June/July
2004
A Summer Fiesta
By Joshua Ploeg
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Hello Readers, I have a few recipes for you to
get your summer started. It’s time to dust that barbecue off
and grill up some mushrooms to get back in the swing of it. This is
a fun
group with a lot of flavor and I left a great deal of leeway here for
you to tailor the recipes to your own tastes.
Cauliflower In Avocado Sauce
1 Head Cauliflower, chopped
3 Ripe Avocados
Handful Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, minced
1 Hot Pepper, minced
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
1 C. Onion, minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 T. Thyme, chopped
Salt, to taste
Olive Oil
1. Peel, pit and mash the avocados with lemon juice, salt, sundried
tomatoes, hot pepper, bell pepper, thyme, and a little olive oil. Set
aside.
2. Cook the cauliflower with the onions, garlic and salt in a few T.
of olive oil, until the cauliflower begins to brown. Remove from heat.
3. Mix with the avocado dressing, serve warm or cold.
It so happens that we’ve got fresh mulberries going on out here
in Oregon. Mulberries in the U.S. are a bit on the bland side, so they
need to be jazzed up with a little juice and vinegar.
Portobello Mushrooms with Mulberries in Tortillas
Several Large Portobello Mushroom Caps
1 C. Fresh Mulberries or Blackberries
Grated Vegan Cheese
Vegan Sour Cream, mixed with Lemon Juice
Cilantro, chopped
Pinch Ground Cardamom
Splash Red Wine Vinegar
Hot Sauce
Lime Juice
Tamari
Olive Oil
Garlic, minced
Chili Powder
Cactus Juice
Oregano, chopped
Salt to taste
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Splash Rum (optional)
Tortillas
1. Lightly smash the berries and mix with cilantro, some hot sauce,
vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, salt, a little lime juice, cardamom,
and a splash of vinegar. Sprinkle with a little rum if you like. Set
aside and allow the tastes to mingle.
2. Slice the mushrooms into thick strips and marinate them with some
tamari, oil, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, cactus juice, oregano
and hot sauce. (Based on individual tastes, you can decide how much
of each ingredient you want in there.)
3. Drain and then grill the mushrooms, turning over hot coals until
they are sweating profusely and have grill marks on both sides. You
can baste them with excess marinade, if you like. (A guard for the drippings
might be a good idea to avoid excessive flare-ups, smoke and charring.)
4. When these are done to your liking, mix with the berry stuff and
sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds and thin onion slices, and roll
in a tortilla. Wrap in foil and place back on the grill for a little
while (10 minutes for nice, hot melty wraps!).
5. Serve with seasoned rice and the following delicious salsa.
Orange Plantain Salsa
2 Ripe Plantains, peeled and chopped
1/2 C. Orange Juice
1 C. Mango, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled, grated
1 Green Bell Pepper, minced
1 Red Chili, minced
1 Small Onion, minced
1 t. Coriander Berries, smashed
2 T. Oregano, minced
2 T. Cilantro, minced
Sprinkle of Brown Sugar or Rice Syrup
Salt, to taste
Olive Oil
Lime Juice
1. Cook the plantains over medium heat in olive oil, with a little salt
and lime juice, until browned.
2. Add onion, peppers, carrot, coriander berries, oregano, mango and
a bit more salt. Cook for a few more minutes.
3. Stir in sugar and orange juice, sprinkle with cilantro and remove
from heat. Serve with your mushroom and berry burritos.
4. You may additionally add any fresh, chopped ingredients that you
like.
Dessert for this: Grill large chunks of fresh pineapple
that have been basted with lime juice, mint, and rum or fruit juice,
remove from grill and sprinkle with brown sugar. Serve this with vegan
ice cream. (Do this in foil if you don’t want a big mess. I don’t
mind causing a little havoc to get the groovy char marks, personally,
but I’m a messy guy!)
And a drink for good measure: For each person, pour
over ice in a tumbler 2 oz. orange flavored vodka, 1 oz. lime juice,
1 t. blue curacao, and 3 oz. tonic water. Garnish with a cherry.
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