Traditional Potato Salad

Ah, potato salad! My favorite dish to bring to summer potlucks, serve at our backyard BBQ's, or just to make a huge bowl of to munch on throughout the week during the summer. Though there are lots of variations of this classically summer dish, I find that my vegan version of a traditional creamy potato salad is one of the first sides to disappear at any gathering.

Ingredients

For the salad

3 lbs baby red potatoes, cooked, cubed, and cooled
½ med sweet onion, chopped (I prefer Walla Walla sweets)
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley  
5 dill pickle spears, chopped 
½ cup finely cubed extra firm tofu (optional. I use the tofu to emulate the hard boiled eggs found in traditional tater salad, but it's totally up to you if you want to use)

For the sauce

1¼ cup veganaise  
2 Tbs dill pickle juice  
1 tsp mustard  
1½ Tbs nutritional yeast  
½ tsp black pepper  
¼ tsp garlic salt  
1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt 
Few dashes smoked paprika (optional)

Directions

Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and set to the side. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients together. Stir in the onion, parsley, pickles and tofu until all ingredients are combined. Add the sauce mix to the potatoes and gently stir until all the potatoes are covered in sauce. Place in the fridge for a few hours and enjoy by the bowlful.

Seasonal Fruit Salad

One of my favorite things about summer is fruit salad. So simple, satisfying to my sweet tooth, and super refreshing. But one of the best things is how many different ways fruit salad can be made. I like to just go to the farmers market, grab whatever is around and just throw everything in a bowl. And now that sweet cherries are in full season, and the rest of the stone fruits have just started to appear, its time for one of my all time favorite fruit salads.

Ingredients:
3 peaches, pitted and roughly chopped
3 red plums, pitted and roughly chopped
1 lb. sweet cherries (I generally use Bing or Rainer)
2 cups blackberries
approx 1/8 cup fresh mint chiffonade

Mix all ingredients together in a bog class or ceramic bowl and chill in the fridge for an hour or so. Bring to a vegan BBQ or eat as a delicious snack while lazily lounging in a hammock in the sun.

Zucchini Pie

This is a recipe my mom used to make in the summer to get rid of the zucchini that grew in our garden. I've adapted it, and it remains one of my favorite summer dishes.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups diced or grated zucchini
1 chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 cup baking mix (e.g. Bisquick or other such mix. I use gluten-free bisquick or Bob's red mill gluten-free baking flour. if using a standard flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder)
3/4 cup extra firm silken tofu, blended
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds whisked with 3 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup vegan "cheese" (I use Daiya cheddar shreds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Turn oven to 350 degrees (f). Mix tofu, flax seed mixture, oil, baking mix, and seasonings until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir until vegetables are evenly coated. pour into deep dish pie pan and cook for 30-40 minutes, until top is nicely browned and middle is cooked through.