I’m a vegetarian, not a vegan, which means I include some animal bi-products in my diet like eggs, dairy and honey. While veganism isn’t something I plan on adopting anytime soon (I love my farm-fresh eggs from Local Harvest for binding, and there’s no way I can turn down Mr. Wizard’s in the summertime.), it’s fun to try a night of dining vegan, as it encourages me to give creative, new recipes a try. With cow- and pig-centric barbecues occurring all summer long, I figured it was the right time to host a potluck VBQ – that’s vegan barbecue – with my friends.
The evening was a hit, and the meal was better than I could have imagined, offering an exciting array of plant-based treats. The menu is as follows, with one of my favorite and easiest recipes below. Be creative … plan your own vegan, vegetarian or meatless potluck. Or even let your friends experiment with one star vegetarian-friendly ingredient (Anyone up for five ways with tofu?). Just one rule: Host it at your house; that way, you can keep all those yummy, guilt-free leftovers.
Cocktail
Organic strawberry lemonade, vodka, sparkling water, lime
Appetizers
Black bean and corn salsa, quinoa chips
Edamame, soy sauce
Dinner
Guacamole, blue-corn tortilla chips
Eggplant tapenade
“Fried” green flaxseed- and Panko-encrusted tomatoes
Chana masala (an Indian chickpea stew)
Zucchini gratin, basil-cashew alfredo
Grilled artichokes (recipe below)
Dessert
Peanut butter, banana, oatmeal and chocolate bars
Grilled Artichokes
Courtesy of Jennifer Luten
16 Servings
8 artichokes
1 to 2 lemons, divided
4 cloves minced garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Light the grill. If you’re using a charcoal grill, let the coals die down to where they are red, but not over an open flame. If you’re using an electric grill, light it to medium heat.
• Trim the tops off each artichoke with scissors, making sure there are no pointy or sharp leaves. With a sharp knife, cut each artichoke in half from top to bottom.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil. Drop in the artichoke halves and let boil for 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. (Tip: If you want to boil the artichokes the day before, that’s fine. Just keep them covered in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until they’re ready to be dressed for the grill.)
• Place the artichoke halves, heart-side-up, on a cutting board: Dress with a drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze 1 lemon over the artichokes, evenly distributing the juice between all 16 halves.
• Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
• Place on the grill for about 10 minutes, turning each artichoke halfway through cooking.
• Serve with the remaining lemon, cut into wedges.
This article appears in June 2012.