Tomorrow is the Fourth Annual Bethlehem Vegfest! and I am so thrilled for this year, it’s hard to put into words. We’ll have Gene Baur of Farm Sanctaury and Matt Frazier of NoMeatAthlete.com, a vegan ice cream truck, the ever-beloved Cinnamon Snail food truck, and about a hundred million other wonderful people, speakers, chefs, vendors, and more.
This is a video from 2013’s Vegfest:
Save the Kales! will taping live ALL DAY! for our September show. Please-oh-please, catch up with us and say hello.
Cooking Segment and Q+A: 1:30pm-2:30pm at the RCN Cable booth
– break, ’cause we need to eat-
3pm-4pm we’ll be walking around Vegfest for street-style interviews (see the video above)
So flag us down, be prepared for hugs, tell why you love being vegan or why you love Vegfest, and maybe you’ll make it into our next show!
I’ll also have a booth with Save the Kales! TEES and TOTE BAGS next to the RCN Cable booth. These are brand new and if you get ’em at Vegfest you don’t have to pay for shipping when they go for sale online. More money for snacks! Cash + credit accepted.
EVENT DETAILS
FREE! admission. Kid + dog friendly. Rain or shine.
11am-6pm on the South Bethlehem Greenway (public park between 3rd and 4th streets)
Parking is around the city. For meters, download the MobileNow! app and fill your meter from your phone!
First things first – this evening I’ll be roaming Bethlehem on foot, camera and notebook in tow, to document the Best Vegan Musikfest Foods of 2014. (It’s been three years since I last did that.) The food available for vegans has gotten better over the years, and tomorrow I’ll report back with with my top picks to help you navigate the other nine days of ‘Festing. Check back!
Last Friday I attended the opening reception of Bethlehem House Art Gallery (fancy schmancy!) and the wee hours of the night outside with a few friends sharing deep thoughts + experiences on gender identity (one of the most delicious topics), and Saturday was spent surrounded by healers, yoginis, and lots of delicious (as always) food from Shankara at the first Lehigh Valley Yoga Festival. That gave me the chance to run next door and pay a visit to Greenmouth Juice Cafe which is, really and truly, holy-moly-gorgeous and their drink and small food menu are mostly vegan. Go there. Go. Go!
Sunday was a day of new experiences that left me baptized by the Lehigh River. My friend won tickets to go whitewater rafting at Whitewater Challengers (via a contest held by Discover Lehigh Valley, thanks dudes!). It was a whole-day experience, and eight miles of river, two pb +j sandwiches, three hilarious river guides, and two harshly sunburned knees later, I returned home to sleep for a hundred years. The best part was tossing our bodies over the sides into the chilly river, floating feet first, and looking up to see these places that have been my home and my personal geography for thirty years from the eye level of a fish. Floating past the trees, the towns, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The theme of my life this year seems to be “new perspectives” and once again, I found a new one.
A response to ‘Women Against Feminism’.“If you don’t think you need feminism, then that is a victory for the movement. You have fulfilled all those dreams that every suffragette being force-fed in prison and every ‘witch’ burnt at the stake dreamed you would one day.”
I absolutely must mention the mermaid school in the Philippines because nearly thirty people made a point to share it with me, and it’s flattering that ya’ll know where my interests lie
To create a real connection, show vulnerability. “The mistaken assumption is that if people find out who we really are underneath, they’d remove themselves from our lives. The reality is that if we share the ups and downs of our human experience in the right way in the right context, we build deeper connections.”
Today’s Thankful Thursday (on, ahem, Friday) comes from a need to slooowwww down.Times like these call for a good trip to the library, where think I got the best seat in the house! That’s a start. Today I’m remembering the best parts of the last few weeks, beginning with something beautiful I found a few moments ago.
“There are two ways to spread happiness. Either be the light who shines or the mirror who reflects it” – Edith Wharton
. . . . .
LoveList: September 07, 2012.
{This rainbow of lines drawn in pen inside a 1962 copy of “Something Wicked This Way Comes” from the library.}
{Last week I went to write at an outdoor mall and sopping wet children fresh from the fountain came up to tap on my keyboard and make jumbles of letters. Water dripped from their chins when they smiled.}
{Picked up this soda, first for it’s package design, second for it’s color and third for it’s delightful flavor combination: grapefruit + chamomile + cardamom. The othersare equally lovely.}
{While taping for STK! Episode 5 (it airs this Sunday!), chef Wendybrought her Vitamix into the garden to make some food. She was walking through the veggies with that huge knife, hacking tomatoes from their vines in a strange vegan, local, organic, DIY, insert-other-word-here Children of the Corn-esque scene.}
{We had a steering committee meeting for the Bethlehem Food Co-opat Robin’s house, which is one of the most gorgeous, covetable homes in the entire Valley. There is strange and lovely art everywhere and it’s full of love from a family that is, no surprise, also full of love and creativity. Plus, she made vegan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Everyone had seconds.}
{I went with Christianto be photographed for the cover the The Mix weekly paper, and for a few hours we made faces and smirked at cameras. It was such fun to be in a room with friends, reaching for imaginary apple trees and trying not to laugh. Behind-the-scenes photos are HERE.}
Pick up your free copy of The Mix this week for the special Bethlehem Vegfest feature!
