A few Sundays back I rounded out the first MoFo weekend with a few snapshots from the Portland Farmer’s Market. This precious weekly ritual, our Saturday morning market, is one of my greatest pleasures. Perhaps these new photos will inspire you, the way that my market always inspires me. Fall is such an exciting season!

Purple potatoes

My fellows in flannel, oh so Pacific northwest!

RAW apple pie – breakfast of champions!

Maybe my favorite thing about the Pacific northwest – the apples!

Waits takes an important call.

I had big plans for this pumpkin . . .

BIG PLANS!

Yes oh yes, I am a happy plant-eater!

* These pictures are coming out totally desaturated when I upload them to WordPress. It’s seriously depressing and I’m sorry. We can’t figure out what to do about it! SAD FACE!

Random pretty lady shows off truly gargantuan beets!

Waits insists on helping to carry the goods! Little guard baby. =)

What’s your favorite autumn fruit or veggie??

Little did I know what I would discover out there . . .



The first time out we went straight for the marionberries. These suckers are hybrid blackberries that were developed right here at Oregon State University. They are huge, and they are juicy, and they are all sorts of delicious. Waits did less picking, and more munching.

As an aside, I’ve made it a habit of asking the farmers to charge me for an extra 1/4 pound of berries, which is probably really high but it makes me feel much better about the number of berries that find their way into my little buddy’s mouth. Probably a good tip for most parents!




It was awesome, the berries were awesome, and good times were had all around. But here’s the thing: at the front of the farm, where you pay for your haul, there’s this farm stand . . .

Cherries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Onions, Garlic, Kale, Collards, Taters, Broccoli, Beets, Heirloom Tomatoes, and on and on.





All from surrounding farms, all organic, and SO CHEAP! Seriously, like, insanely cheap. Organic kale in the stores around here is $2.99/bunch. At the FarMar it drops to $2.50/bunch, and the bunches tend to be bigger. But at the farm? $1.50 a bunch! That’s half the price of store bought kale!

I had no idea, and I certainly wasn’t prepared. So I grabbed what little I could, and I vowed to return as soon as possible. With a plan.




The following week we were back, with our same picking companions, hunting blueberries this time around. It was a gorgeous day on a gorgeous farm, and the blueberry fields were a long, lovely walk away.






It was a little early in the season though, and the munchkins kept plucking unripe hard green berries (and trying to eat them). So we scrapped the berry-picking pretty quickly. Which was fine, since we had other things in mind . . .


Produce Stand!

I had my sights set on broccoli. Amazing, organic, beautiful broccoli for $1.50 a head (not per pound, but per head, which was more than a pound apiece, easily). At that price? I wasn’t going to let that opportunity get away from me. I bought almost all of it!


See, just a few weeks earlier I had been out on a walk in my neighborhood, and had stumbled across an enormous stand-up freezer for sale. Just what I’d been wanting! I bought it on the spot, and Damian picked it up when he got home from work. A little re-organizing in the garage, a little scrubbing with vinegar, and it was up and running and ready to go. I am SO EXCITED at the new possibilities for food preservation. SO EXCITED I TELL YOU!

And the very first project was my broccoli. I washed it, trimmed it (juiced the stalks), and set it out on parchment paper to freeze.



This step prevents the produce from sticking together and freezing into one huge block. Very important!

Once it was frozen I transferred it to glass jars.



Those are each gallon jugs, which I’d picked up for a crazy discount ($1.50 apiece; I nabbed 15) when my beloved neighborhood produce market and herb shop went out of business recently. Two gallons – that’s a LOT of broccoli!

Now, I’ll continue to buy and eat fresh produce for the duration of summer and fall. But when winter rolls around, I’ll be able to dip into my freezer stash for local, organic fruits and vegetables. Eating local foods, and buying food that’s in season, is great for the environment and great for the local economy and really great for your wallet! I’m excited to share more of my preservation adventures, as the summer continues to unfold, and the bounty keeps on rolling in.

In the meantime, get thee to your local farm for the best bargain produce you’ve ever encountered!

