EVENTS: Portland Veg Fest!

Events where you come face to face with your customers is the best part of working for a smaller grass roots type food company. I got paid to travel down to Portland and sample out our sausages while talking with like-minded foodies and activists. All of the foods sampled at Vegfest were required to be vegan, and the eats were fantastic!
This event is not as large as Seattle VegFest, though this year was the biggest draw yet, and there is more growth coming I imagine! Chef demonstrations happened all day long, and retailers of fine vegan accessories, food and books filled the cafeteria of Benson High School. I set up my booth in the back corner of the space, where Jill, one of the planners, generously hooked me up with twice the table space to accomodate my sampling. I came alone, so I was relieved when my volunteers were so good at helping accomplish the task of grilling and talking up the sausages to the people coming to taste! (Marie, Emily and Steel, Thank you!!!) I was even able to take a stroll around and get some lunch from the Daily Grind people selling this wonderful combo plate of Indian inspired rice, beans and my favorite Coconut Greens!!! YUM!
I also got to talk with Chad from Food Fight who has been selling our Field Roast since 2005.
A familiar face Chef Al was also there for the festivities and to do a cooking demonstration, which I was sad to miss. If anyone saw it maybe you could fill me in!
Also, a newer promising vegan food bar called Pro Bar was extremely tasty and filled with real food, not the processed protein bar texture we have come to expect. Jules brought me a bar when he came to sample the Field Roast and introduced himself. He has traveled many miles with his wife and four kids for Pro Bar, which I found out by checking out his website. It is really inspiring and you should check it out!! Thanks again to everyone who came out this weekend to make this event happen with such enthusiasm! Next year will be even better!

FIELD ROAST FOLKS: Mojo Market

Baseball, Apple Pie and Field Roast Sausages!

Randy Stevenson's Mojo Market located on Occidental, and less than a block from Safeco's Left Field entrance, is your source for Field Roast brand sausages on game day. If you are looking for a GOOD vegetarian option, you may have opted to visit a restaurant nearby before heading to the game. Inside Safeco the only vegetarian "Dog" option is the gummy, dried out, non browning veggie dog! Sound delicious? How about some fat, flavor and sizzle! Stop in at the Mojo Market and pick up an authentically made vegetarian sausage, originating from Seattle itself!

"Instead of steaming or boiling the dogs, we simmer them...we use a mix of BBQ sauce, peppers, onions, and kraut to cook the flavor into the dogs" says Manager Byron. The decision to bring the Field Roast sausages onto the menu was made by Randy, our primary guy at Mojo, who said "David came in to give us samples, and we’d been looking for a good veggie dog to use…when we sampled it, we actually liked it, and our customers love it, so we’ve been selling them ever since!" You can add the onions and peppers from the sauce to the top of your dog, or just have it plain, but no matter which way you prefer your Mojo sausage; it’s going to be good.

On a personal note, I would like to thank the guys at Mojo Market for feeding me lunch that day and making me feel welcome! I love meeting and chatting up our customers that are generally in the non-vegetarian spectrum of the food world. It is a testament to why we make good vegan sausages here at Field Roast, vendors who are looking for quality can get behind a vegan sausage like ours...thanks for reading and eating!.

RECIPE: Italian Sausage Orzo Salad

This salad is simple, light and delicious. Chef Stephen Holtz whipped this up for a recent photo shoot and we liked it so much, we thought we’d share the recipe with you. For brunch, dinner and/or for lunch this salad is satisfying and nutritious. Check it out.

3 Field Roast Italian Sausage links
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2/3 cup chopped sweet red and green pepper
1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, halved or whole 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup walnut pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook orzo pasta as directed on packaging.

Heat grill to medium to high setting. Slice open the sausage casing and peel. Slice each sausage into 3/4 inch pieces on the bias to get a larger grilling surface, brush with a high heat oil and place them on the grill for about 2 mins. each side.

Chop peppers, onion, and herbs; set aside

Mix together the orzo and Italian Sausage, add the vegetables, olives and herbs. Pour on the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and combine. Sprinkle the top with walnuts; salt and pepper to taste.