What We Eat in Late September at Cafe Drake HRV

above two photos: Many have developed aversions to tempeh, the result of our unfamiliarity here in the West with this scrumptious soy product. The only two tricks to working with tempeh are slicing it quite thinly and marinating for at least 2-3 hours prior to preparing. Here's a foolproof marinade with proportions based on the typical 8 oz. tempeh package sold at supermarkets and natural food stores everywhere. In a large ziplock bag mix well 2 T. tamari or soy sauce, 2 T. apple cider or rice vinegar, 1 T. natural ketchup, 1 T. ground coriander, a couple of healthy splashes of Tabasco or other hot sauce, lots of ground black pepper to taste and 2 cloves of minced or pressed garlic. Place the thinly sliced tempeh in bag and shake well but carefully; try not to break the tempeh in to pieces. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but ideally overnight. One hour before cooking tempeh, remove from fridge and allow to marinate at room temperature. You can then bake on an oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. (flip slices halfway through cooking time) and enjoy as is, or add to your favorite tempeh recipes. As an alternative do as Indonesian cooks do and marinate 8 oz. of sliced tempeh in 3/4 cup coconut water heavily seasoned with ground coriander and salt.

Home-baked chewy Chocolate and Dried Cranberry Cookies are a rare occurrence at Cafe Drake HRV!

above two photos: Based on a recipe for Palestinian Fried Tomatoes from Madhur Jaffrey, Cafe Drake HRV used one humungous Pink Brandywine specimen (almost 2 pounds!!) from the garden. Too simple to taste this good: heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Gently fry 2 cloves of sliced garlic and 1 minced hot green chili pepper for about 1 minute. Now add, in a single layer, thick slices of tomato, enough to cover the entire skillet. Sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper. Fry for 1 minute over a higher flame, flip and fry for another minute. Pour in 3/4 cup tomato juice and a handful of chopped parsley or cilantro. Remove from heat and serve with rice or bread to absorb all the delicious juices.

Pan-fried garden tomatoes with Rice and Lentil Pilaf, Tahini Sauce, Cilantro and Red Onion Salad.

Simmering the base for Pumpkin Liqueur. it's that time of year so grab the recipe here at Food Republic. We're already addicted to an after-dinner sip almost every night. Note: the recipe post neglects to list cinnamon as an ingredient. Use about 1/2 t. ground cinnamon.

Leftover fried tomatoes and their tangy, spicy sauce are a juicy complement to rice and lentils. Roasted pumpkin seeds add texture and a nutty flavor.

The leftovers never stop at Cafe Drake HRV - refried beans with cheese, toasted flat bread, coleslaw and roasted cabbage and carrots.