Dabbling in Vegetarianism (& other alt-food fun!)

[Opsa]

Hey- I'm just back from fabulous Farmville, where the Longwood University had a super dining hall with a vegetarian counter. I had a real nice supper of Veg shepherd's pie with lentils and something called rattlesnake stew, which had no rattlesnakes but was a bean and rice dish, very soulfood. Good stuff!

[Sibling Chatty]

Uses rattlesnake beans, a relative of the pinto bean, but tastier...and a little harder to grow and process in bulk.

Yummy, very much a 'heritage' vegetable.

See second bean down. http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/beans/beans_dry_pole.html

[Aggie]

Ooooh, found my lentil recipe  (it was hanging out with the spices, not with the recipes)

Lentil Spice Mix:

Toast the following whole spices, then grind; alternatively, use ground:

2 tbsp coriander
2 tbsp cumin
2 tsp sesame seeds (I used black, white are fine)
2 tsp mustard seed
2 tsp cardamom
2 tsp fenugreek
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon (broken)
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg


Mix in the following:

1/2 cup blend of paprika & hot pepper powder to taste
2 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp compounded asafotaeda


Once you have the spice blend together, the recipe is as follows:

-Saute' 3 cloves of garlic and 1 chopped onion with a little olive oil over medium heat until they start to brown. 
-Rinse 2 cups of brown lentils, drain & add to pot with alliums and saute' briefly.
-Add 1/4 cup of spice mix, 1 chopped tomato, and 1 L of water or veg stock.
-Squeeze in half a lemon, then add the leftover rind to pot.
-Bring to a boil, cover, simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

[Opsa]

Ho my gawr, that's making my mouth water! Do you serve it on rice, or what? Dang it all, my printer's out of ink. I want to print that out.

Chatty- thanks for the rattlesnake link- pretty flowers on that bean! I may have to try growing some!

[Aggie]

It's good on rice (having rice with a meal is a given at our place) or as a side dish, or on its own...  it would probably do OK as a soup if one upped the water and added a bit more tomato to it.  I should give it a go with butternut squash instead/in addition to tomato.

[anthrobabe]

I was so excited as I'd found some wee tiny wild strawberries in my yard, and wild onions that were in a good spot and actually gettin biggish(ya know small green onion size), and loads of dandelions coming on--- got home yesterday and the landlord had come through with the lawn tractor and it's all gone.

Why do people see anything that doesn't come from the store and is in a yard but not 'grass' as a weed. They didn't have any pesticides on them, and not in a place for runoff, and no anthills around them either-- just a nice old yard that has been in business for a while -the house was built in 1940 so the yard has had time to mature and get lovely wild things growing in nice places.

I'm sick---- 

at least they can't mow down the walnut trees!

[Opsa]

You might like to make a little bed in the yard, somewhere close to the structure, but on the south side so it gets lots of sun. Put a row of rocks around it, or a little wire fence or something to let the landlord know not to mow there. Then invite some of your plant friends in for some undisturbed growing.

[anthrobabe]

That is one idea I do have in mind.
We do have permission, and I am surprised by this, to put in a compost heap at the far back of the yard-and 'fenced' in properly with hay bales (they make good compost heap fences and will eventually get worked into the heap and replaced by new bales too).
I understand their fear of the 'wild yard'-- they own the lot next to my rental lot/house as well and are building a beauty salon on the property for their daughter and naturally don't want a mess next door. But this mowing to the dirt is insane.

[Opsa]

Maybe if you could design it as a native plant garden and put in some showier natives (black-eyed susan? echinacea?) to tone down the more modest ones. We have a native plants thread in the gardening section, here. Maybe some of us could send you some seeds. I have about a billion marigold seeds left. They're not native, but they're yours if you want them.

[anthrobabe]

Marigolds are nice-- and don't the make a wash good for 'skeeter bites? I'll pm my addy to you-- anyone is welcome to send me anything!
I have some giant sunflowers planted along the fence- they know what they are so they should be safe and showy--- I just wish I had though to say something, but as I am responsible for mowing I never thought to say 'hey don't mow here please'.
And the roses are coming along- well the two left alive- in pots and lookin good.
There is honeysuckle all over the place, in truth the area where it is needs to be cleared out so the Nandina and other plants show- but the honeysuckle can be mowed on all sides and smells so sweet and I just don't have the energy-- perhaps I can get it in check as things leaf out and I can really see what is and is not.