This year I’m really excited about the “wild crafted” harvest – that means foods grown and gathered from wilderness. Fiddleheads, ramps, sea beans, sorrel, mushrooms, and more. And oh! The nettles, of course!

Strawberries are beginning to show up, and this Saturday I saw cherries. It’s such an exciting time in the season! The floodgates are about to open . . .

<3 this skirt I made many years ago.

Damian captures me shopping, from afar.

Raw, vegan hand pies at my market? Are you serious?!

Oh yea, it’s true!

The solstice is tomorrow: the very first day of summer! How will you be celebrating?

What seasonal produce have you been enjoying lately? What are you looking forward to?

Happy Summer Solstice!

Last year was the first the I focused on really eating seasonally, getting the bulk of my groceries straight from the farmers. I’ve never felt so connected to my food, so tuned in to my surroundings.

Spring is all about new radishes, tender greens, raab and rapini. There’s wild-crafted mushrooms and last autumn’s leftover taters. Mostly, there’s that whiff of promise. Shallots will make way for snap peas, and strawberries will follow before we even know it.

Chard, anyone? Such a lovely rainbow!

Hot new food trend = kimchee (Korean spicy pickles). It’s everywhere! I say, hooray for more fermented veggies. Always love it when healthy goes mainstream.

These guys are new to the market this year and their kimchee is divine.

See? Radishes, greens, and leeks. That’s a quintessential spring spread!

Happiest little market-goers.

This year I also made a weekly stop at the very wee, but very fun, year-round Farmers Market. There’s not a whole lot that grows through the northwest winter, but it helped me so much in staying mindful around my food. There’s always new and strange hardy greens, fermented foods and artisan (raw!) crackers, exotic cultivated mushrooms, fresh-baked breads, and homemade hot soups. Waits and I braved all manner of bad weather and always had a blast.

Spring!

Mushrooms are so strange . . .

Darlings, what are you most looking forward to in the coming season? Do you have a favorite Farmers Market, and has it opened yet this year?


To any tech savvy readers, I use Photoshop to re-size my images and then save the files to my desktop. Somewhere between iPhoto and the end product – somewhere in Photoshop – my pictures are getting dulled and de-saturated. Help help! I’m just clueless if there’s no baking soda involved . . .

This is what my kitchen looks like Saturday afternoon, midsummer. Heaven!

I’ve written a lot about my adventures at the Farmer’s Market this year, and I’ve often referenced the ‘game’ that D and I always play. We make it our mission each and every week to find at least one *special* item amidst the many. Ideally it’s something I’ve never cooked with (or never eaten at all!), but maybe it’s something just come into season, all new and nostalgic and treasured (hello, berries!).

So along with all the standards and staples, these are the specials we picked up each week. I love how this list paints the progression of the seasons.

*Star means I’d never cooked with it before.
**Double star means I’d never even eaten it!

1) Mustard Greens**

2) Asparagus

3) Fennel*

My spin on a clasic soup: Split Pea With Fennel And Potato.

4) Raspberries

5) Yellow Zucchini** & Escarole*

6) Fava Beans**

My first ever experiment with Favas – fresh Farmer’s Fava Bean Dip.

7) Sylvan Berries**

8) Blueberries & Sugar Snap Peas

9) Peaches & Shiitake Mushrooms*

Raw peach and berry tart with cashew cream.

10) Snow Peas & Abalone Mushrooms**

11) Cubanelle Peppers**

12) Italian Artichokes

Steamed Italian Artichoke served with a chunky three-olive dip.

13) Brussels Sprouts* & Maitake Mushrooms*

14) Pickling Cucumbers* & wild-gathered “Chicken Of The Woods” Mushrooms**

15) New Zealand Spinach**

16) Japanese Eggplant* & King Oyster Mushroom*

Vegan nigiri with seared Japanese Eggplants.

17) Miniature Honeydew Melon** & Parsnips

18) Yellow Finn Potatoes** & Long Beets**

19) Spaghetti Squash**

Waits helps me prepare my very first Spaghetti Squash.

