Vegetarian Small Household Exchange--7-17-10 [Past Event]

What: Vegetarian Small Household Exchange
When: Saturday, July 17th at 1 pm

Where: Yummy Yummy a/k/a Home of the Smoothie!

Yummy Yummy # 36 Broadway Bus stops at the Front Door
2901 N. Broadway
Chicago, Il 60657


We'll cap lunch at 10 (preference given to exchange participants)

Lunch:

ecs
emsers
jami
lemoneater + 1
msoma97
pairs4life
Pie Lady
veghound

Exchange:
ecs- Something with Tofu
emsers- eggplant potato moussaka
jami- mushroom and barley pie
lemoneater- Pantzarosalata
msoma97- quinoa with grilled zucchini
pairs4life- Still on the fence, but I'm thinking another cool & refreshing soup
Pie Lady- Asparagus, Lemon, & Pine nut Fettuccine
veghound- Shaved Zucchini & Mint


This month we're dining at one of my favorites, Yummy Yummy ( Home of the Smoothie). It's Asian food with an emphasis on Chinese American. The bonus, is bubble teas & beloved Chinese American dishes offered for vegetarians. I'm talking seitan and soy gluten, in addition to everyone's favorite tofu.

Number in the group: We will cap attendance at each gathering at 11 so that participants are never making more than 10 servings of anything. Couples will be counted as one serving.

The food: There are great omnivore dinner and dessert exchanges that happen monthly. This is for people interested in doing a vegetarian dinner exchange (without meat or meat stock etc, but can include eggs and dairy). We make 5-10 servings of one dish, and bring back 5-10 different dishes. Participants bring one pre-portioned serving of their food for everyone who has RSVP’d to come that month. A serving is whatever you think it is for your food item. The priority will be for entrees, soups, salad, stews, legumes, grains, etc. There's a preference for healthy dishes.

The containers/delivery system: Everyone in the group should use the Gladware 3 1/8 cup plastic containers (it’s the approximately 7” x 7” square with the pop-up lid). You’ll portion your food into those containers to bring and hand out at the gathering. You can freeze them or not depending on your schedule and when you make your food. There is no need to fill the container, just put in whatever is a serving to you. If you use something else to deliver your food that month (Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, etc.) you should also return the empty containers from the last round so that everyone always has a stash of these containers for the exchange and doesn’t have to run out and buy more. Also, let's give it a whirl & include your user name & the name of your dish on the lid of the container. Sometimes, when we freeze a dish for later we just have no idea what is inside & who to ask for the recipe & we are too embarassed to ask out loud on the board.

The process:

Each of us will take turns being the organizer each month. Each time we meet, someone will offer to organize the next month’s gathering.

Approximately two weeks before the next gathering, the organizer will post a new thread to the events page announcing the date and the location for that month and asking for RSVP’s.

Participants will need to RSVP their attendance by one week before the monthly gathering. They will then need to post what they are bringing by three days before the gathering. This is to help make sure we get some balance in the food so that we’re not all bringing something that has to be eaten in the next 2-3 days; that there’s a balance of stuff that can be frozen for later, or eaten sooner.

The organizer will monitor the thread to see what people are bringing. The organizer will also make reservations for the group at the restaurant where we will be gathering. People can choose to stay for the meal or just come and exchange food and leave. Just let the organizer know so they can get an accurate count for the reservation. Other LTHers are welcome to join us for the meal, even if they are not bringing food to exchange.

Put me down for both! Whee! This place looks evil...a whole list of smoothies! I don't know what I'm bringing yet but I'll go through my recipes tonight.

Hi,

I cannot this month.

Thanks for organizing.

Regards,

count me in! +1

All right, I've got mine: Asparagus, Lemon and Pine Nut Fettucine.

I'm in too! I don't know what I'm making yet, but I'll let you know.

Thanks for organizing!

count me in too! i think i will be solo for lunch but there is a chance my little one will join us.

ecs wrote:count me in too! i think i will be solo for lunch but there is a chance my little one will join us.

