the other evening. I sauteed some onion and garlic, then added vegetable broth, carrots, egg noodles, fake-chicken strips cut into pieces and a few spices. I let it simmer until the noodles were soft, and I had my comforting “sick” food. It wasn’t quite as medicinal as the original, but it was pretty darn close.

Have you come up with a vegetarian version of something that helps you feel better when you’re sick?

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Summer’s bounty

For vegetarians - for everyone, really - one of the best parts of summer in the South is the amazing abundance of vegetables. And even better is the warm generosity of family and friends eager to share the fruits of their labor in the garden.

My dad, for example, has a small plot that is producing an amazing amount of yellow squash, eggplant, green beans, and cucumbers, along with what must be the sweetest corn ever. He has been giving me all I can eat for weeks now - I must be getting healthier just having them all in my fridge!

It’s an enjoyable challenge to find delicious and healthy ways to savor all these veggies. Below is an eggplant recipe that turned out really well. It’s from the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen blog. (More about the recipe, comments and photos are available here.)

Do you have any other good suggestions for using eggplant? Or are there any veggies you’re looking for ideas on how to use? Maybe we can share recipes and ideas….

Nasu Dengaku (Japanese Eggplants Broiled with Miso)
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons saki (may substitute dry vermouth or white wine)
4 tablespoons mellow white miso (reduced sodium, if available)
3 tablespoons agave nectar
4 Japanese eggplants, stem end trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
sliced green onions, for garnish

Place the mirin and saki in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 2 minutes to allow some of the alcohol to cook off. Then add the miso and stir until smooth. Stir in the agave nectar, reduce the heat to very low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, while you broil the eggplants:

Brush the cut sides of the eggplants with the sesame oil, if desired. Put the eggplants cut-side down on a baking sheet and place under the broiler of your oven for about 3 minutes, checking often to make sure that they do not burn. Turn them over, and cook for another 3 minutes or until the tops are a light to medium brown. Do not burn!

When the eggplants are tender, top each one with the miso sauce and put them back under the broiler until the sauce bubbles up—this should take less than a minute, so watch them closely. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Per serving: 152 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 740mg Sodium; 5g Fiber.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Oddfellas Cantina, an unexpected treat

This past Saturday, a friend and I went to the Wine Down the Musical Trail wine festival along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Despite some subpar directions that had us backtracking to find the correct turn more than once, it was a great day. After the festival, we went to nearby Floyd, Va., for dinner. I had found a place online, Oddfellas Cantina, that boasted tamarind tofu on its menu. Alas, when we got there, the actual menu was very different from what was posted on their Web site. I hate that!

However, they did have a dish of tofu in an Oriental brown sauce, so I “settled” for that. It turned out to be absolutely divine, with an unusual, wonderful sauce whose flavors I couldn’t quite pin down. Probably some soy sauce, possibly some plum sauce, something slightly spicy, maybe even some tamarind. It was sweet and savory at the same time, and I wished I could have the recipe to take home. I only just managed to avoid licking the plate. It was served with rice and the vegetable of the day, steamed broccoli with a hint of a tangy, vinegary marinade.

What made it extra-special was that it was so unexpected to find a restaurant serving tofu in a town with 432 people and directions that referred to “the” stoplight in town. The restaurant is small and packed with tables (you might feel as if you’re dining with the people at the table next to yours), and seemed to be a popular spot in town. We were told that we had an hour and 15 minutes at our table—I’d never been given a time limit at a restaurant before, so that was a bit odd, although we finished well within the time limit. There was a live band playing, including a harpist, which made for a pleasant dining accompaniment. We wanted to get some of the yummy-sounding desserts, but we were just too full.

Have you ever found a gem of a restaurant or a vegetarian dish where you least expected it?

Friday, July 06, 2007

Live Earth

This Saturday—7/7/07—is Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis, a 24-hour, multi-city concert event to promote awareness of and action to help fight global warming. There will be more than 100 musical acts across eight cities, including Madonna, Bon Jovi, The Police, Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Melissa Etheridge, John Mayer, Faith Hill, Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas.

Many vegetarians embrace a philosophy of concern for the environment, but this is a notable event whether you’re a vegan or carnivore, because the state of the world’s environment affects us all.

