2013 VeganMoFo

7 Minutes to go! I feel like I'm counting down on New Year's Eve. And for some of my friends who will be following along and trying some of my animal-free dishes, it may well be the start of a new year ... a new lifestyle ... for them. To your health and the health of the planet!

Tempeh Mushroom Stroganoff

I just finished leafing through Angeline Linardis's "V Cuisine: The Art of New Vegan Cooking" and had to try one of her more intriguing recipes, especially since I had most of the ingredients on hand. I don't usually have sherry in the house, but I do have an opened bottle of Marsala so I decided to substitute. And I'm not a huge fan of tarragon so I omitted it. Otherwise, I pretty much followed the recipe ... which is unusual for me. Instead of tofu or vegan sour cream as the sauce base, it called for pureed white beans.

The end result was a very flavorful, high-protein meal with a creaminess I did not expect.This one's a keeper! And, if you haven't done so already, I strongly recommend you add this book to your shelf.

Unfortunately, I don't have permission to publish the recipe, but here's a link to a Tempeh and Mushroom Stroganoff recipe from WholeFoods. Just imagine it with a Rich White Bean and Marsala Sauce instead of the pretend sour cream with vegan worcestershire.

The Pressure is on

Now that I've committed to next month's VeganMoFo, I'm scrambling to organize my pantry and put my recipes in order. I've been saving so many interesting Vegan dishes to Pinterest over the past several months, I've got plenty to choose from ... maybe too many.

But I usually don't give much thought to dinner, grabbing whatever I have on hand, then blending flavors and textures that seem like they'd complement each together. And they usually do. It will be a challenge for me to do a little advance planning so the ingredients and process will be camera-ready.

Oh well. I can do this!

Back In Action

Where did the past year go?

I've been viewing and posting to Pinterest like a crazy lady but have completely ignored my own little blog and it's feeling sorely neglected. Well, I guess it's time to remedy that. VeganMoFo is less than one month away and I need to get serious about posting on a regular basis - sharing the bounty of my kitchen with other Herbivores. I know that I can commit to posting at least 5 times a week. How about you?

Click here for the VeganMoFo Signup Form! I look forward to seeing your posts and sharing my own.

Mushroom Cultivation

My mushroom foraging adventure inspired me to consider growing the fungus at home. Cameron Meeks, a mycologist from Ashland, Oregon, was visiting GaiaWise, a nearby farm, and offered a course called Mycology 101.

I discovered more about mushrooms, in four short hours, than I had learned in the past four decades. Granted it's not something I had actively pursued. I have a new-found respect for all the wonderful organisms that decompose other plants, creating rich healthy soil.

I also had the chance to pack rye grain into a large bag of sterilized straw. The grain was inoculated with oyster mushroom spawn and the straw was the substrate required to feed it.

I know it doesn't look like much right now, but I'm told that the mycelium will take hold and eventually everything in the bag will be infused with mushroom spawn. At that point, I'll be covering it with a humidity tent, misting it daily, and patiently waiting for it to fruit.

Foraging at Salt Point

I'm so fortunate to live in Sonoma County along the Russian River. The Mediterranean climate makes it easy to grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. There are also heavily wooded areas where other plant life abounds.

Last week I visited one such area with my brother, decked in hiking boots and rain gear ... picking basket in hand. It's still a bit early in the season so outcroppings were scarce but we did find enough Chanterelle Mushrooms to make a meal.

And it was such an amazing adventure, I'm certain to do it again ... often!

Just Label It

Unfortunately California Prop 37, requiring labeling of foods that contain or may contain GMO ingredients, was defeated last week. I did my best to educate friends and family, who finally agreed with me, but the numerous inflammatory ads run by Monsanto and large food companies frightened many into voting against it. I do take heart in the fact that it was a close race. And even though it didn't work this time, I'm certain of victory in two years.

Meanwhile, I'll be boycotting those companies that fought to suppress this information.