Vegan Caprese Salad
Some Canadians call it “hockey-hair.” The Dutch know it as “Matje.” The Finnish term is “Takatukka.” The French refer to it as “Nuque Longue.” The German term is “Vokuhila.” The Turkish word is “Aslan Yelesi” or “Fikirtepe Modeli” (used interchangeably I presume). And here in America, we call it “The Tennessee Waterfall,” “The 10/90,” “The Mud Flap,” “The Nashville Bi-level,” “The Hamilton,” and “The Sho-lo.”
Yes, today I want to discuss the iconic, ever-fashionable Mullet. You could take this hairstyle into the boardroom or into the barroom. You could be a professional with the short cropped business on top. Come quitting time, your gloriously long (sometimes permed) locks flowed past your collar stating that there was a party in the back. The mullet was just that versatile…sort of like my next delicious vegan recipe: VEGAN CAPRESE SALAD. You see, you can bring this recipe and your favorite sixer to a family pot-luck, or you can dress it up with a nice bottle of wine and serve it at a fancy dinner party.
All you need is some fresh tomatoes, herbed cashew cheese, and fresh basil. The tomatoes and basil are the “business” on top: straight forward, proficient, and competent in delivering maximum flavor. The herbed cashew cheese is the “party” in the back: whimsical, even audacious on the pallet, and willing to take a risk if someone “holds their beer.” So, whether you want to impress some colleagues or just enjoy a great salad one late summer evening, this recipe is just that adaptable. Hopefully, this dish will never go out of style like the mullet.
R.I.P. awesome 80’s haircut.
Oh, how I longed to have you. But, you were no longer in fashion once I graduated from Catholic school and could grow my hair below my collar. You will always be remembered.
Ingredients Instructions Soak the cashews overnight in a mixing bowl with enough water to cover plus 2 inches. Drain and rinse the cashews and put them into a high speed blender or food processor. Add in your yeast, oregano, garlic, onion powder, and vegetable broth. Puree until the cashews are smooth and creamy. You might need to add some additional broth to get the right consistency (think cream cheese). Scrape the cashew mixture into a mixing bowl and fold in your parsley. You can add the parsley in the beginning, but it might cause the mix to turn a pale green color. It will still eat good, but the color may be off-putting to some folks. Once the parsley has been added, scrape the cheese mixture into a large zip-top bag and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors come together.
To serve, cut your tomatoes into ¼ inch thick slices. Chiffonade your basil by stacking the leaves one on top of another. Roll them up tightly like a little cigar, then using a sharp knife and beginning at one end of your cigar, thinly slice the basil leaves. The result will be little strands or a chiffonade of basil. Get your cheese out of the frig and cut a small corner off the bottom of your zip-top bag. This will give you a make-shift piping bag to easily spread the cashew cheese on the tomatoes. Now pipe a generous amount of cashew cheese on each tomato slice. Then arrange them on a platter like you would put shingles on a house. Sprinkle the entire platter with your strands of basil. For added punch, you can drizzle the entire platter with some balsamic vinegar.
Notes Long prep time is required to soak the cashews overnight.
How to Chiffonade
Your guests can now enjoy their CAPRESE SALAD at the picnic table with plastic utensils or at the dining room table with the silver and fine china. Either way, you can feel confident knowing that you have both the “business” and the “party” aspects covered. This recipe, like the mullet, is just that flexible. Long live the “Sho-Lo.” We can only hope for your return. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
Fantastic recipe. As a former California and Wisconsin resident, those who know me know how much I love cheese. I don’t know how Chef Bob is able to make fantastic dishes, like this one, without using real cheese.
Everyone loves a nice caprese salad on a warm summer evening and this one definitely does the trick for the vegan crowd.
Also, we called it “The Louisiana Waterfall” and I was a proud wearer of one back in my day.
Once again, great work, Mr. Grassfed Carnivore! Keep up the great work!