Fall = Butternut Squash Soup. Oh. No. Wait.. Let's Use Sweet Potatoes Instead!

Tonight at the William Byrd Community House we will be making Butternut Squash Soup. As an FYI, You can use sweet potatoes as a great butternut squash substitute. I may just prove this tonight since I have some great heirloom variety sweet potatoes picked straight outta the 17th century gardens at Bacon's Castle in Surry County (about an hour and a half south east of Richmond)! ...Sounds good, doesn't it!?

Built in 1665, this is the oldest brick residence in VA, ask me more, I tell ya a book!

So tonight, at the William Byrd Community Center, come warm up with some deliciously flavorful, and historic fall soup, hang out with me, hear all about the nutritious vegan life style, and if you want, we can talk about historic architecture, too!

Awesome, I know, Right!?

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Click on the link to register! http://eatgoodgrowgreat.blogspot.com/p/vegan-101.html

Summer Squash, Mint and Berry Dinner

Stick rice, spring roll and soup

Here are a few yummy recipes for the berry and squash season that is now upon us.

Squash and Berry Sweet Curry Chilled Soup:

2 yellow neck squash, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup mixed berries
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon sweet curry powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon liquid amino
sriracha to taste
chopped mint leaves

Saute red pepper and squash with coconut oil till tender
heat berries and coconut milk in pan till just before mixture boils. remove from heat and pour through sieve into bowl. The point is that we are trying to remove the seeds from the berries. So go ahead and smush the berries through the sieve as best you can.

Pour sauteed red pepper and squash into the bowl and use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. Add in liquid amino and sriracha to taste.

Chill for 30-45 minutes

Blend the mint leaves and a dash of coconut oil into a pesto like paste. use this as a garnish and swirl around the top of the soup. add a few leftover berries as well, to make a pretty finish.

Berry Glazed Tempeh

1 cup berries
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 can coconut juice
1 Thai chili
1/8 cup chopped mint
dash of sesame oil
1 package tempeh


Add first seven ingredients into a sauce pan and heat till just before boiling. remove from heat, and strain into sieve with a bowl underneath to get rid of seeds in the berries.

slice tempeh into short strips that are about 2-3mm thick and place into a frying pan. Pour sauce into the pan and cook until glazed.

I added this to spring rolls with cabbage and carrots, but the possibilities abound, so do with the glaze what you will!

Enjoy. We did!

P.s. Thanks, Kayla for your help, your kitchen and your tasters!

Dinner!