[Opsa]

French marigold seeds are on their way to you! Marigolds are also good for discouraging destructive nematodes in the soil.

I like Frenchies because the blooms are orange and brown and not too huge. Keep busting off the spent flowres and they just grow and grow until they are like a low hedge. I like the smell of the foliage, too.

Happy growing!

PS- just saw some sunflower sprouts in my yard. They must be volunteers from last year!

[anthrobabe]

BUMP

Dear Opsanus
the marigolds were beautiful-- alas my camera work laks but hopefully next year as I saved more seed!

Holiday recipes for VEGetarians-- or people who simply want to eat less animal product
PETA was handing out frozen tofu turkey roasts in places this week- people were accepting them- who knows- yes dear old PETA has issues but many of them are sincerely good people)
I am always looking for something new to add to the old favorites-

Company Beets
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 c. beets, cooked, sliced, drained
1 c. pineapple tidbits, drain and save

Combine brown sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in pineapple juice. Cook stirring all the time until thick. Add lemon juice, beets and pineapple. Heat on low until heated through.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
3 medium acorn squash
1/2 lb soyrizo sausage
1/2 lb your favorite vegetarian breakfast soysausage** see below for a make yourself idea
1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, finely minced
1 cup pepperidge farm herb seasoned stuffing cubes
1 vegetable broth
melted butter

Obviously this isn't going to hold together like meat stuffing- but it works. If you don't like the make yourself breakfast sausage idea then substitute seasoned Boca grounds instead just add sausage seasonings to Boca grounds. Or use a comercially prepared breakfast sausage.
Cook soyrizo until done-do not drain off any drippings- there probably won't be any but if there is be sure and leave it in, add vegetarian breakfast sausage( pre cook the pattys and then break them apart in this) and heat through.
Stir in broth and stuffing cubes.
Wash and cut squash into halves; remove seeds. In a large pot, boil the squash partially, with the cut portion facing down in an inch of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove and brush liberally with melted butter.

Fill the centers of the partially cooked squash with the stuffing mixture, dividing equally. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about an hour or until squash is tender. Brush occasionally during the baking with a little melted butter to keep squash moist.

Vegetarian Breakfast "Sausage"
Yield: 2 Servings
I believe this is from WW2 when rationing was in place

Ingredients

      1 c  uncooked oatmeal
      3    egg whites -or-
      2    egg-equivalent of egg
           -substitute
      1 ts ground sage
      1 ts ground fennel
      1 ds ground rosemary
      1 ds parsley
      1 ds dill
      1    salt and black pepper to
           -taste

Instructions
Mix all ingredients well and form into four patties. Brown in a non-stick
skillet (this has a tendency to stick, so you might want to use a *light*
spray of non-stick cooking spray). To the skillet add 3 cups of vegetable
stock, or 3 cups of water mixed with a veggie boullion cube. Bring to a
boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove patties from
liquid, and re-brown before serving (they should be very dark brown and a
little crispy on the outside). The leftover liquid can be thickened with a
little flour to make a nice gravy to pour over the "sausage". The trick to
this recipe is to make the patties properly. If you pack them too tightly,
the middles will become glutinous; if they are not packed tightly enough
they will fall apart. Doublingthe recipe works well. If you're not going to
use the patties right away, do not re-brown after boiling; save the
re-browning for just before serving. They will keep several days in the
refrigerator.

[Opsa]

Ahh, lovely recipes. Thank you.

I think about you every time I look at my marigolds, as they are sisters to your marigolds.

Got lotsa seeds, too, if anyone is interested in the ABabe and Opsa sibling seeds.

Oops- off topic! Will post in gardening. (Unless you eat marigolds- in that case I got this from the Edible Flowers website:
"Gem Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia): 'Lemon Gem' and 'Tangerine Gem' Marigolds are the only edible marigolds. As their names suggest, they have a citrus flavor, even though you won't smell a citrus scent. Pull off the petals and break off and remove the bitter portion that comes to a right angle.")

[Opsa]

Hut-ho... this is gonna piss some people off!

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Verrrry nice.