Summertime Menu Ideas
As we move out of winter into warmer weather, for many of us our tastes change. Those rich, warm dishes that we crave in the colder months get moved aside in favor of fresher, lighter fare. 
But, just because you’re craving salads and sandwiches doesn’t mean that some classic comfort foods can’t make an appearance on your table. For some great summer sandwich ideas check out Allison’s Grilled Tempeh Reubens, Tuna(less) Salad, and of course, vegan BLTs with Smoky Fried Tofu Bacon as featured in the current issue of VegNews Magazine and coming up on our Monday Yumday post next week!
Other summertime favorites include All-American Potato Salad, vegan barbecue, and of course Allison’s famous Mac ‘n’ Cheese, which is an all-time favorite any time of year.
As for warm-weather desserts, you know we always have you covered in that department. 
Some of our not-to-be-missed summertime flavors include zesty Coconut Key Lime Cookies, refreshing Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, and soft Peanut Butter Cookies (coming in July), as well as Sour Cherry and Apple Pie fudge flavors!
NEW: Monday Yumday
We’d like to introduce a new weekly blog segment: Monday Yumday! Every weekend our guest blogger, Kris will make one of Allison’s scrumptious recipes which are featured on our website and in some cases, VegNews Magazine, and share them here on the AG blog.
This weekend Kris made Allison’s potato salad for a non-veg BBQ. It was such a hit with everyone that we decided to start there. As we move on with recipes, sharing pictures and tips, we hope that you participate as well. If you make one of Allison’s recipes we’d love for you to guest blog about it (right here!) or share your delectable photos with us on our Facebook page. Without further delay… potato salad:
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First, you must know that I am no cook. I mean, I love making food and I do all of the time, but I tend to strictly stick to recipes as written, and often am told how unorthodox my food preparation style is (messy!). So don’t be surprised if some of my comments seem unusual, that’s just because they are. *wink* Okay, now let’s get started.
My favorite thing about this recipe – other than the taste of course – is how simple it is to prepare. What took the longest was waiting for the potatoes to finish cooking. Here’s what you need (serves 6):
- 8 cups yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used 4 large potatoes)
- 3 large celery ribs (I cut them length-wise and then across)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons red onion, minced (they always make me cry!)
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (at first it looks like a lot but trust me, you’ll need all of that entire cup)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (I used an entire one of those little packets in the fresh herb section of the store)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- In a stock pot fitted with a large steamer basket, place 2 cups of water and add potatoes. Bring to a boil and steam for 15 minutes, until potatoes begin to yield to an inserted fork. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and allow to cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes. ** NOTE: I didn’t have the proper steamer equipment so I boiled my cut potatoes for about 8-10 minutes so they were still relatively firm, not too squishy.
- In a small bowl, combine celery, onion, mayonnaise, dill, salt, mustard, and pepper. Add to potatoes and fold to combine.
And now for the good part – the pictures! I promise to take more pictures next time for better step-by-step look sees. But for this one I only have a few of the more finished variety. Enjoy! Oh and if you make it let us know how it turns out!
