Vegetarians of Acadie!!
"Pork is ubiquitous and even present in some desserts, a little disconcerting for a vegetarian like me and although there are meat analogs in the supermarket like tofu turkey, Tofurkey, alas, there is no Toporky."
Vegetarians of Acadie Unite Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The time of year is beautiful with clear, blue skies and brilliantly colored leaves and it doesn't involve the stress of gift purchasing, excessive decorating or getting really dressed up.
It's a harvest festival and a way to enjoy and appreciate all that we have. Best of all, it all revolves around food. I really would like to celebrate with some traditional local fare. I'm not Acadian (Ukranian and Slovak, actually) but I really like to experiment and explore other cultures and cuisines. What better time than now?
A little surfing on the Web and I came up with a lot of traditional Acadian recipes. Pork is ubiquitous and even present in some desserts, a little disconcerting for a vegetarian like me and although there are meat analogs in the supermarket like tofu turkey—Tofurkey—alas, there is no Toporky.
After more determined searching, I did come up with two vegetarian recipes, both from the Acadian Recipes Web site. Soupe de la Toussaint, and Ploye.
The following recipe is about half way down the page. “Toussaint” is All Saints Day (Nov 1), and this soup incorporates vegetables of the fall harvest.
Soupe de la Toussaint
- 2-3 l (2-3 qt) cold water
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small head cabbage
- 500 ml cups (2 c) chopped leeks or green onions
- 250 ml (1 c) diced carrots
- 1 small potimarron, diced (a pumpkin like squash, orange in color and pear-shaped, originating in France). Here in Canada, use a small Golden Hubbard, Butternut or Acorn squash.
- 250 ml (1 c) diced potatoes
- 100 gm (3.5 oz) roasted chesnuts or include any fall vegetable that you prefer
- Saute or "sweat" the vegetables in 30 ml (2 tbls) butter.
- Add the water, bay leaf, salt and pepper and boil for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
- Blend in a food processer until creamy and add crumbled chestnuts. Serve with cream fraiche.
My daughter suggested an interesting variation, if you like baking bread in the fall. Choose a hearty multi-grain variety or you can even add some traditional buckwheat to your recipe. Make several small, round loaves, 20 cm in diameter (8 in). Scoop out the center to create a "bread bowl" and ladel in the Soupe Toussaint.
Ployes
I got this recipe for ployes from Acadian Recipes.
Ploye is a variety of buckwheat pancake and I think it would go well with this soup if you opt to serve it in an ordinary bowl. This recipe comes from the Madawaska Valley. A real ploye is not flipped while cooking and can be eaten with butter, molasses or maple syrup. Here is my healthy variation of ployes:
- 250 ml (1 c) whole wheat flour
- 500 ml (2 c) buckwheat flour (Speerville Mills near Woodstock produces organic buckwheat)
- 500 ml (2 c) cold water
- 5 ml (1 tsp) fine salt
- Mix it all together and then add 500 ml (2 c) of boiling water and 10 ml (2 tsp) of baking powder. Cook on one side only over medium heat in a cast iron pan. Serve with your favorite spread or topping.
Buckwheat is a crop that thrives in New Brunswick. It is not really wheat at all but a member of the rhubarb family, and it is nutritionally dense and substantial and sustained early settlers in the Maritimes, as well as my eastern European ancestors who called their pancakes Blini. My ancestors also cooked the grains or "groats" like porridge and called it Kasha.
Buckwheat does well in a short growing season on poor acidic soil—the perfect grain for the Maritimes. It is also traditionally used as a "green manure" to enrich the soil, or as a ground cover for erosion control and wildlife habitat, an all purpose plant. A heart-healthy food , buckwheat can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It contains flavinoids like rutin which extend the action of Vitamin C which contributes to good immune system and cell function. Just 250 ml (1 c) of buckwheat contains 86 mg of magnesium which relaxes blood vessels and helps with blood sugar control. It is also rich in manganese which helps insulin regulation. And if you are gluten intolerant, buckwheat contains none.