Catering Fresh “caters” to all tastes, with the focus on clean, fresh foods. However, for me, my personal choice is vegan/vegetarian fare. I had the pleasure last Saturday of attending my first vegan pot luck. I met some fun, passionate people (hi Teresa (sp). It seems everyone has their own reasons for eating vegan; to save the animals to save the planet, to save their bodies or all of the above. I became intrigued with the idea years ago and it’s been an entertaining, satisfying journey. My mission is to create healthy recipes that everyone enjoys (even carnivores). Everyone knows that eating more fruits and vegetables is good for us. If the palate is convinced that vegan is delicious, then no matter the cause, everyone and everything benefits.
For those who need another reason, how about the “bottom line”. To raise a cow to slaughter, you have to water and feed the crop and then water and feed the cow. Doesn’t it make more sense to just water and feed one time? Not only would medical cost plummet, but the family grocery bill could be slashed in half just by decreasing the amount of animal products consumed by the average family. “Food for thought America”. Here’s a great summertime gazpacho for that left-over watermelon from your Labor Day picnic.
“SMOKEY” WATERMELON GAZPACHO (Makes 8-10 servings)
8 cups of seedless water melon (1/2 cubed small) 1 ½ tsp sea salt
2 tomatoes diced 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow or red bell pepper diced 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
2 jalapenos seeded and diced ¼ tsp ground chipotle pepper
¼ cup purple onion diced (sweet) Juice from 1 large lime
½ cup chopped cilantro 2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup diced and peeled mango or peach 2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
For a pureed version, throw all ingredients in processor except cilantro and basil. Puree in batches. I like it chunky. Leave out about ¼ of the fruits and vegetables to stir in after processing. Add herbs last.
Enjoy!
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