Save the Kales! promotes veganism as an ethical, compassionate lifestyle and any and all suggestions made by me to be part of Vegfest as speakers or vendors are committed to this, too.
THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH
11am-6pm, Southside Bethlehem Greenway
(the linear park between 3rd and 4th Streets)
I was going to make a “Must See” list, but I think you guys can handle it. There will be plenty to see, listen to, watch and eat. Bring your family, bring your dogs. You can find the lineup of speakers and cooking demos HERE, and a list of every vendor HERE.
IN THE MEANTIME… Don’t miss the last few days of Vegfest Restaurant Week!
Cafe Santosha vegan meal
This gorgeous meal comes from Cafe Santosha, one of the most veg-friendly eateries in the ENTIRE Valley. The food always looks like art, and tastes like it too. Healthful and creative dishes are always on the menu. Check out their facebook pagefor photos and updates.
Description of dish (above): Mediterranean Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Capers, Lemon, and Parsley served over greens…. Chic Pea and Brown Rice Croquettes served over Sautéed Local Greens with Roasted Garlic and Lemon topped with a Roasted Red Pepper Tahini Sauce and a Basil Walnut Pesto…
Vegan Chocolate Cake served over Triple Berry Coulis. Also available gluten free! ($15)
and
other special vegan items in the LV this week at Jumbar’s, Tapas on Main, Yianni’s Taverna, Molly’s Irish Grille, and Sotto Santi Pizza is making vegan pizza all week!
You can find the WHOLE list of participating restaurants and their menus HERE, 13 in total. Happily, many of these places offer some/all of the selections year-round.
Now we have interns and a third camera! Look at us, growing up so fast! Thank you for everyone involved, and for your support!
Check out our guest at the end of the show to learn how to get these Save the Kales! plush tofu dolls! They are handmade by a local lady, along with some other adorable, smiling veggies! Enjoy Episode 4. xo
Join me as I stop by the local Farmer’s Market to pick up some beautiful fresh veggies, two bags full for less than $10. Vegetables are so pretty!
In the kitchen, we are celebrating coconut with Vegetable Chickpea Quinoa patties with Coconut Chipotle Dipping Sauce, followed with a bright and healthful Coconut Curry Kale Salad.
Finally, meet our guest Jaime from Crinoline as she shows off her handmade, super-adorable and eco-friendly felt plush veggies and exclusive STK! stuffed toy tofu. They are smiling!
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Veggie Quinoa Chickpea Patties
1 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 large carrot, shredded
2 and 1/2 cups chickpeas (or two cans)
1 cup packed spinach (“packed” means packed tightly into the cup while measuring)
2 stalks green onions
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use the “shred” blade of your food processor to quickly shred carrot. (Or you can do it by hand.) Set aside.
Put the “S” blade (the regular blade) back into the food processor and add chickpeas, spinach, green onions roughly chopped, and process everything until blended well into a dough-like consistency.
Put dough into the largest mixing bowl you have. Add coconut milk, quinoa, dry spices, bread crumbs and salt, and mix everything together.
Get a baking sheet and spray with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Use your hands to form patties and place on the sheet. (You may need more than one baking sheet.) Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Coconut Chipotle Dipping Sauce
1 cup coconut milk
10-12 sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
dash of salt
1/2-1 cup water, until desired thickness is achieved
Blend everything in a blender until smooth.
(This makes a LOT of sauce. You can use leftovers for other dishes as a dip or spread, and play around with adding other spices or herbs to mix it up!)
Vegan Chickpea, Vegetable and Quinoa Patties with Coconut Chipotle Dipping Sauce
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1 bunch kale, stems removed
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped purple cabbage, cut into thin ribbons
Remove stems from kale, and tear kale leaves into bite sized pieces and add to a large bowl. Add coconut oil and massage oil into the kale for a few minutes to break the kale down. Set cabbage aside, but add carrots and toss.