You are counted. Looking forward to it.

I am in! I'll probably make a shaved zucchini with mint.

veghound wrote:I am in! I'll probably make a shaved zucchini with mint.

How do you shave zucchini? I have a recipe I was considering that also has zucchini & maybe carrots shaved.

Here's mine: Pantzarosalata (Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian). And since we all love pretentiousness, ingredients include heritage chioggia beets from local certified organic farm Harmony Valley.

Please count me in for both.

I am thinking of bringing "Bisi Bele Huli Anna", a south Indian rice-veggie casserole.

I think I am going to attempt something with tofu. I know a number of people are not fans of tofu, but I swear by the stuff from Phoenix Bean, which you can get at the Andersonville Farmers Market. Looking forward to Saturday!

Re: shaving zucchini, run a peeler the long way down the squash to get a long thin strip. I'm not sure if that's what the salad recipe means--maybe grate it? It seems like it would get pretty watery.

veghound wrote:Re: shaving zucchini, run a peeler the long way down the squash to get a long thin strip. I'm not sure if that's what the salad recipe means--maybe grate it? It seems like it would get pretty watery.

Thanks.

I just discovered, I think, why we should use the Glad containers. I pulled a lovely dish out of the freezer, I think it has chickpeas, & when I tried to open it's lid, it wasn't Gladware, it cracked. <sigh>.

Relevant: Cooks Illustrated recently rated storage containers for leftovers, like Gladware/ziploc/etc.

The overall winner was made by Snapware Mods (highly recommended). The "recommended" tier was: Lock & Lock Classic Food Storage Container, Oxo Good Grips Top Container, and Freshvac Pre Vacuum Food Storage. Gladware got "recommended with reservations" and all other brands got a "not recommended".

I don't know what I'm making yet, but I'm very excited about this! I will probably make some type of grain salad. I'm new to this, so looking forward to meeting all of you.

- Emily

emsers wrote:I don't know what I'm making yet, but I'm very excited about this! I will probably make some type of grain salad. I'm new to this, so looking forward to meeting all of you.

- Emily

emsers- You are in. Look forward to meeting you.

I am really sorry. I cannot make it to this months gathering. Hope to see you next month.

Y'all - I hope nobody minds, but I have to leave after about an hour. Hopefully I can stay longer next time, but I can't wait for this one! Looking forward to a big fat smoothie.

Indianbadger wrote:I am really sorry. I cannot make it to this months gathering. Hope to see you next month.

Boo Hiss

I'm in. Will be bringing quinoa with grilled zucchini.

I think I'm going to give a mushroom and barley pie a try.

Sorry for the rhyme.

Ok, I have decided what I'm making - eggplant potato moussaka.

Looooking Good ( My Ode to the Late Great Freddy Prinze). Okay everyone you are bringing seven servings of your dish because there are eight participants in this month's exchange.

See you on Saturday.

I couldn't wait until tomorrow so when we meet it will be 3 smoothies & meals from Yummy Yummy for me in the last week.

If you had gazpacho from me last month, would you also kindly bring with you tomorrow the tiny gladware container that I gave you?

Thanks in Advance,

I really wish I had a camera. What a great group today.

Indianbadger you were missed.

The food and company were great.

I wish emsers & jami a warm welcome and hope you enjoy your dishes and will be back next month.

New Find: Peking-style Tofu-- Outrageously good.

Pairs4life, thanks so much for organizing a fantastic lunch on Saturday! I had walked by Yummy many of times, and now regret having not discovered it sooner - especially the house chili soy gluten!

It is so nice that our group is growing and I am really looking forward to trying all the new food this week. I must admit that I did take a few tastes as I was reorganizing my fridge last night and everything has been so tasty!

Jami, thanks so much for volunteering to organize for next month.

Pairs4Life - loved the soup! How did you get it to taste so fizzy?
We still have some boxes to go but Mr. Pie loved the quinoa, thanks msoma97!