Sundried Tomato Pesto

In my professional life, I get to do some fun projects.... like buying awesome food for UC Davis folks to eat on campus. One such project was working with my friend and colleague, Emma, to get campus grown tomatoes dried so we could use them in the dining program on campus during the times when fresh tomatoes aren't in season.

This recipe was inspired by that project, and also takes inspiration from the amazing culinary team that I get to work with at UC Davis.

Sundried Tomato Pesto
1 cup dried tomatoes
1/8th cup raw walnuts
1/8th cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp chopped white onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 red jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste

Rehydrate the dried tomatoes in hot water for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain tomatoes, reserving the liquid for the pesto. Combine all ingredients (except reserved water) into a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Add water reserved from hydrating tomatoes until the desired consistency is reached. 

Serving suggestions: serve atop fresh slices of kalmata olive bread

You can get some awesome dried tomatoes at the Davis Farmers Market from Annie Main at Good Humus. Annie also sells her dried tomatoes at the Davis Food Co-op in the produce section above the fresh peppers and potatoes. Hop on over to the UC Davis bookstore to buy some of the UC Davis dried tomatoes. They have them on the shelf next to the UC Davis olive oil. Or you can order them online, too.

Enjoy!

Corn, Black Bean, Tomato, Avocado Salsa and a splash of nostalgia

I had to come home this weekend.

I've been transitioning from a temporary home into a new home, and that transition has been far from stable. So, a trip to see my mom was much needed.

Stability. Reprieve. Fresno.

Mom loves my random visits - I teach her something new every time. This visit it was making pesto - cilantro and basil. Heirloom tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella (none for me) on crostinis. Tofu scramble. Gomashio and kale. Garlic green beans. Cabbage slaw. We also made a corn salsa, which was very well received by her partner, Ted. 

Mom is trying to jump back into a healthy lifestyle. So this weekend we stocked her kitchen up with lots of fruits, veggies and love. And we also got celebratory nose piercings, together. Yes. My second nose piercing. My mom's first.

 

double

Mom is 48, and a rock star. I love my mom.

Corn, Black Bean, Tomato, Avocado Salsa
serves: a shit ton of people for appetizers, or one very hungry vegan

2 ears of white corn, shucked and sliced off the cobs
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 avocado, cubed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of these delicious summery veggies and serve with fresh tortilla chips.

  

Pair that with a weekend with family and old photographs, and you get Corn, Black Bean, Tomato, Avocado Salsa and a splash of nostalgia.

Yes, that is me. In an ice chest. Hands and feet tied with caution tape. Family reunion.

Rise of the Power Vegans

"The rise of the power vegan coincides with the rise of the vegan second wife..."

Interesting article from Bloomberg Businessweek on CEOs and other power moguls going vegan.

Vegan Chocolate

It's 2:00am, and I am up writing a post about chocolate. Why? Well, because chocolate is the reason why I am up at 2:00am on a Monday night...

I treated myself to a nice glass of wine and half a bar of chocolate this evening after packing up my kitchen as I prepare myself for a mid-lease move. That's right, HALF a bar of chocolate... don't judge, I'm going to run tomorrow. I'm now regretting that half bar of amazingly delicious chocolate being that I am now wired, to the max.

Why does chocolate get me wired? Well, its not the caffeine. Yes, there is caffeine in chocolate, but only in trace amounts. Only about 5-10mg per ounce. You would have to eat 15 small bars of chocolate to get the same amount of caffeine that is in a small cup of coffee.

Well then, what else is in chocolate that is keeping Dani up all night? First off, there are some awesome things called alkaloids that are found in chocolate. Alkaloids are found in many plants, and function mainly to protect the plant against things that may want to eat it. Alkaloids have played an important role in medicine for centuries due to their physiological effects. Codeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid that you may recognize - it is typically used in cough syrup.

The two main alkaloids in chocolate are theobromine (this one is toxic to many animals, including dogs, so watch out pups!) and phenethylamine. Both have strong physiological effects on the body including increased circulation, brain stimulation, increased serotonin levels (happy hormone!) and more. Studies are inconclusive about its effectiveness as an aphrodisiac, but I can confirm, at least on my end, that it is. ;)

High quality dark chocolate is most often vegan. Milk solids tend to be added as bulking agents to cheaper dark chocolates, so if you find a dark chocolate with milk solids (or even soy lecithin), then don't be expecting much. Another thing to keep in mind...the higher the cocoa content in dark chocolate, the higher the caffeine and alkaloid content.

