To start off, I found this amazing antique bottle on the side of the roads of Hamilton, New York, the hometown of Colgate University. My family and I had just dropped off my amazing sister and we began our trip back home. One thing I noticed about Hamilton was the amount of yard/garage sales around town. There were at least ten different signs I saw when my mom and I went on a run that morning. Although it was mid-August, the air was noticeably crisper in upstate NY and we enjoyed the chill as we ran through the adorable Hamilton farmer's market. We had to turn down the numerous offers of delicious treats such as espresso brownies and fresh pressed coffee, because we needed to run back to the hotel.
~ANYWAYS~
As we were driving back, I was talking about how much I wanted to find some vintage blue jars, like these. Well, just as we were leaving the town, I spotted a bunch of old jars and bottles and wooden crates laid out on a tablecloth outside of (what looked like) an old mechanic's shop. I freaked and convinced the 'rents to stop. Long story short, I got four unique, vintage jars and bottles and a crate for $2 apiece. TALK ABOUT A BARGAIN! So that brings me to the bottle below and its relation to this post. The bottle reads, "Nectar of the Golden Life of Health and Vitality". On the opposite side, there is an image of the tree of life. SO COOl! I just love the phrase, the idea, and the fact that something used to be in this bottle, and whatever it was, it was considered golden nectar....which brings me to the food!
Here is a sexy tomato tart
You can spy one of my cool blue jars in the background of the sexy tomato tart hehe
Dehydrated tomatoes, fresh basil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds..such life, such nectar of the gods
I combined two different recipes, from This Rawsome Vegan Life and Sidesaddle Kitchen. I used Em's raw, completely unbaked (Laura's was dehydrated) crust, and Laura's simple filling. Superb!
Another sexy veggie: KALE! Along with some beautiful avocado and tahini. This is such an easy, quick salad, and so creamy and filling.
mmmmmmm close up
Isn't the tahini so pretty with the wood and the turquoise bowl?
aaaaaand le avocado again
have you ever tried asparagus fries? They were so good and unexpectedly cheesy because of the nutritional yeast!
You can see the sesame seeds and nutritional yeast coating the spears yumyum
And the grand finale- Lemon Rosemary Cheesecake! Adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life..she used lavender, but I didn't have any : ( Rosemary worked just fine, though!
So good and the lemon was the perfect combo of tangy and refreshing
Recipes for a beautiful vegan (mostly) raw summer meal:
Massaged Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing and Avocado
Kale:
bunch of kale
2 tbsp. evoo
salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
Wash and de-stem kale. Rip. Pour everything over it. Massage thoroughly.
Tahini Dressing:
1/4 c. tahini
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar (red works, too)
squeeze of lemon
water, to achieve desired consistency
Mix, toss, love!
Asparagus Fries:
2 tbsp. ground chia and/or flax
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. purified H20
1 bunch o asparagus- medium stalks, 25-30 pieces
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp coconut sugar
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Trim the edges of the asparagus. Whisk lemon, water, chia/flax and let gel in its own bowl. Mix the dry ingredients all together. Oven at 395 F. Dip the asparagus in the lemon chia mixture, then into the dry mix using two forks. Put on a parchment paper-line cookie sheet and bake until crispy! (about 25 mins)
Summer Tomato Tart with a Sundried Tomato Crust:
(again, I adapted two different recipes and got this one)
Crust:
1 c. walnuts
1 c. pumpkin seeds
2 c. sundried tomatoes-save some of the olive oil they're soaking in (if they're soaking in evoo)
salt
1 tsp. evoo (the soaking oil)
PROCESSSSSSS. Push into a tart pan and refridge for 30 mins or so
Filling:
3 c. soaked walnuts
2 tbsp. lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. nutrition yeast
few leaves of fresh basil
PROCESSSSSSSS. Spread evenly over crust. Refridge for another hour, it's even better the next day.
Dehydrated Tomatoes:
lots o baby tomatoes
evoo
salt
toss, dehydrate/bake at 170 F until limp but juicy
Lemon Rosemary (or any herb of your liking) Cheesecake:
Crust:
1/2 c. dates
1 1/2 c. soaked nuts (I used walnuts & almonds)
PROCESSSSSSS and push into springform pan.. I used a ten inch one. Refridge for an hour.
Filling:
3 c. soaked cashews
3/4 c. lemon juice
2/3 c. honey/agave/maple syrup (I used honey)
3/4 c. melted coconut oil
1 tsp. salt
1-3 tbsp. your herb
1 tsp. vanilla extract or beans from a pod (I used a whole bean)
PROCESSSSSS. Spread evenly over crust. Refridge for 4 hours, even better overnight.
This meal is best savored with loved ones and a glass of wine. Enjoy : )
