Colors - August 2006

Diva: Michelle

Drinks: Carrie Caselton - Blue (sub for Sara)
Blue Hawaiian Boones Farm!

Appetizer: Tiffany - Green
Caprese

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices
1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices
20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and pepper
Crusty baguette cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Layer alternating slices of bread, tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Salad: Erin - Red
Harry’s Strawberry and Tomato Salad

6 ounces (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c (about 1/2 pound whole berries) small strawberries, trimmed and halved
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T aged balsamic vinegar
1 T finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 heads Boston lettuce, halved and cores removed
2 tsp fresh chives, minced

In small mixing bowl, toss together tomatoes, strawberries, oil, vinegar, zest, salt, and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature 10 minutes.

To serve, place lettuce-head halves on 4 plates. Top each with tomato-strawberry mixture. Sprinkle with chives.

Soup: Tamara - Yellow
Sweetcorn and Potato Chowder

550g (20 oz) potatoes
1 large onion
1 sweet green bell pepper
125g (4oz) mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
2 stock cubes
285g (10oz) sweetcorn kernels (1x326g can, drained and rinsed)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp mild mustard (e.g. garlic mustard)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Black pepper to taste

Peel and chop the potato, onion and green pepper. Slice the mushrooms, halving them first if they are large. Chop the garlic finely. Dissolve the stock cubes in a pan with 1 liter (35 fl oz, 4 1/2 c) water. Bring to the boil, then add everything else except the mustard, herbs and seasoning. Simmer for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Add the mustard and thyme, and simmer 5 minutes more. Season to taste with black pepper and serve.

Side Dish: Mariah – Purple
Cabbage Slaw

3 c shredded napa or Chinese cabbage
1 large navel orange, peeled and sectioned
¼ c chopped watercress
2 T. canola oil
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
¾ tsp grated fresh gingerroot
¾ tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
Dash of pepper
1 T chopped walnuts

Cabbage Slaw
2 ½ c bagged cabbage slaw mix or shredded cabbage
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 c fresh spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
2 T chopped fresh parsley, if desired
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T light soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp finely chopped peeled fresh gingerroot
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 T sesame seeds, toasted*

Toss cabbage, carrot, spinach and parsley in large bowl. Mix or shake vinegars, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and gingerroot. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture; toss. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

To serve, stir in salt and pepper; sprinkle with sesame seed.

Entree: Lovina – Green
Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Pesto

2 lbs. fresh salmon fillets
1 clove garlic
1 c cilantro leaves, loosely packed
2 T. olive oil
2 T. lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 ½ ripe roma tomatoes\raw, seeded and chopped

Preparation Preheat the oven to temperature 400°F. Make the pesto in a food processor or blender; process the garlic, cilantro, oil, and lime juice until creamy. Season to taste. Spray baking pan with oil and place the salmon skin-side down. Spread the pesto on the salmon, cover with the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes.
(Serves 4)

Dessert: Absent
Chocolate Bars from Ashley’s lottery bags

WildCard: Nicole - Blue
Blueberry-Blue Cheese Dip

This perfect blend of delicate sweetness and tangy, full-bodied flavor comes together in a snap. Serve with fresh raw vegetables, crackers or apple slices.

6 oz. Danish blue OR Maytag blue cheese, crumbled
1 ½ c fresh OR thawed frozen blueberries
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ to ½ tsp. hot chili sauce
½ c finely sliced green onion, green part only
½ c chopped walnuts

Place blue cheese and blueberries in bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. To give the flavors time to meld, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as 3 days.
Makes 3 cups.

Lottery: Ashley
Colored gift bags and chocolate bars

Relaxed Literary Vegan Meal - July 2006

Diva: Tamara

Drinks: Nicole

Red and white wine

Appetizer: Mariah
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Assorted veggies with a bread bowl and spinach dip.