So, now a role call on all of the amazing vegan chocolates I am currently crushing on.

Theo Chocolate
Made in Washington, these chocolate boast their amazing content with beautiful packaging! I'm a design fanatic, so aesthetic packaging is always a bonus. Try the spicy chile, which contains 70% cocoa and some amazingly awesome spices!

Alter Eco
Branded to promote social justice and fair trade agreements with cocoa growers, Alter Eco chocolate is not only vegan and delicious, but also ethical! Try the Dark Cacao 73% Chocolate bar with the roasted nibs. You won't be disappointed.

Fearless Raw Chocolate
Alright my raw foodie friends, its finally time to put down your VitaMix and take a bite of this delicious RAW chocolate! Again, I spotted this one due to its AWESOME packaging made of 100% recycled paper board! And don't get freaked out by the cute 'bite' in your Fearless bar - that 'bite' signifies the 1% of all profits donated to changemakers! This lovely chocolate company is based out of Oakland, CA. Can't wait for a tour! Try the Exploding Coconuts - 70% cocoa, 100% raw, vegan and DELICIOUS!

TCHO Chocolate
This lovely chocolate factory is located on the Embarcadero in San Francisco! Tours at 10am and 2pm every day! Still haven't gone, yet, but on the top of my list for my next city adventure. Similar to coffee, the cocoa beans are chosen for their unique flavors. I tried the 'citrus' and 'fruity' chocolates. No added flavors, just the beans! Great packaging, too, with simple coding to help the chocolate eater understand the different flavor profiles of the cocoa beans.

Now that you know all about chocolate's amazing impact on your body (and your taste buds!) get yourself out of bed and go buy some chocolate! And for those of you interested in guilt-free, serotonin-inducing chocolate indulgences, please read up on why your should buy fairly traded cocoa! ;)

Vegan Napa

Napa has long been a foodie destination. With rolling hills laden with fruit-rich vineyards, the home of the west coast Dean & Deluca's, and so many beautiful wineries and restaurants, it is definitely on the top of many tourists' lists.


I don't take advantage of my proximity to the Napa valley enough - I only live about 1 hours drive to the east in cosy little Davis! And my, what a beautiful drive through the Lake Berryessa wilderness and hills.

First vegan stop in Napa was a lovely dinner with the N boy - my treat. =)

Ubuntu in Napa, CA

Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a Michelin rated vegetarian restaurant. The feature farm-fresh produce and have quite a creative flare. Many of their tapas style dishes can be made vegan if not vegan already. N and I tried the vegan milkshake, four of their delicious entrees, and he enjoyed a non-vegan rice pudding for dessert. For a treat, they served us a butternut squash whipped cream that melted in your mouth. The aperitif was delicious as well. A great environment, Ubuntu is located in downtown Napa and shares space with the Ubuntu yoga studio. I was very excited that they were featuring my favorite beans - Rancho Gordo heirloom yellow eye beans - in the stew that I ordered. I came back the following day and bought the beans from their cute little retail store. My highest recommendations for a nice treat, but I won't be visiting too often... with their amazing Michelin rating comes a hefty price tag. ;)

Vegan aperitif at Ubuntu

Oxbow Public Market
The Oxbow Public Market is beautiful! And it attracts quite a bit of foodie attention as N and I were told by the women who served us delicious vegan ice cream from the Three Twins Ice Cream Stand touting the many visits of celebrity chefs to the market. I purchased some delightful goodies from the produce/grocery stand at the entrance. Kara's Cupcakes unfortunately didn't have any vegan cupcakes, but they do serve gluten free cupcakes. I loaded up with some delicious spices and flavored salts from Whole Spice. N and I returned for lunch later in the day for a nice meal of Mexican food from C CASA. I had a delicious white bean taco and an apple, cabbage, broccoli slaw, and of course a local Napa beer! The fresh made tortillas and tortilla chips were amazing! Nico enjoyed his sustainably raised, not-so-vegan ground Bison taco and the roasted fingerling potatoes. SO GOOD!


There were many many more deliciously enticing stands in the market, but alas, we only we able to eat so much. We will definitely be visiting soon and checking out the Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, which offered up plenty of promisingly delectable vegan dishes as well!

