Recipes:
Gazpacho, Skewered Veggies In Thai BBQ Sauce

This article was originally written by Stewart Rose, Vice President of Vegetarians of Washington, for The Seattle Press.

When Devra Gartenstein used to work in a health food store, she would make lunch for the people that worked there and was always looking to make the healthiest food she could. As time went on she found herself making more and more vegan dishes and so she became the accidental vegan. Equipped with her very useful cookbook, The Accidental Vegan, the rest of us need not wait for a lucky accident.

One of the first things that one comes away with after reading her book, is that the recipes are all well within our grasp. Here lies proof that great tasting food is something we can all make in our own kitchens. Using a few carefully selected ingredients and some basic cooking techniques she was able to come up with recipes that quite frankly taste absolutely delicious. All the major cuisines are represented in this book giving it a good measure of variety. Here are a couple of summer recipes we found to be especially tempting.

Gazpacho

• 4 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups tomato juice
• Tabasco to taste

Puree all the ingredients except the tomato juice and Tabasco in a food processor or blender. Then transfer to a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.

Skewered Veggies In Thai BBQ Sauce

Sauce:

• One cup tomato sauce
• One tablespoon coconut milk (optional)
• One tablespoon grated ginger
• One tablespoon lime juice
• One tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• Two table spoons soy sauce

Veggies:

• One zucchini chopped
• Eight to twelve small mushrooms
• One green bell pepper, cut in strips
• One red bell pepper, cut in strips
• One cup broccoli florets
• One cup cauliflower florets
• One red onion, quartered and separated into layers
• Ten to twelve skewers

1. Preheat the oven to four hundred degrees, or if you're going to grill on an open flame, soak the skewers in warm water while you prepare the food.
2. Mix the sauce.
3. Marinate the veggies in the sauce, ideally for at least half an hour.
4. Poke holes in the veggies and arrange a variety on each skewer. Pay attention to the colors.
5. Roast them on a baking pan for twenty minutes, or grill them outdoors on a barbecue until they start to brown.

If you're too busy to cook, there's still hope. Something of a local personality in the vegetarian community, Devra now owns and operates Lucky Palate (206.352.2583), a home delivery vegetarian food service. She can even frequently be found at several Farmer's Markets around town including the Fremont Sunday Market, Ballard Farmer's Market and the Columbia City Farmer's Market.

At Vegetarians of Washington, we have tasted both the recipes from the Accidental Vegan and the food delivered by the Lucky Palate on several occasions. Each time resulted the happy sounds of approval one hears when the food is just right.