Perhaps not what you would expect to find on a vegan cooking blog, but wait!
Tal Ronin’s book, The Conscious Cook, has two recipes for a vegan version of cheese, using New Chapter All-Flora, and cashews or macadamia nuts.
Now, making my own homemade cheese would not have entered my mind had it not been for the hilarious chapter on cheese making in Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle where she describes an adventure with Ricki the Cheese Queen of New England Cheese Making Supply Company. I had always hoped I might find a vegan way to do it, and I experimented last week.
The result? A very tasty, slightly intimidating sharp tasting herb cheese. I served the Herbed Cashew Cheese version with heirloom Cherokee Purple tomatoes and fresh basil from the garden.
Welcome back Caprese Salad!
Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, typically made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Viola Vegan Insalata Caprese
Cashew Cheese from Tal Ronin’s Conscious Cooking Book
Fresh Heirloom Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Fresh Purple Basil
Layer cheese, tomatoes and basil leaves, repeat for a tri-color presentation.