20) Romanesco*

21) Walnuts

22) Tat Soi**

23) French Fingerling Potatoes

24) Black Truffle Salt**


Question: I treated myself to some ohh-la-la fancy Black Truffle Salt from the very last Farmer’s Market. What on earth should I do with it??!

Deep Roots is one of my very favorites, they’re un-certified but all organic and always have amazing prices. Best peppers, best soft squash. Cheapest tomatoes.

Our final buy from Deep Roots (for Damian’s favorite, of course!)

There was evidence of the impending holidays:




And the flower stands had to get creative (yep – that’s cabbage!)


There were so many treats to be had:

Petunia’s gluten-free vegan pastries.

Gluten-free artisan breads.

Insert joke about eating Freddy’s nuts. But seriously, these are the best hazelnuts I’ve ever tasted; we gave away bunches of them as gifts this year!

Dave is an ex-con turned baker, and Dave’s Killer Bread is the best sandwich bread you can buy, just ask anybody who’s ever had it.

But really, it’s about that gorgeous produce.

So until next year . . .

Here’s to the market!

Part of the reason it took me so long is I just don’t eat that much processed food. My readers know that I’ve always advocated whole plant foods as the base of a mindful diet. That said, an occasional omni-sub isn’t going to kill you. They can be fun and make food more familiar; the power of nostalgia is not to be underestimated.

So with that in mind, I present The Bonzai Guide To Vegan Cheese! I’ve stuck to the most widely available and ‘top of the line’ choices, but let me know if you think I missed something important. Also, my apologies for the less-than-stellar photo quality. But I figured sub-par pics were better than none at all. So here we go!


1 – Cheezly

Pineapple pizza made with ‘Mature White Cheddar’ Cheezly.

Notes: Cheezly is packaged in a little round, an adorable wee cheese wheel. It smells okay, not off-putting. Sampled cold it has a sort of grainy, chalky texture. I wouldn’t choose to eat it on crackers or anything. It crumbles well. It melts a bit but goes from melty to crispy real real fast. It’s not very mooshy and definitely not stretchy. As a cooked ingredient, the texture is off but the flavor is definitely decent. Soy-based.

There are lots of Cheezly flavors, including Mature Cheddar, Edam, Garlic & Herb, Gouda, Nacho, Mature White Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Added Bacon.


2 – Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet

Professional pie with Mozzarella, photo courtesy of The Stumptown Vegans.

Notes: Old(er) school, the original ‘game changer’. So what if the younger ones have more tricks (stretch) and schticks (clever names). Vegan Gourmet was the first real contender, way back in the day. It brought hope and for that it will always get mad respect.

Vegan Gourmet comes in a block thats a bit greasy, and oddly almost odorless. There’s a nice salty flavor but a somewhat strange, almost ‘squeaky’ texture. Eaten cold it’s palatable, it does the job on a sammie though it’s nothing to rave about. When heated it takes a while to melt. It tends to be fickle and unpredictable, but usually demands high heat. As a meal component the texture isn’t spot-on, but the flavor is really nice. Soy-based.

There are multiple flavors including Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack (the best!) and Nacho.


3 – Sheese

Barbecue tofu pizza with ‘Medium Cheddar Style’.

Sheese also comes in a little wheel. There are pretty good flavor options, though the ones we sampled did not taste like they promised. Eaten cold it’s a powdery, chalky texture. It also tastes very strongly of citrus . . . with a bad aftertaste. I wouldn’t recommend this one plain.

It doesn’t smell great and it’s too crumbly. It barely melts at all, but instead it gets really crispy really fast. There’s no smoosh and no stretch, but there *is* a really strong flavor that overpowers whatever you put with it (we tried pizza and also burritos). Finally we gave up trying, and the rest went to the dogs. Soy-based. Gluten-free.

Sheese is available in a super wide assortment of flavors, like Strong Cheddar, Medium Cheddar, Cheddar With Chives, Smoked Cheddar, Blue, Cheshire, Edam, Gouda, and Mozzarella.