Vegan chocolate ice cream!

Napa is also the home of Rancho Gordo, the heirloom bean company that I mentioned earlier when discussing Ubuntu. Unfortunately their storefront is closed on Sundays. But all was well, because there were several retail operations that sold their delicious heirloom beans. We stopped by the Fatted Calf (yes, it is a butcher shop, but they have beans!!!) to load up on four more bags of my Rancho Gordo faves.

Feeling the Rancho Gordo touching beans in Fatted Calf

Napa was beautiful, and we will be visiting again soon. Especially now that I know I can be a
happy vegan and foodie while adventuring through the Napa Valley.

More pictures from our visit below...

C CASA deliciousness!

C CASA

Whole Spice has an amazing selection of bulk
(and pre-packed) herbs, spices, salts and so much more!

Rancho Gordo beans make the world a better place

Touching beans, up close and personal

Vegetables on Subscription

I finally signed up for my first CSA (community supported agriculture). I have a few acquaintances who farm outside of Davis at Full Circle Farm. I met them through volunteering at the Student Farm on campus at UC Davis.

The basket is delivered on campus right across from my office every Monday. Super convenient.

I had been putting off CSA membership for quite some time because I love shopping for fresh produce at the Davis Farmers Market. As my produce shopping days have decreased due to overactive weekends, it made sense to transition into a vegetable and fruit subscription.

Vegetables!

It is great to see a group of my peers being able to do something they love, grow food. And it feels even better to know that they are growing it for me and my household. I have always loved the idea of a CSA, and I can already tell you how in love with my CSA I am. Figs today! And lots of summer vegetables!

I'm making tomatillo salsa and grilling up the eggplant and peppers as I type.

Look at those purple tomatillos!

More news to come.

Interested in a CSA in your area - check out Local Harvest.

Basil Pesto (and immersion blenders)

A sad state of affairs. I returned home from a weekend trip to find my blender non-functional. I picked up the bases and shook it a bit only to hear loose screws and part rattling around aimlessly. As you can imagine, sad thoughts passed through my mind when I realized I would be without a blender. No more pesto. No more 'cheeze'. No more margaritas (the most important).

What is a *vegan* girl to do?

It was inevitable, my blender breaking. Living in a house with three others and lending my lovely blender out to the community means lots of wear and tear.

I did consider purchasing a new blender, but my taste for kitchen equipment is rather expensive. And, it was 9pm at night and I had a bag full of basil that needed to be processed into pesto right away.

Lots of bolted basil that needed to be cleaned and pesto-ized

This is where the immersion blender steps in... no, more like strides in, head fully propped with nose in the air to save the day and do it with smarts and style!

I'll give you too pesto-making scenarios, and you can decide which to pursue for your own basil pesto making adventures.

Scenario 1.
Clean basil. Dump garlic, oil, lemon, some basil leaves, walnuts and salt into blender. Blend until basil kinda chops up. Grab your wooden spoon and 'stir' the basil around in hopes of creating more blending ease. Blend. Stop. Stir. Blend. Stop, stir. Decide to stir while you are blending. Knick your wooden spoon on the blender blades. Get shrapnel of wooden spoon all up in your pesto. Blend until shrapnel 'disappears'. Stir with chewed up wooden spoon. Add more lemon. Too much lemon. Add more basil. Oh no, you run out of basil.... and blend.stir.blend.stir.blend.stir.blend.... DONE!

Scenario 2.
Clean basil. Dump basil, garlic, walnuts, lemon salt into a large bowl (like a Pyrex liquid measuring cup). Stick your immersion blender in. Blend until smooth. Add more basil. Blend until smooth. DONE!

I may have over-exaggerated the blender scenario, but honestly, it took me 3 minutes to make pesto with the immersion blender. It takes me about 10-15 minutes to make it in my blender, and I often still have chunks of walnut and a chewed up spoon at the end of the event.

Recipe for Success(ful pesto!)

Ingredients:
8 cups basil leaves, cleaned and stemmed
1 cup walnuts
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, shelled
salt, to taste

Dump the garlic, walnuts, oil and lemon juice with about 1/4th of the basil leaves into a large bowl. Stick your ***immersion blender!!!*** into the bowl and stir and blend away. Add in the remaining basil leaves until you get a smooth texture. Add salt to taste. Enjoy!

8 cups of basil produced about 2 cups of pesto... crazy!