There aren’t any concerts near here, but you will be able to watch the Live Earth concerts streamed live online at MSN.com. They will also be aired across the channels of NBC Universal. Here’s the TV schedule:

NBC: 8 p.m.-11 p.m.
BRAVO: 9 a.m.-2 a.m.
Universal HD: 4 a.m.-2 a.m.
Sundance: 4 a.m.-2 a.m.
MSNBC: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (continuing coverage)
CNBC: 8 a.m.-2 a.m.
Telemundo: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
MUN2: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Restaurant ratings

The recalls of Veggie Booty and Super Veggie Tings are, sadly, only the latest items in a spate bad news about of food- and product-safety. So it might be a good time to mention a useful Web site for anyone - vegetarian or not - who dines out in Forsyth County: the health department’s site for restaurant inspection reports.

This site is almost addictive. You can see what inspections were done the prior week, or search by name to find out how your favorite restaurant did on its most recent few inspections. If you come across a strikingly horrifying number, you can click on the report to see exactly what is behind it.

It used to be that restaurants in this area received a letter grade. I really learned to look for those one day when I noticed a restaurant had a C grade - only after I had finished my meal there. Now, I always look for the number before ordering.

Anything under a 90 makes me hesitate, and if a restaurant fell under 85, I would try to talk my dining companions into choosing another place. (Of course, my fastidious friends would probably already be running for the door.)

How much attention do you pay to restaurant sanitation ratings, and how low will you go before walking away?

Monday, July 02, 2007

Recall update

The recall of Veggie Booty has widened. Here’s an AP story with an update:

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A company recalled on Monday a second popular snack food over fears it could be contaminated with salmonella.

Robert’s American Gourmet Inc. said it was recalling all lots and sizes of Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks Snack Food sold across the United States and Canada.

Company president and chief executive Robert Ehrlich said the recall was precautionary, since the product used the same seasoning as the Veggie Booty Snack Food recalled last week. Ehrlich said his Sea Cliff, N.Y., company is still doing testing to determine the source of any contamination. The seasoning is exclusive to the company, he added. The actual product is made under contract by an unnamed manufacturer, the company said in a release.

The original recall was prompted by 54 cases of salmonella poisoning in 17 states. Many of those infected reported eating Veggie Booty.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks are packed in a flexible, plastic foil bag in a 6-ounce size, and bears universal product code 15665-10356.

The company said consumers who purchased Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks and still have the product in their homes should discard the contents and contact the company at 1-800-626-7557 for reimbursement.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Veggie Booty recall alert

I stopped at the grocery store tonight, and on the organic-snack aisle was a sign announcing the recall of Robert’s Veggie Booty. This is a brand I sometimes have on hand—right now, I have a bag of their Pirate Booty—so I immediately surfed around the Net when I got home to get details.

The FDA and Robert’s American Gourmet have issued a recall of all sizes of Veggie Booty after the CDC reported 55 cases of Salmonella illnesses—mostly in children—linked to Veggie Booty, across 17 states. No cases have been reported in North Carolina so far. None of the other Booty products are affected by the recall—but I don’t think I’ll be cracking open that bag of Pirate’s Booty anytime soon.

You can read a comprehensive article at FoodConsumer.org. You can also find information at Robert’s official site

Stuffed zucchini

I’ve harvested the first few tomatoes from my garden—four smallish, lovely, red fruits from the Early Girl plant I planted in April. It’s always wonderful to pick my own vegetables, but this is especially true with tomatoes. No store-bought tomato can approach the taste and freshness of one plucked from your backyard. Fresh tomatoes scream “SUMMER!” Besides the Southern staple of a tomato sandwich—white bread, mayonnaise and a sprinkle of pepper—my favorite way to enjoy my harvest is with a caprese salad. Mix some tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese (none of that sliced or grated stuff) and fresh basil (preferably from my herb garden), top with red-wine vinegar and olive oil, then sprinkle with pepper. Delicious!

The rest of the vegetable garden is lagging quite a ways behind. But I will hopefully have some zucchini in the harvest before long, so I thought I’d share my favorite summer recipe using several items I usually grow or that are easily found at farmers markets. This is adapted from a recipe in Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. It can easily be made vegan by leaving out the cheese.

