Seasonal, Local & Vegan: Two Comfort Food Experiments

Last week and this week I finally had the time to play around with some new vegan recipe experiments. And of course, everything started where good food should start: at our local community farm. All the vegetables came straight from the land – grown by nature, with a little help from our amazing volunteers who sow the seeds and harvest the crops. Fresh, seasonal, and as healthy as food can be. That’s the beauty of eating local: fewer food miles, more flavor, and real support for the people and ecosystems around us. Here are two of my latest kitchen try-outs.

1. Bubble & Squeak with Mushroom Gravy

A classic comfort dish with a vegan twist.

Ingredients – Bubble & Squeak

• 300 g cooked potatoes, in pieces

• 200 g cooked green vegetables (e.g. cabbage or Brussels sprouts)

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• Pepper

• A pinch of nutmeg

• Vegan butter for frying

Ingredients – Mushroom Gravy

• 1 box mushrooms, sliced

• Vegan butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2–3 cloves garlic, chopped

• Vegetable bouillon (from cooked veggies)

• Balsamic vinegar & soy sauce

• Pepper and spices to taste

Preparation

For the gravy, gently fry the onion and garlic in vegan butter until glossy. Add the mushrooms and fry on high heat for a few minutes. Splash in some balsamic and soy sauce and let it reduce. Add the bouillon and simmer until it becomes a rich, silky gravy.

For the bubble & squeak, mash the potatoes and green vegetables with the egg, pepper, nutmeg and a little vegan butter. Add extra spices if you like. Heat some butter in a frying pan, shape the mash into small “burgers” and fry on both sides until golden brown.

Serve hot with the mushroom gravy. Enjoy!

2. White Cabbage Mash with Beans, Peas & Onion–Garlic Gravy

Hearty, warming and perfect after a long day outdoors.

Ingredients – Mash

• 5–7 potatoes, cooked

• 1 white cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1 can green peas

• 1 can mixed beans

• Vegan butter

• Pepper

• 2 bouillon cubes

• Spices to taste

Ingredients – Gravy

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• Vegan butter

• Balsamic vinegar & soy sauce

• Vegetable bouillon (from the cooked veggies)

Preparation

Peel and cut the potatoes. Add them to a pan with the cabbage, bouillon cubes and spices. Boil until everything is soft. Drain the water but keep it – this is your bouillon for the gravy. Mash the potatoes and cabbage with vegan butter and pepper. Rinse the beans and peas (don’t use the can liquid) and mix them into the mash.

For the gravy, fry the onion and garlic in a little vegan butter until glazed. Add balsamic, soy sauce and spices. Let it cook for a few minutes, then add some of the saved bouillon. Simmer and reduce. Use a hand blender for a smooth gravy.

You can serve this with a vegan meat replacement if you like, such as bean or beet burgers. Enjoy!

More experiments coming soon. Until then, keep enjoying good vegan food from local farmers and bio-shops. Choose vegetables that are seasonal and grown nearby. Food shouldn’t be flown in from all over the world — that harms the environment, destroys local forests, and leaves the people who grow the food with almost nothing. Eat local. Eat seasonal. Eat conscious.