But the Book Publishing Company is only one aspect of The Farm, an intentional community of like-minded vegans and vegetarians living in rural middle Tennessee. Founded in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin, The Farm has become a beacon for those studying midwifery, alternative energy and green living, and of course vegetarianism. Close to two hundred awesome folks live there, many of whom caravaned to Summertown from San Francisco during the hippie days of the 1970s.
The Farm has a soy dairy that produces the world's best (in my humble opinion) soy yogurt and tofu. While I was there, I had to pick up a tub of their plain, unsweetened soy yogurt:
And a few pounds of the super-firm FarmSoy tofu:
They used to sell these products at the Nashville Whole Foods, but they've since scaled back only offering their soy goods at the quaint Farm Store, a on-site health food shop that peddles all sorts of veg snacks and food items. The Farm Store also offers a nice selection of TVP in all shapes and sizes. I picked up a bag of TVP in chicken cutlet shapes!When I arrived back home on Saturday, I prepared this scrumptious bowl of FarmSoy yogurt, Groovy Foods granola (a local Memphis product made by my friend Uele), and dried strawberries:
On Monday morning, I used a pound of the tofu to make my Tofu Cottage Cheese:
The tofu cottage cheese recipe is going in the cookbook. It's pretty basic and really tasty served on whole wheat toast with a schmear of Marmite!
I heart marmite!
ReplyDeleteI love (and will admit, miss) cottage cheese. I can't wait to read your recipe!
ReplyDeleteHmm never heard or marmite... guess im out of the loop :) Anyways that bowl of yogurt look fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI stayed at the Farm for a while in college. Very special place. Maybe I should find a way to swing by their store... I'm usually unimpressed by soy yogurts.
ReplyDeleteThe make the best tofu I've ever had. I miss it so. I'm jealous that you have some :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it! Great post. I review their cookbooks every so often so it is great to learn more about them. It sounds like such a fantastic place, Bianca, and what yummy food they have. A soy dairy? Now I really want to go. Fresh soy yoghurt and tofu sounds like heaven to me.
ReplyDeleteYou can't even give us the cottage cheese recipe????? This book better be coming out soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Bianca,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say thank you for your blog. I read it regularly to get excited about vegetables! An Atlanta native and 8-year Athens resident, it's awesome to get a fresh take on the EXACT same foods I've grown up with, and your easygoing, punky-funky brand of cool-plates-and-straws grace is something I don't see a lot of elsewhere on the internet. Looking forward to your cookbook!
Ann
PS. You might already know about it, but there's a cool southern vegan cookbook called "Hot Damn and Hell Yeah", though it's missing a lot of those Dirty Dirty staples.
Wow I had no idea about The Farm - sounds like such a cool place!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could find better soy yogurt. I feel like its one of the more important things missing in my diet. The flavors are always a bit off in my part of the world and I can only find 1 or 2 brands. I'd love to get one like you and flavor it myself!
ReplyDeleteThat granola looks mighty tasty. I can't do marmite, I've tried and I just can't.
ReplyDeleteThe Farm sounds like are really cool place to be.
I am giving you a Sunshine Award on my blog :)
ReplyDeleteThat cottage cheese looks so yummy. I love my marmite, now I just need your book so I can make that cheese!!!
ReplyDeleteI wanna go to the farm. My family lives in Chattanooga- I'm coming to visit you next time I go see 'em ;)
Speaking of Thomas Hupp, that's awesome that you got to visit The Farm!! I really hope to be down in that area sometime so I can pay them a visit too.
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