Vegan cooking doesn't have to be boring or incorporate suspicious faux-meats. There is plenty of protein readily available in the plant world, and though it might seem like more effort to season and puree a mixture of cashews and walnuts in a food processor than to simply throw a chicken breast in a pan, it is infinitely more environmentally responsible to buy walnuts than Purdue. That being said, I am a carnivore who delights in all-vegetable-and-nut meals. This is one I came up with while vacationing in Wisconsin.
I had stale bread on hand (many commercially available artisinal breads are vegan) and toasted thick slices of it in a pan, then rubbed the slices with garlic, and cut into cubes. I dressed sliced local tomatoes and freshly-cut sweet corn kernels with white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dill, a touch of salt and pepper, and topped with a nut puree made of cashews, walnuts, oregano, hot red pepper flakes, and the same white balsamic vinegar. The nut puree I made in advance of assembling the other ingredients, and allowed it to drain over the sink in a strainer to remove excess liquid. The sweetness of the nut puree was an excellent contrast to the salty/vinegary vegetables and the garlicky croutons, and there were several delightful textures at play in this dish. Had I any arugula, I would have thrown that right in the mix.
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