*NOTE: Coconut oil is usually in a solid form (mine melted in the hot kitchen), so scoop out the amount you need and it will melt with the warmth of your hands.
Add dressing to bowl with kale and carrots, and massage dressing into veggies.
*NOTE: You can add 1 tsp curry powder and purple cabbage at this point, mix through, and be finished with the salad. But check below for extra topping ideas to make it fancier!
Toppings and Garnishes (Optional)
1 mango, chopped (check the 19-minute mark to see how to cut one easily!)
lime wedges
1 tsp curry powder
chopped cilantro
dried coconut flakes (unsweetened)
toasted sesame seeds
dried red pepper flakes
(You can use all of these, some of these, or none of these! I do recommend the coconut flakes, as they bring out the tropical flavors of the salad.)
If using, mix in cut mango and curry powder, mixing curry powder well. Add the purple cabbage and toss. Using remaining ingredients to top and garnish the salad before serving.
Coconut Curry Kale Salad
. . . . .
Save the Kales! Plush Tofu dolls now available!
This is an exclusive, handmade plush tofu doll made of eco-friendly material from recycled bottes. This comes from Jaime of Crinoline, made with love. Put this little lady in your kitchen to watch you as you cook, bringing a smile to all who see her.
Because everything is better with eyeliner and glasses, yes?
Jaime from Crinoline and Jaime K from Save the Kales!
The plush tofu and the rest of Crinoline’s plush veggies will be available at her booth at Bethlehem Vegfest, or at her online shop HERE.Stop by and say hello!
Plush tofu dolls and veggies from Crinoline!
Special thanks to Christy Morgan, The Blissful Chef, for inspiring me to add extra veggies to everything the day we made some tasty veggie patties together. And to Kim Barnouin of the Skinny Bitch Cookbook for a great chickpea-based patty recipe, the first I ever made!
Just a heads up! These sandwiches have a lot of components – you can make most of them the day before, then simply assemble and broil when you are ready to eat. Once you know how to make the different elements, you can use them in other recipes, of course.
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In this episode, view the “kale cam” video diary from my attendance at Vegetarian Summerfest 2012, including clips from some of the most inspirational authors, speakers, and activists in the plant-based movement.
Back at the kitchen, we make one heck of a sandwich: tempeh bacon, caramelized onion, roasted pears and a walnut-carrot spread topped with melted vegan cheese and broiled to a gooey perfection. Follow up this sweet and savory dish with a healthy, ripe raw berry pie using three kinds of fresh berries and an almond-coconut crust.
Finally, meet Save the Kales!graphic designer (among other things!) Christian Weberas he shows off the Bethlehem Vegfest 2012 posters.
Note: I will be posting longer clips from some of the talks/speakers very soon, as well as a full Summerfest wrap-up. Stay tuned!
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Cut tempeh into very thin strips (use the whole block). Put the strips in a container with a lid. Use remaining ingredients to mix marinade in a bowl, then pour over tempeh. Put the lid on the container and led it marinate in the fridge, turning the container every few hours or overnight. When you are ready to make tempeh bacon, spray some cooking spray in a pan and add the bacon so it’s not overlapping (may not be able to do it all at once) so the bottom will brown and crisp, then flip over so the other side side gets brown.
Carrot Walnut + Cinnamon Spread
1/2 cup carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Put carrots in the oven at 350 until they are soft, about 25 mins. Set aside to cool. Add all ingredients to a food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides, and blend until a thick spread is made. (Add a little water if you need to move things along in the processor.)
Caramelized Onions
large white onion (you can use red!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
dash of salt
Cut onion in half, then thinly slice into half-moons. Toss in a pan with olive oil. Put on the stove on a high heat until just starting to brown, then bring the heat low. (You want them to brown, not burn.) Stir in the pan every few minutes to slowly caramelize. Add the salt at 10 minutes of cooking. At about 30-40 minutes, a minute before you take the onions off the stove, add the brown sugar to help caramelize and flavor onions. Take onions off the stove and set aside.
Browned Pears
1 bosc pear, thinly sliced (remove seeds)
1 tsp vegan butter
Put pears with butter on the stove on a medium heat until pears start to brown and get soft.
… FINISHING THE SANDWICH
nice bakery rolls (no eggs/milk!), sliced in half
Daiya mozzarella piled high on top of everything else!
Turn on the broiler. Put the bottoms of the rolls on a sheet pan and start building the sandwiches using all of the above components, topping with vegan shredded cheese. Put a nice smear of the sandwich spread on the top half of the rolls, and put those on the pan. Put in the broiler for 3-4 minutes until cheese gets melty. Don’t burn the bread!
Tempeh bacon, caramelized onion and pear sandwich.
