This past weekend, we got invited to a cookout at Bridget's house- my very first vegan barbeque! Spending time with Bridget and Trac and their husbands (and their dogs!) seemed like an awesome way to kick off the (unofficial) start of the summer.
And I'm here to tell you that we ate some of the best food ever!
Texas Caviar, cole slaw, and potato salad. I had promised to bring the cole slaw and the potato salad, and I was so happy to be able to go to the farmer's market that morning and find everything I needed! The farmer's market was really crowded and hopping. Memorial Day weekend is the traditional planting weekend here in Syracuse, so everyone was scrambling to buy garden vegetables and flowers to plant. I was shocked when I first realized how late the gardening season starts here, but the risk of frost lingers until the end of May.
Marinated tofu and veggies, getting ready for everyone to make them into individual kabobs. The tofu was extremely spicy and delicious (look on Bridget's blog for the marinade recipe), and making our own kabobs was loads of fun. I went for a bit of everything- zucchini, red peppers, and mushrooms. Yum.
Some corn, eggplant, and kabobs, grilling away. It took us a while to get the hang of grilling the corn and the eggplants, but they came out fantastic in the end. The eggplant was so tender and sweet, I'm still dreaming about it.
Here's my plate. In a Bazu historical first, this was too much food, even for me- that is saying a lot! Everything was so delicious... not to mention the sangria that Bridget had made. Is it just me or does sangria make everything taste better?
And yet, magically, I managed to make room for dessert. Here are the tiramisu cupcakes that Trac had baked. Oh my word, these were magnificent. Just picture the best cupcake you can, soaked in espresso and liqueur, topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting, and chocolate chips, and cocoa powder... let's just say we were all in heaven.
Bridget generously sent us home with tons of food (we lived on delicious leftovers for the rest of the weekend!) and she even gave us a gift! These are reusable grocery bags that I had been wanting, since Daiku and I have gone on a 100% plastic bag diet. I was so touched by Bill and Bridget's hospitality and generosity. Thank you guys so much for our first vegan BBQ! It has set the bar high.
Some other show-and-tell from our long week-end:
A neighborhood kitty, chilling in the shade. I thought she almost looked like a snail- isn't this adorable?
Here's one of the tomato plants we picked up from the farmer's market. It is a green zebra heirloom variety. We are going to be away for much of this summer, so we had to scale back our garden. We have planted a few things into the ground (cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes) and a few into containers (like this and a few other tomatoes). Last summer, the growing season proved to be too short for the large heirloom tomatoes. We'll see how this summer goes.
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26 comments:
talk about droolworthy! your plate is absolutely one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen: so colorful! GIVE ME THE LEFTOVERS!!!! :D
We loved having both of you over and thanks for making the potato salad and slaw (which I would love to have the recipe). It was so much fun and can I tell you that I can't stop thinking about those damn cupcakes!!! Is there a rehab for cupcakes addicts?
Bridget, if loving cupcakes is wrong, I don't want to be right!!
What a fabulous spread! What does it say about me that I'm drooling over the grilled corn instead of the tiramasu cupcakes?
oooh the BBQ looks great. We are getting our patio re-done (or actually, just done)... and hopefully it will be done in time for a BBQ on my birthday in a couple of weeks.
ps. where are you going this summer?
amazing BBQ! all looks delicious.
green zebra tomatoes=love.
That looks like some wonderful food. I wish I could have a bbq on my balcony, as I would love to try grilled tofu and different grilled veggies. Yeah, those cupcakes look and sound amazing.
Yum! That all looks amazing! And, as often happens when I read your posts, I got nostalgic for Western NY. Wegmans! It's crazy, the kind of stupid things that make you miss a place, even just a little bit. What makes Wegmans so different from any other grocery store? Not much, and yet, recently when I went to a grocery store in Chapel Hill with a college friend, we both sighed and said, "remember when we used to go to Wegmans?"
Anyway, looks like a great start to summer. Oh, and of course you had room for the cupcake--cupcakes go in your dessert belly. Dinner goes in the dinner belly. It's all separate.
