Kelp!

I need somebody!

Sorry, that was a terrible pun. I would say I'll try not to let it happen again, but if you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that's a total lie. Anyway, it's still Sea Life Week over here, so let's move on:

Today's plant: Kelp
Used in: Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes from Vegan Brunch

Back to Wikipedia: Kelps are large brown algae/seaweeds. There are about 30 different genera. They grow in underwater kelp forests in shallow oceans and require nutrient-rich water with temperatures below about 20 °C (68 °F). They are known for their high growth rate — as fast as half a meter a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 m. It is said to be a good source of a good source of protein, iodine, iron, selenium and other minerals.

These are supposed to resemble crab cakes, but I've never eaten shellfish, so I can't verify that. All I can vouch for is their deliciousness. They're not overwhelmingly "fishy" and they've got a bit of tart punch to them from the Vegenaise, mustard and red wine vinegar. They're also really easy to make. Eight of the ten cakes I made held together long enough to make it to the plate, which is a pretty big deal for me.

I thought the remoulade would taste redundant because most of the ingredients are also in the cakes themselves, but it doesn't. It's absolutely delightful. I love capers.

If you haven't bought Vegan Brunch yet, you don't have to go without  Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes; Isa was kind enough to share the recipe on her website. But really, if you like food, you need this book.

Since I don't really know much about them, when I think of shellfish, I think of New Orleans, which obviously makes me think of the Deepwater Horizon spill. It looks like the blue crab were spawning when the oil hit and they're now at risk from both the oil and the toxic chemical dispersants. Shit. The spill happened about seven months ago, but it's important to remember it's still impacting our world and there's still a lot of work to be done to set things right.