Spinach Dip

1 pkg. sautéed spinach drained

1 can artichokes chopped
1 c vegan mayonnaise
1/3 cup Parmesan-style cheese, grated
1 c Monterey Jack-style cheese, coarsely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced

Thaw and squeeze excess moisture from spinach using a clean kitchen cloth, cheesecloth, or strainer. Combine all ingredients, reserving 1/4 c. of Monterey Jack-style Cheese.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until top is bubbly.

Salad: Sara
Red is Best by Kathy Stinson and Robin Baird Lewis

1 whole red cabbage finely chopped
1 hole red onion, ½ moon slices
Red grapes to suit
Almonds to suit
1 whole red pepper, ¼ moon slices
1 whole pink lady apple, cubed

Mix together in a big bowl. Add any other seasonally available red edible veggie or fruit. Dress with favorite salad dressing.

Soup: Lovina
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lemon

¼ c (1/2 stick) butter
1 ½ c chopped onion
1 T finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 ½ tsp minced garlic
1 ¼ pounds medium carrots, peeled, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel
3 c (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt broth (veggie broth)
2 T fresh lemon juice
4 T sour cream
1 small carrot, peeled, grated

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel; saut 1 minute. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Ladle into bowls. Top each with sour cream and grated carrot.

Side Dish: Stacey
East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Almond Couscous--courtesy of The Vegan Chef

1 c onion, diced
1 T olive oil
4 c broccoli, half small florets and half chopped stems, divided
1 ½ c red pepped, diced
1 T garlic, minced
2 c water or vegetable stock
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 ½ c couscous
¾ c almonds, roughly chopped
¼ c freshly chopped dill
¼ c freshly chopped parsley

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 3 mins. Add the broccoli stems and continue to sauté the mixture an additional 3 mins. Add the broccoli florets, red pepper, and garlic and continue to sauté an additional 4 mins, stirring often. Add the water, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the couscous, stir, cover, remove the saucepan from the heat, and set aside for 5 mins. Using a fork fluff the couscous while stirring in the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Entree: Ashley
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Pistachios

Makes 8 servings.
3 large red beets (1 2/3 lb without greens)

2 large golden beets (1 lb without greens)
¼ c minced shallot
2 T fresh lemon juice
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ c pistachio oil
4 oz soft mild goat cheese**
3 T salted shelled pistachios (not dyed red), coarsely chopped
1 oz mâche (also called lamb's lettuce), trimmed (4 c)


Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (without handle; at least 2 inches high)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Separately wrap red and golden beets tightly in double layers of foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Unwrap beets.

While beets are cooling slightly, whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a stream, whisking.

When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off and discard skins.
Separately cut red and golden beets into 1/4-inch dice and put in separate bowls. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons dressing to each bowl and toss to coat.

Place cookie cutter in center of 1 of 8 salad plates.
Put one eighth of red beets in cutter and pack down with your fingertips. Crumble 2 teaspoons goat cheese on top, then one eighth of golden beets, packing them down.
Gently lift cutter up and away from stack. Make 7 more servings in same manner. Drizzle each plate with 1 teaspoon dressing and scatter with some pistachios.

Toss mâche with just enough remaining dressing to coat and gently mound on top of beets.
Serve immediately.

Cooks' notes:
• Beets can be roasted and diced 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Bring to room temperature before using.
• Molded beet salad (without mâche) can be assembled 45 minutes ahead and kept, covered, at cool room temperature.

**I made a mock goat cheese out of firm tofu, vinegar and lemon juice. I made it up as I went so I have no idea what the quantities are. Just went by taste.

Dessert: Erin
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Depression Era Inspired Chocolate Cake

3 c flour
6 T cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 T vinegar
2 c cold water
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
¾ c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Makes 2 layers of a 2 layer 8-9 inch round cake or one small sheet cake. Frost when cool. Eat!

Frosting

1 lb confectioner’s sugar
¼ tsp salt
1/3 c (2/3 stick) non-dairy margarine, room temp
¼ c orange juice, lite
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the sugar, salt and margarine. Add the liquid. Beat until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary. Use immediately (frosting will harden).

WildCard: Tiffany (absent)

Lottery: Michelle