Stuffed Zucchini
2 medium zucchini
1-1/2 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. parmesan or feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the zucchini in half length-wise and trim the ends. With a teaspoon, carve out the center of each half, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell and reserving the spooned-out flesh. Put the zucchini shells into a small casserole dish and add 1/2 cup water. Cover the dish with foil. Bake the zucchini for 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

2. Make the stuffing: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about five minutes. Chop the reserved zucchini flesh and add it to the pan with the garlic and tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes more. Take the skillet off the heat and add the bread crumbs, basil and cheese. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

3. Drain the water from the casserole dish and fill the zucchini halves with the stuffing. Bake the stuffed zucchini for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: You may have to adjust the amount of bread crumbs to get the right consistency, depending on the juicyness of your tomato.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Hey Pesto!

Remember that basil I planted, several posts back? It’s really taking off now that hot weather has settled in to stay. So it’s time to make pesto.

I whipped up the first batch of the summer a couple days ago, and it tastes like the best ever. That’s probably because in addition to the basil, it includes fresh mint and dill from friends’ gardens.

Here’s the recipe as it stands this week. You can substitute other herbs, too - parsley and oregano are especially good. Or, of course, you could use all basil. You can include the tender stems of any of the herbs; but remove any that seem tough or otherwise unappealing.

2 cups lightly packed basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh dill
1 sage leaf (it happened to fall off the sage plant, so I threw it in)
Three small cloves fresh garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts also work well)
1 Tablespoon chickpea miso (or other light miso)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon umeboshi plum paste (everything’s better with plum paste!)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put everything but the oil into a food processor, and pulse to chop. Then turn the machine on low and add the oil in a thin stream through the feed tube. Process the mixture briefly, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the work bowl if necessary, until the pesto is the consistency you like.

The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator, coated with a thin film of olive oil to keep it from browning from contact with the air. Or it can be frozen for long-term storage. I use pesto mainly on pasta or as a sandwich spread (especially with homegrown tomatoes…) Do you have any suggestions for other uses for pesto?

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Farmers markets

We’re entering the prime season for farmers markets, when they abound with all manner of summer harvests. I love farmers markets. It’s wonderful to be able to browse fresh produce that’s come directly from an area farm. You know exactly what you’re getting, and you can ask questions of the person who grew what you’re buying. That’s certainly something you can’t get in the grocery store.

The problem with farmers markets is that they’re always so darn early. I am decidedly not a morning person, so I don’t rouse myself out of bed early on Saturday morning nearly often enough. The early bird definitely gets the worm—or the choicest selections, in this case—when it comes to farmers markets.

Here are some markets in the area:

The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax, on Sandy Ridge Road off of I-40. This is usually the one I go to on the weekend because it goes on all day. So if I don’t get going until noon, I know it will still be open and there will be many farmers there. I especially enjoy going there to get herbs and other plants for my garden.

The Downtown Farmers Market, which is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Winston-Salem, on Sixth Street between Cherry and Trade streets. This is handy for me because of its hours and location near work. Today I picked up some organic squash.

The Winston Salem Retail Farmers Market at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds is open year-round on Saturdays, 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. It’s really quite shameful that I’ve never actually been to this one!

Casanova Coffee in Lewisville has recently begun having a small farmers market on Saturday mornings, which is handy because it’s the closest to where I live. An organic farmer from Lewisville brings his produce, and it all looked fresh and wonderful when I was there last weekend. I was there about 10:45 a.m. last Saturday, and he had sold out of a lot of things already to earlier risers than me.

The Werehouse, at 211 E. Third St. in downtown Winston-Salem, has a farmers market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market, at 501 Yanceyville St. in the old National Guard Armory building near Memorial Stadium, is open year-round on Saturdays from 6 a.m. until noon and on Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., May through December. I haven’t been to this one, but I’m going to try to get there this Saturday because they’re having VeggieFest to celebrate the season. They’ll have recipe samples, door prizes and music. Sounds like fun!

Do you go to farmers markets? Are there any other ones in the area that you can recommend?