4 – Tofutti

Vegan “Egg McMuffin” with American Soy Cheese Slices.

Grilled cheese sammie with American Soy Cheese Slices.

These are just like Kraft singles! But, is that a good thing? You tell me.

To be honest they’re pretty nasty on their own, eaten cold. They’re oily and filmy and . . . just blech. But then again, so is all American cheese right? We tried these in a deli sandwich but would not recommend that you do the same. However, when heated, they are pretty awesome. They don’t get super melty/squishy, but flavor-wise they’re a dead ringer for that crap orange cheese we grew up on! Soy-based.

Tofutti slices come in 2 flavors: American and Mozzarella.


5 – Wayfare’s “We Can’t Say It’s Cheese”

Amazing quesadilla featuring the Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip.

Nachos using the Cheddar-Style Dip, also with the “We Can’t Say It’s Sour Cream”.

Mini crackers with the Hickory-Smoked Cheddar-Style Spread, so good!

This is the only ‘tub cheese’ we reviewed, but it definitely deserves mention. Of everything we’ve sampled this is the only one that comes with an enthusiastic “YES” when eaten cold. Spread on toast or a sandwich, or best of all as a party dip. I shared some crackers and the Hickory-Smoked Spread with a group of vegans, and they collectively said “Om nom nom *crunch crunch* nom nom nom.” That’s vegan-ese for two-thumbs-up!

It’s also quite tasty heated. The texture is nice and creamy and the flavor is good, though definitely closer to a processed ‘nacho-style’ cheese than to a natural cheese flavor. There is one HUGE drawback here though. Each time Damian and I had it with dinner, we would become severely dehydrated. Like, I got all flushed and parched! We just couldn’t get enough water in, and after a while that gets pretty uncomfortable. So bummer, if you’re sodium-sensitive this may not be the one for you. But otherwise this stuff is delicious. Also, it’s oatmeal-based! And gluten-free.

Wayfare makes 4 flavors/styles: Cheddar-Style Spread, Hickory-Smoked Cheddar-Style Spread, Cheddar-Style Dip, and the Mexi Cheddar-Style Dip.

*** I was given this product for review ***


6 – Teese

Broccoli mac n cheese with the Creamy Cheddar Vegan Sauce.

Pesto and root veggie pizza with Mozzarella.

Nachos featuring – surprise surprise – the Nacho Vegan Sauce.

Grilled cheese and avocado using the straight up cheddar.

Teese was the ‘next big thing’ after Vegan Gourmet. It promised a cheese that melted and stretched, and it delivered . . . at least on the melt. Oh yeah, and it definitely delivers the flavor. It comes in a funny tube, and the texture is that same oily/squeaky vegan cheese anomaly. Cold Teese seems especially plastic-y. It smells like fake cheese (but not in a bad way) and it cuts really smoothly (not like real cheese, but again not in a bad way). Eaten plain it’s a bit much, and I don’t think this is a good cold sammie contender.

Teese melts very well, and ends up smelling and tasting great. The sauces are rich and creamy while the harder cheeses hold up their integrity against heat (a complaint of the previous recipe was that they liquified). Overall this is great stuff, near the very top. Soy-based but organic and non-GMO. Gluten-free.

There are 4 flavors/styles: Mozzarella Vegan Cheese, Cheddar Vegan Cheese, Creamy Cheddar Vegan Sauce, Nacho Vegan Sauce

*** I was given this product for review ***


7 – Daiya

Cheddar Shreds, before they switched to real packaging, back when Food Fight! used to buy it in bulk bags and dole it out for us, because they are the awesome!

The bestest black bean and quinoa enchiladas ever, with Cheddar Style Shreds.

Grilled Cheddar Style Shreds with avocado and tomato, mind blowing goodness!

Daiya hit the scene last year and people were all “WTF OMG NO WAY!” And you know what? It lives up to the hype! Well, at least the cheddar does. The mozzarella is great and all, but not the best mozz available. But the cheddar? Come on! It melts perfectly, it stretches, and best of all it has that *mouthfeel* – that ooey gooey globby goodness – of real meltd cheese. Yeah, I’m definitely a Daiya fan.