I made Texas Caviar and potato salad this weekend too! I love summer grilling. Kebobs are one of our favorites. Did you soak the corn first? If not, next time try soaking 15-30 minutes before grilling. The sangria and cupcake are gorgeous! And I love the snail kitty.
What an amazing celebration! I wanted to cook out for Memorial day too, but alas... I'll just have to live vicariously through yours! ;) Oh and by the way... that stretch limo pick-up in your previous post? Ugh.
Everything looks so yummy and pretty. I've never had a vegan bbq :-( My parents have a grill, but they live far away, and they cook meat on it all the time that I'd be a little scared to cook veggies on it.
What's in the texas caviar besides beans, onion, and cilantro (?). It looks so delicious!
Lucky girl getting invited to a vegan bbq! The kabobs look so colorful & yummy -- as do all the salads. Plastic & paper bags have been purged from our shopping as well - feels good! :o)
Wow! What an awesome day! I would love to do something like that. All of the food looks soooo good.
I'm surprised at how early Dori at the Bakehouse did her planting. I'm used to Victoria Day weekend (last weekend for us - we're in the same zone I guess) and where I grew up, even later (June 1 just to be safe!) The longer it stays cooler the better. You know that hot, sticky, humid stuff is coming soon. All the more reason for another BBQ!
It all looks so good. I'd like to try grilling veggies someday--we actually moved into a place where the last people simply left their grill behind, but I don't know if it's still in working condition. I bet the eggplant was incredible.
I got reusable bags from a store here and I love them!
Good luck with your tomato plants!
Your BBQ sounds like it was a lot of fun and the food looks wonderful. I just gave my BBQ to my brother but now I'm having second thoughts. A tenant in one of our rental houses just left her BBQ behind so maybe we'll lug it home with us. I am dreaming and drooling over that tofu and eggplant.
Speaking of shopping bags, when I was in CA I picked up an insulated shopping bag from Trader Joes. I was so excited because we usually have at least a 30 min drive to get groceries (that's rural for you) and it was only $2.
Ooh vegan BBQ - how fun! Everything looks delicious - especially those tofu kabobs mmm...
That kitty so cute! She really does look like a snail.
Good luck with your green zebra tomatoes - those are very pretty. It looks like your plant is doing great already. Here's to a longer growing season!
Ahh, summer. Today is the first day of winter in Australia. Good luck with your tomatoes. We planted an heirloom variety, Amish Oxheart (is that vegan?), and it is growing so quickly!
Green bags are all the rage over here. Every store sells them, even clothing stores and liquor stores, for $1. Insulated cooler bags are $2. Grocery store checkout lanes won't give you plastic bags if you have less than three items (unless you ask). We still get some plastics every week, since we use them as garbage bags, but I love our green bags!
OMG, what fun! I am so jealous.. a vegan BBQ!.. Everything looks just perfect.
Vegan BBQ!!!!! Damn I am most definitely jealous. It sounds like you had a lot of fun!
-Teresa
I am also jealous of your vegan BBQ and your delicious leftovers!
I am also jealous of your vegan BBQ and your delicious leftovers!
what a wonderful feast you shared. the marinated tofu especially caught my eye. and yes, those tira mi su cupckaes are the best. Isa M is an absolute genius.
Wow, what a spread for a bbq!! And texas caviar too...I didn't know that was known outside the lone star state. Were the tiramisu cupcakes from VCTOTW? I have seen so many rave reviews that this might be my next cupcake adventure (now I just need an occasion....or not!) That's awesome too that you are on a plastic bag diet. What do you do for produce at the grocery store? I try to reuse the produce bags as much as I can....
A vegan BBQ sounds like a great way to spend a holiday weekend. The food looks amazing. What a cool heirloom tomato plant. I'm growing a few heirloom varieties this year as well.
The tomato plant looks so healthy and strong. I am sure you are going to get wonderful tomatoes.
I love BBQ's. Unfortunately most of our BBQ's tend to be with meat eaters so the veggies and vegans have our own separate fire and grill. The food at yours looks very good. I also sometimes for a change have stuffed veggies like squash or baby pumpkins on the grill.
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