July 3, 2015: vegan Friday

Many folks, including those of us who are vegan, are planning cookouts for this holiday weekend. Vegans and vegetarians have many choices when it comes to what to put on the grill, and we don't necessarily need to turn to faux meats (portabella mushrooms, anyone?). When everyone else is eating hamburgers and hot dogs, though, sometimes it's nice to fit in without abandoning your principles. (Also, when veg* folks stray from our diets, tummy troubles are inevitable.)

After a couple of decades of experiments, Bryan and I have settled on a favorite brand of vegan hot dog. We cook these at home in a pan of water on the stove, but apparently they do just fine on the grill. We'll be having these hot dogs today along with this Middle Eastern carrot salad from New Recipes from Moosewood, made with fresh mint from our own herb garden. The carrot salad has been our standard picnic fare for over twenty-five years; it always gets rave reviews!

4 cups grated carrots
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp ground corriander
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped fresh mint (1/2 tsp dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 to 2 tsp maple syrup (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and chill at least an hour before serving. Serves 4 to 6.