But that’s heated. Cold? Not so much. It only comes shredded, for one thing. And it’s got a bit of that powdery/chalky deal. So serve it hot and enjoy the next evolution of vegan cheese! Tapioca/arrowroot-based. Soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free.

~~~

So what do you guys think? Do you agree with my assessment? What’s your favorite vegan cheese??

My market is shutting down in two weeks. We’ll have to find a new Saturday morning activity . . . and we’ll have to get used to less fresh produce. But I’m not thinking about that now – I’m just celebrating my market! Here’s what we’ve been seeing:






























Happy winter my dears! Let’s all raise a soup mug and *cheers*, for these days of dark only highlight the lightness to come!

Most veg*ns are already expert label-readers, but we’re often tuned in to the additives we should avoid (like casein, whey, L-cysteine, carmine, etc). But what about the other side – those chemicals with names so nefarious-sounding . . . that are actually quite harmless! What follows is a list of ingredients that you DON’T need to avoid:

Agar – an algae extract, used as a thickener, a veg*n alternative to gelatin
Alpha-carotene – plant based vitamin A
Alpha-tocopherol – a form of vitamin E
Annatto – a plant derived all natural coloring (some people may be sensitive)
Ascorbate – a form of vitamin C
Ascorbic Acid – vitamin C is one form
Beta-carotene – the plant derived precursor to vitamin A
Beta-cryptoxanthin – a carotenoid, another precursor to vitamin A
Biotin – part of the B-complex, this is vitamin B7
Carageenan – seaweed extract, a veg*n alternative to gelatin
Cholecalciferol – vitamin D3 (not vegan)
Choline Bitartrate – an essential nutrient, part of the B-complex
Citric Acid – natural flavoring and preservative
Cyanocobalamin – part of the B-complex, this is a form of vitamin B12
Ergocalciferol – vitamin D2, the vegan form
Folacin – part of the B-complex, this is one name for vitamin B9
Folate – part of the B-complex, naturally occurring vitamin B9
Folic Acid – part of the B-complex, another form of vitamin B9
Lecithin – a naturally derived additive, though there is some debate as to its safety because it is processed (may or may not be vegan)
Methylcobalamin – part of the B-complex, this is another form of vitamin B12
Niacin – part of the B-complex, this is vitamin B3
Niacinamide – part of the B-complex, the converted form of vitamin B3
Nicotinic Acid – part of the B-complex, another name for vitamin B3
Pantothenic Acid – part of the B-complex, this is vitamin B5
Phylloquinone – vitamin K1, from plant sources
Potassium Iodide – supplemental iodine
Pteroylglutamic Acid – part of the B-complex, the chemical name for B9
Pyridoxal – part of the B-complex, a natural form of vitamin B6
Pyridoxamine – part of the B-complex, a natural form of vitamin B6
Pyridoxine – part of the B-complex, a natural form of vitamin B6
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride – part of the B-complex, another form of vitamin B6
Retinol/Retinyl Palmitate – synthetic pre-form of vitamin A
Retinyl acetate – a naturally occurring form of vitamin A
Riboflavin – part of the B-complex, this is vitamin B2
Sodium Ascorbate – a form of vitamin C
Sodium Bicarbonate – baking soda!
Thiamine – part of the B-complex, this is vitamin B1
Thiamine Mononitrate – part of the B-complex, this is also vitamin B1
Tocopherol – the general group name that includes vitamin E
Tocopherol Acetate – a form of vitamin E
Tocotrienol – a form of vitamin E
Turmeric – a plant derived natural colorant and spice
Zinc Citrate – supplemental zinc
Zinc Oxide – inorganic zinc


Why not print out this little list and slip it into your purse? It’ll come in handy to calm your nerves as you’re scanning packages on your next grocery excursion. And remember – the fewer ingredients the better! For more on interpreting a nutrition label, check out my three part series here: 1 2 3

Got anything to add to the list? Leave it in the comments!