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CRUST
2 cups soaked raw almonds (almonds soaked in water overnight)
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup raisins
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Add everything to a food processor and blend until crumbly and sticky. (You can use a little spray oil on your pie pan to help cut the slices out easier.) Push the crust into the pan, working it against the sides and bottom evenly.
FILLING
2 cups berries of choice (mixed, all one kind, whatever! I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
1 cup frozen peaches
1 Tbsp. agave or maple syrup
Put about 1 cup of berries aside so you can use them to top the pie! (Or omit this step.) Put the rest of the ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour into the pie crust, and put into the fridge for a minimum of two hours (a few more is better). This will allow the berries to naturally gel together.
When you are ready to eat, toss the saved berries in a bowl with 1 tsp liquid sweetner and 1 tsp water to make a simple glaze to make them shiny, then top the pie with them before serving!
Raw triple berry pie with coconut almond crust.
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Bethlehem Vegfest will be held on Sept. 8th, 2012 from 11am-6pm on Bethlehem’s southside greenway! This is a FREE event with cooking demos, food, speakers, animal adoption groups, live music, a kid’s corner, vendors, and so much more.
Last year was the first event with over 10,000 (ten thousand!) attendees. Stay updated by following the FACEBOOK PAGE and I’ll be sure to give more updates as it gets closer.
I was a little disappointed in myself for not having made my Veggie Princess costume a full-length ballgown as I intended, but it may have turned out for the best. It was a GORGEOUS warm day – and got rather hot standing on the trailer bed in the direct sun for a couple of hours, plus my hair weighs 8,000 pounds. My apron-esque skirt did the job just fine and kept me from passing out!
We had a nice little turnout of vegetable-walkers, and let’s give thanks to the hard work of the DBA (Downtown Bethlehem Association) for ensuring we had the best stuff to hand out: Vegfest 2011 cookbooks (yes, cookbooks!); Bethlehem wall calendars with all the events of the year marked; and several varieties of apples from a local farm. YUM!
But really, what a lovely day, all around. I was so impressed with the DIY vegetable costumes. True artisan craft(wo)manship! I wish these folks would consider holding sewing classes and we could all walk around dressed like food every Saturday. Why not?
What a beautiful salad! Bethlehem Vegfest parade walkers.
See that cute little cucumber? He said, “I’m a PICKLE.” Ha!
Me and tofu, getting an early start on our sunburns.
"Mr. Green Peas", miraculously he stayed cool as a cucumber.
The parade started at 1pm, but we were in the last group and didn’t get moving until probably closer to 2pm. But we got to watch the whole parade go right past us! Marching bands, elaborate floats, DOGS!!!!, so many irish dancers and their curly wigs… everyone was so happy and smiley and in great spirits!
Mr. Green Peas and Tina's truly impressive, gorgeous, stunning Broccoli costume, all made from leftover material scraps she had in her house. IT WAS AMAZING.
My friends Alex and Misi showed up before we took off, and Alex caught this candid photo as I was running to the end of the truck to hug them. Just pure happiness, pure elation. Friends, and community members coming together, and creativity, and sunshine… I was a happy, happy girl. This is as real as a smile gets.
Smiley-face!
Our float got moving in the long line of floats and wow, it was so fun to see the street and sidewalks flooded with people waving, smiling, enjoying being in the moment. I found a bunch of my friends in the crowd – some I hadn’t seen in YEARS (hello, Jessie!) – and some blog readers even yelled out “We love Save the Kales!” when the float went by. I also saw two women realize they were handed cookbooks and one slapped her friend and said, “WHOA, HEY LOOK, A VEGGIE COOKBOOK, THAT IS AWESOME!” So cute!
Ryan and some friends were perched three stories over Main Street in Ryan’s old apartment/Steve and Adam’s current apartment, giving them all a great bird’s eye view.
Bethlehem Vegfest Parade float.
Brent and Ryan - hi guys! Be careful!
Emily and Rachel.
THANK YOU, everyone involved, for making it such a fun day and event! Thank you Bethlehem Pennsylvania for being my home… you truly are where MY heart is.
After all, why do we choose our towns and communities if not to dig in with both hands and really become a part of them?
*Almost* everyone from the Vegfest float. What a delicious bunch.
…. and once the parade ended, I wandered back up Main Street (after stopping to hug a lot of friends along the way) to get to the apartment to meet my friends. We went to the library book sale, tiara and all, and then Ryan took me to Vegan Treatsfor ice cream. CHOCOLATE MINT TWIST! What a lucky lady I am!
Save the Kales! inside Vegan treats with a giant tofu. Typical day. No big deal.
