Garden Perks & Pest Control (Project 358: Days 216 - 221)

Day 216: Tofu Scramble

For the breakfast pictured above, I followed this Tofu Scramble recipe from the Happy Herbivore. Within the vegan community, recipes for tofu scrambles abound. This is the first one I've tried and I have to say, I feel no need to look further. Doesn't it look just like scrambled eggs? The taste and texture are very similar as well, making it a great option for vegans craving a hearty breakfast. The link above takes you to HH's basic scramble recipe, to which she encourages you to add whatever you have on hand in the way of veggies, herbs, and legumes. To mine, I added red onion, jalapeno, sun gold tomatoes, and heirloom grape tomatoes, all of which were picked from my garden, save the onions. If I'd had black beans on hand, I'd have thrown those in too. On the side, I had half a sprouted wheat bagel and a small bunch of grapes from my parents' garden. This meal was immensely satisfying and kept my hunger at bay far longer than a bowl of cereal ever could.

Day 217: Apparently, Peppers Require Patience

Pictured above is a Blue Jay Bell Pepper plant. We planted this in our vegetable garden last year and it proved to be very productive. At the time, I remember reading on its tag that the peppers ripen through purple to a deep red color. However, they remained purple for so long that we eventually grew impatient and picked them prior to their turning red. A part of me even doubted the validity of that claim. They're not ever going to turn red, I thought, those silly horticulturalists don't know what they're talking about. So we ate every single one of those Blue Jay bell peppers while they were still purple. And they were good! The walls were on the thin side and they could stand to be a little sweeter, but overall, we were just super stoked to be eating food that we grew ourselves and for that reason alone, they tasted great.

As we planned out our vegetable garden this year, we decided once again to go with the Blue Jays. The plant proved to be as reliable as it was last year, producing fruit long before our other pepper plants. This time, I decided to wait it out. And I'm so glad that I did. Our first beautiful Blue Jay started out a lovely shade of amethyst. As the weeks went on, the color started to fade and eventually turned to yellow, through orange, and into the lovely red shade pictured above. The whole process took over two months! We finally ate it a few days after this photo was taken and boy, was it worth the wait! I'll never be impatient about my peppers again.

Day 218: Natural Pest Control No. 1

Day 219: Vegans Can BBQ Too!

Above: zucchini, red onion, Anaheim chile, and Blue Jay bell pepper (in red!) lightly brushed with BBQ sauce and grilled to perfection (all but the onions were from our garden). Veggies served over a bed of quinoa with vegetarian baked beans and fresh cantaloupe on the side.

Other great options for vegan BBQ: polenta squares, potatoes, marinated tempeh and portobello mushrooms, veggie burgers and veggie dogs, corn on the cob, and seasoned eggplant slices. When it comes to summertime grilling, it's not just the omnis that get to have all the fun.

Day 220: Natural Pest Control No. 2

Day 221: Eggplant Chana Masala

Ingredients:

3 large onions, roughly chopped

4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder or to taste

1 - 2 teaspoons cumin or to taste

1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained

2 (14-ounce) cans peeled tomatoes, drained

1 can vegetarian chili (Health Valley and Amy's make good ones)

1 large handful chopped fresh cilantro (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions:

Saute the onions and garlic with the oil, curry powder, and cumin in a large pot until the onions are soft or translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, and saute for 5 minutes longer, until lightly browned and softened. Sometimes the eggplant will absorb a lot of oil, so you might need to add more to prevent sticking. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and chili. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. It will get watery, but then reduce to a thick, stewy chana masala. Add more spices to taste. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

The above recipe is taken from The Kind Diet, written by Alicia Silverstone, which I received as a birthday gift from a dear friend and fellow vegan. I highly recommend the book to anyone interest in dabbling in a vegan diet. Alicia's writing style is friendly and accessible and she manages to present the many reasons to go vegan convincingly without being pushy or preachy. The second half of the book is packed full of incredible recipes, including the Eggplant Chana Masala pictured above. This is the first recipe I've tried from the book and it did not disappoint. Rich, hearty, and satisfying, it is also incredibly easy to make and still tastes great the next day (or several days later - the recipe makes a lot). I served it over a bed of wild rice with a simple herb salad on the side. The only thing that could improve this meal is some warm, buttery naan. Man! Why didn't I think of that?!