 |
| eggplant involtini stuffed with cashew cheese plus panzanella salad |
last night i attended a fabulous italian-style vegan cooking demo with my friend, the ever-talented chef lauren at a local boutique olive oil shop. we wined, we dined, and we watched lauren work her culinary wizardry with fresh fruits and veggies. all her recipes were easy to make with a short list of ingredients, and every dish was designed for summer grilling.
 |
| fig and carmelized balsamic onion on artisan flatbread |
the combination of sweet and savory was present in each course, which i think really helps make vegan dishes extra yummy. cold-press extra virgin olive oils and special vinegars infused with unique flavors added a special touch - like the vinaigrette for our panzanella salad was made with basil olive oil and blackberry pepper vinegar... and bonus! high-quality olive oils are super healthy!
figs are coming into season - i can't wait to grab a bushel and get to grilling. they are so delicious in just about any dish. i also learned how easy it is to make cashew cheese. lauren flavored hers with garlic and it was super rich and creamy - much more flavorful (and healthier) than regular ricotta cheese in the grilled eggplant involtini.
 |
| peaches with brown sugar oat crumble |
i never knew that you could bake with olive oil instead of butter. lemon-infused olive oil was perfect in this brown sugar oat crumble that topped peach halves for dessert. after grilling, the peaches were drizzled with peach balsamic vinegar - so good! my snap of the peaches on the tray wasn't as crisp and clear as i would have liked, so i fussed with filters and tried to give it a more painterly effect.
i really liked all these vegan dishes - and the wine pairings were pretty awesome, too. great cooking class - cheers!
 |
| we olive store in walnut creek |
No comments:
Post a Comment