Getting an early start on completing my NCKS homework, I decided this windy, bitter cold night was as good as any for making the Corn Chowder and Focaccia with Roasted Garlic assignments. You don’t have to twist my arm though, as both of these recipes were phenomenal and who can turn down homemade focaccia?

This gluten-free chowder contained organic corn kernels, cornmeal, and a host of other fresh veggies. It was a perfect consistency – not too thick, not too thin, but just right! This is my first time making homemade corn chowder and Mr. Tuxedo Cat loves corn, so this was a winning option. It also was a nice departure from my usual lentil or other vegetable-based soups. A similar version of the recipe we used can be found here.

I have only attempted to make focaccia once before and it was an epic fail. This time around, and with sufficient knowledge about having the right water temperature for allowing the yeast to multiple, I managed to re-create our classroom recipe with success. An interesting twist to this bread recipe, is that it called for roasted garlic cloves inside the bread. Genius! I topped it with course celtic sea salt and rosemary. Pure heaven!

To make sure we got our greens in, I also steamed baby brussels sprouts from our CSA and topped them with balsamic vinegar. This used to be a regular staple in my meals of long ago, even during my pre-vegan days. It was nice to re-visit this combination.

Overall, we’d rate this meal as 4 1/2 out of 5 carrots on the veganlicious scale!