By then it was 4pm and I had forgotten to eat anything all day (oopsies) and the sun gave me a headache. We gobbled up our ice cream cones in less than five minutes, then went home and promptly fell asleep together on the couch. I had no idea St. Patrick’s Day could be so much fun! Cheers!
Thanks to Miko, Christian, Adam and Alex… I snagged some of your photos. Thanks for capturing this fun day!
Consider this your “Save the Kales – Save the Date” for Bethlehem Vegfest 2012!
September 8th from 11am-6pm, we’re bringing back what was resoundingly called one of the best festivals Bethlehem ever had. With record numbers (over 10,000 people, ya’ll), this one will be bigger and better as we have the figure-stuff-out year one under our belts to move forward with expanding on the great things and adding more elements!
Making friends with neighbors and folks of 'From A to Vegan' blog
This is one thing that will not change: The Vegfest committee invites anyone who would like to be involved to come to planning meetings or to share ideas to do exactly that! You can be a part of making this festival the best — so come to meetings, offer ideas, or offer your time. You’re invited. It’s an unbelievable amount of fun, and you get to meet so many friends and neighbors. Party time, all the time.
In the meantime….
Impressive Vegetable Float I found on Google, not ours, but it illustrates the idea. Somewhat.
Bethlehem’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is happening on Saturday, March 17th and Vegfest is having a float! Here’s where it gets interesting – I was voted (unbeknownst to me) to be the Garden Fairy Princess, and the float still needs vegetables to follow me into the magical garden.
This feels silly to type!
If that isn’t enticing enough on it’s own (heh), the BEST vegetable in the parade will win $100 cash and become the official 2012 Vegfest Mascot.
How fun! My pal Dustin Schoof from local paper The Express Times invited me to the office to be part of a weekly online segment called “Five Questions”, in which they talk to local people makin’ cool things happen.
(Confession: When I met Ryan over two years ago, I did the ‘ol Google search to snoop around on him online and actually found a Five Questions segment with him! Then he got his new job and he did another one about that a few months ago. We’re 2:1, and he’s winning. Harhar.)
It was a tad awkward when Dustin asked me “What can we look forward to in the future?” because there are some good thing brewin’ but I can’t talk about them yet – eep! Maybe we’ll have to do another one of these once I can unzip my lip.
And thank you once again Dustin! You can check out Dustin’s band Blue Jean, too. They will be playing before a Pixies show in November. Yeah, THOSE Pixies. Heart attack central, right? Isn’t supporting each other FUN!?
The past 48 hours have been a time of seeking out folks for feedback, constructive criticism, and overall impressions of Bethlehem Vegfest. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive, though I’m excited to continue to improve more aspects next year.
I am working on a post about my overall reaction to the ‘Fest. It’s long, it’s wordy, it’s emotional and it will likely take me another day or two.
Until then, here’s two more blog posts to keep you satisfied:
Bethlehem Vegfest was featured on Our Hen House today – something really incredible because their work reaches a large audience, and I love that Bethlehem is continually showing up as a vegan presence to people in other areas. Jasmin and Mariann are activists that work endlessly on giving the people tools they need to empower themselves to spread the message of veganism and animal rights. (I was particularly interested in their thoughts on our Vegfest, as they have been to so many others across the country, and am excited to share some of our discussion with you in an upcoming post.)
Not only that, but their podcasts – which are FREE to download and a joy to listen to – will have a special Bethlehem Vegfest segment next week, including none other than superwoman Danielle Konya of Vegan Treats. I cannot wait to hear this episode. Go check out their work, download a billion podcasts, and then take action.
(*** Also check out a segment of their website/work that ties in Gay and Queer activism, called The Gay Animal. These ladies don’t stop, and we are better off for it!)
From Here Now lehigh valley blog
A local lady new to the blogging scene (and a dear friend, at that) is Colleen Marsh with here blog From Here Now. Colleen writes a positive, inviting blog about all the little treasures found in the Lehigh Valley, places to go, businesses she supports, recipes she makes her own kitchen.
Colleen went to Vegfest and wrote a great blog about her impressions of it (positive!), followed by a billion recipes for everything she made for a vegan dinner that night.
– – – – – – –
I am very happy to say that I just had a meeting this morning with some folks about a project that will be an all-vegan project, something the other folks involved had thought about for a while, but seeing the incredible attendance of the fest made them realized that now is the time to act! It’s still top secret, but once it gets rolling we will want all of your support to spread the word.
My heart feels all big and fuzzy. Thank you for being a part of something that quite literally has the power to change our community for the better.
Save the Kales! 