Soupy Tuesday 2: Sweet Basil, Cauliflower, and Toasted Corn Chowder

Well, I've certainly made a dent in the current corn surplus in my apartment:

Not gonna lie, this was one of the best soups I've ever made, and I make a lot of soups. It's a great late summer evening soup for when you're still feeling bright and sunny but the weather is starting to cool down.

I'm not going to post the full recipe because frankly it was too experimental. I was just adding dashes of things I had around without really measuring. But I will give you what was basically the key to making this delicious: toasting the corn.

While my base was simmering I cut the corn straight from the cob (4 ears) and sauteed it in Earth Balance, black pepper, and the leftover basil sea salt. When it started getting all toasty I glazed the pan with a little white wine. This could make a great side dish on its own, and I'm pretty sure that whatever soup base I put it into, it would have made it heavenly.

Labor Day Barbecue Wrap-Up

Hope you're all recovering from a fun-filled labor day. In San Francisco we've been delighting in some beautiful weather as of late, so my husband and I decided to take advantage by having a vegan barbecue. In the past we've gone to Dolores Park, but this time we decided to keep it close to home by grilling on the roof of our building, which has a pretty kickass panoramic view of the city.

I've always preferred grilling fresh veggies over faux meat products, so though we had some Tofurkey sausages, the stars of the show were the veggie kabobs. I made two varieties:

• Mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus and tomatoes marinated in garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh thyme and rosemary
  
• Pineanpple, red pepper, red onion and tofu cubes marinated in garlic, hoisin sauce, olive oil, and Chinese five spice blend

I also made potato salad (red potatoes, vegenaise, white vinegar, silken tofu, chopped sweet pickles, mustard seed and dill), had fresh watermelon slices, and another highlight: Watermelon Martinis with Basil Sea Salt -- a recipe that came courtesy of Bryant Terry's book Vegan Soul Kitchen. The book is chock full of summery recipes and though I haven't made a lot of them, it's also an entertaining read from someone with a passion for food.

A little tip for those throwing a vegan barbecue. I once observed that if you invite omnis to a vegan brunch, they will bring fruit. Similarly if you invite omnis to a vegan barbecue they will bring corn. Not that I am complaining -- grilled corn is awesome, with a little earth balance, salt and pepper. But we have a ton left over. So anyone got any good corn recipes?