Picnic Time! Pasta! Cabbage Stew!

Paul's 40th birthday was April 19, but he was in Nashville that weekend (he works in Nashville and lives in Memphis part-time). Of course, we couldn't have a proper party with the pandemic underway, so I organized a Zoom call with a bunch of friends. And I promised him some sort of quarantine-appropriate celebration when he was back in Memphis. So this past Sunday, we had a little birthday picnic — just the two of us!

We rode our bikes to Overton Park and laid out a nice spread of both vegan and non-vegan options (for him). I'll just show the vegan stuff though — Lulu's Country Bread and La Brea Rosemary Olive Oil Bread, Miyoko's Mozz, Dolmas, Chips & Bean Dip, Seitan Pepperoni, and Grapes/Strawberries. My favorite picnic meals consist of bread, cheese, fruit, and wine!

Paul isn't much of a cook, but he developed one recipe a few weeks ago that he really loves to make. So last night, I asked him to cook that for us for dinner. Here's Paul's Cabbage Surprise! It's a stew with cabbage, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Really great with crusty bread (leftover from the picnic).

I got a bunch of tomatoes at the CY Farmers Market a couple Saturdays ago, and amazingly, they're still fresh! I used one whole tomato in this simple pasta dish on Monday night. I tossed whole wheat pasta with garlic olive oil, fresh tomato, and herbs. Topped with vegan parm and bits of Miyoko Mozz (also leftover from the picnic).