VEGAN 101 FALL CLASSES ANNOUNCED

VEGAN 101 CLASS:

A basic how-to class focusing on how to maintain a healthy and inexpensive vegan life-style. Classes will include talks on nutrition, food demos/ tastings, and discussions on varying vegan topics. All are welcome to attend, vegans and vegan curious.

Classes held at Sprout,

every other Tuesday, beginning at 6 p.m. on September 13th

September 13th @ 6 p.m.

September 27th @ 6 p.m.

October 11th @ 6 p.m.

October 24th @ 6 p.m.

November 8th @ 6 p.m.

November 22nd  @ 6 p.m.

Classes held at William Byrd Community Center,

Beginning on Wednesday,

September 21st at 6 p.m.

September 21st @ 6 p.m.

October 5th @ 6 p.m.

October 19th @ 6 p.m.

November 2nd @ 6 p.m.

November 16th @ 6 p.m.

December 30th @ 6 p.m.

Looks Like there may be more dates on the horizon, so if none of these fit into your schedule, keep an eye out, more classes are forming!

Figs and Grapes Seek Recipe to Call Their Own

Still Life in Kitchen

Figs and grapes abound! These are delicious figs and heirloom variety seeded sweet grapes from Bacon's Castle in Surry, VA. They deserve to be turned into something fantastic. Any ideas, because I'm about to blend them all up and dehydrate them into fruit leather.

So...
LAST CALL FOR RECIPES BEFORE THEY TURN INTO FRUIT LEATHER!

Sunday Vegan Biscuits and Gravy

It's Sunday (technically it is Saturday, but I'm giving you a day to prepare). Go all out! Make a homestyle delicacy.
Maybe you have your own version of this classic Americana recipe. Branch out. This one is good. Real good.

Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits and TVP Sausage Gravy (better known as MMMMMmmmmm)


Biscuits:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/4 TSP baking soda
1 1/2 TBS sugar
1/2 TSP egg replacer
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 cup vegan margarine or shortening
2/3 cup almond milk
1 TSP apple cider vinegar


In a bowl, whisk almond milk with apple cider vinegar and set aside to curdle

Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Cut in margarine till mix is crumbly. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in milk. Stir till dough clings together.

On a lightly floured surface gently knead dough for 10-12 strokes. Roll or pat to about 1/2 in thick. Use a buiscut cutter or a drinking glass to cut out biscuits.

Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or till golden.

While the biscuits are baking, start your gravy

TVP Sausage Gravy:
1 cup TVP
sage
thyme
fennel seed
liquid amino
liquid smoke
hot sauce
flour
almond milk
salt
pepper

Heat dry TVP in skillet and add sage, thyme and fennel. Pour in one cup of water and stir till evenly absorbed by the TVP. Add liquid amino, liquid smoke and hot sauce. Stir well.

Dust the TVP mix with flour, and stir. Allow flour mixture to brown slightly in the pan. Add black pepper. You will scrape the stuck-on bits off when you add your almond milk.

Add the almond milk 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to mix well. once the gravy has reached the desired consitancy of gravy, remove from heat. Remember that the gravy will continue to thicken once removed from the heat, so make it slightly more liquidy than you actually want.

Plate your biscuits, cover with gravy. Serve with tattooed boyfriend (optional).

Try it, you'll like it.

Three Tips for Eating More Veggies Than You Ever Thought Possible

Don't let this happen to you.

Have you ever opened your refrigerator and looked at all the cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, avocado, eggplant, fresh herbs, kale, okra, green beans, mango, kiwis, strawberries and broke down in tears wondering how you were going to eat all that food before is goes bad?

...oh! Well, okay. Me neither.

The point is, around this time of year our refrigerators and counter tops are full of the summer's yummy fruit and veggie bounty, often this means we cannot even give the the stuff away to our friends, as they are trying to lessen their burdens as well!

I know, I know, first world problems, right!?

So here are 

Three Tips for Eating More Veggies Than You Ever Thought Possible:



More veggies than this Russian Dwarf hamster EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE!!!



1. Smoothies. Veggie smoothies, i.e. Green Earth Soup and fruit smoothies will not only make a great choice for your breakfast lunch and dinner, but also give you a powerhouse of raw, easy to absorb nutrients that will allow your body to digest easily, especially in the August heat.

2. Sauces. While we typically think of a pasta sauce as tomatoes, garlic and herbs, you can add sauteed squash in to the blended tomatoes and herb mixture to make a delicious creamy pasta sauce. In addition to that, you can chop your zucchini up and add that to the sauce for a great bit of texture. Of course, you can make as big a pot of sauce as you want, and store or freeze it for latter.



3. Fruit rolls! Yum! And so easy! Take all the fruit that is just a bit too ripe to enjoy cut up as breakfast and dessert, chop it up, blend, and pour mixture into the bottom tray of your dehydrator... or on a baking sheet in your oven on warm. This takes about 8 hours. The secret is to never go above 140 degrees or you will kill much of the great enzymes and nutritional value of your fruit.

What are some more ways to use up all the veggies before they turn into compost? Please, help me devour my produce before it's too late, please!