Category Archives: Special Events
St. Petersburg, FL Farmers Market – A Weekly Destination
St. Petersburg’s Saturday Morning Market – the largest weekly fresh market in the southeast US – is worth a detour. In season (early October to late May, 9am-2pm), a core group of food vendors and a rotating set of artisans fill 130 spaces that attract 8-10,000 visitors. If you want to get a handle on this energetic, revitalized city, this the the place to start. The market, with live music, dozens of ready-to eat vendors, organic farm stands, and craft vendors, is really the heart of St. Pete. Families, strollers and dogs crowd the aisles and the local musicians encourage dancing and hanging out. It’s a fun, joyous experience. From June through August, there’s a smaller market in Williams Park. See a whole flock of images on my pinterest board.
Plant-Based Days-After-Thanksgiving Meals
We are visiting family for the Thanksgiving week-end. The main dinner is “covered” but there are two more days of meals to consider. My sister and mother are fabulous cooks but the pantry will likely have few of our standard vegan items on the shelves.
So here’s what we’re planning to truck with us (in addition to what we’re planning for dinner – see previous post):
Soy milk – aseptic- packaged
Lentils & Kombu for lentil soup
Broccoli and potatoes for Cream of Broccoli soup
Extra-Firm and Silken Tofu – aseptic-packaged – for dips and dressings
Vegan Dijonaise (Spectrum Low-fat Canola Mayo plus Dijon mustard) – for sandwiches
Baked Tofu – for sandwiches
Tubes of concentrated Vegetable broth (Trader Joe’s)
Prepared White Bean Dip (Costco)
Spiced Carrot Spread
Hummus
Thanksgiving Road Trip
This year we are heading to my sister's farm in Middleburg, VA – about 5 hours from Rye, NY (on Thanksgiving morning make that 6 hours). That means a road-tip. Dust off the van (new tires!), load it with food for the trip and food and wine for the visit, and add my almost 90-year-old mother, and our 30-something son and daughter.
Now for the road trip food. Since we are leaving at 6:30 am, driving through Manhattan to pick up one passenger, and then hitting the GW bridge, we will need breakfast, snacks and beverages. This is a snacking group – so lots of snacks.
Breakfast:
Whole Wheat and Everything bagels fresh from the bakery (picked up on the way). Spread with our own version of veggie cream cheese (Tofutti Cream cheese with chopped fresh herbs, tiny dices of scallions, celery, carrot, cucumber) or with whipped sweet potatoes.
Mini-Crustless Tofu Quiches courtesy of Fat Free Vegan.
Arnold's Whole-Wheat Sandwich Rounds (low-calorie, high-fiber) with almond butter and lo-sugar, fruit only strawberry spread.
Vegan Muffins
Snacks:
Hummus with pretzel crisps and toasted pita wedges.
Nuts! almonds, pecans, walnuts
Trail Mix
Fresh Popcorn – sprinkled with a crunchy salt substitute and/or Old Bay Seasoning
Beverages:
Thermoses of hot coffee and green tea, and a cooler with Water – plain & flavored – and Iced tea
Plant-Based Dishes for an Out-of-Town Family Thanksgiving
This year we are all headed to Virginia for a big traditional family Thanksgiving – with a turkey, lots of cream sauces, gravies, and buttered everything. So the goal is to volunteer dishes that we can eat – that everyone else will enjoy – without creating a completely two-track meal that might undermine the feeling of togetherness.
Here's the plan:
We love the crudites platter, Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, stuffing (not cooked in the bird), green beans, rutabagas, and apple pie that are on the menu. But we can't eat the turkey, creamed onions, gravy, buttered, creamy mashed potatoes, and candied sweet potatoes. So, to round out the menu, we have offered to bring:
Appetizers:
Muhammara – Red Pepper & Walnut Dip – use just two tbs. of oil
Sun Dried Tomato Hummus – Dehydrated tomatoes with chick peas
with pita wedges & rice crackers
Entrees:Vegan bechamel sauce for the creamed onions (two identical-looking bowls)
Plant-based Mushroom gravy (two gravy boats) – use half the suggested vegan margarine
Roasted Herbed Root Vegetables (three kinds of winter squash, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, turnips) with Curried Cauliflower(roasted separately and sprinkled on top)
Mashed Potatoes made with a ricer, chives and soy milk
And a Tofurky – even thought they are a bit grim and funny looking ….
And, for the day after, the ingredients for a big vat of lentil soup and cream of broccoli soup, plus baked tofu slices, fruit, and more veggie sandwich spreads.
Should be a wonderful day!!