If you’re looking for a party idea for you and your friends, consider planning an afternoon or evening of vegetarian food prep. It may sound like a lot of work but it doesn’t have to be. Keep the get together small so everyone can participate… and eat! Invite five to ten guests and let them know that you’ll be discussing eco-friendly topics. You’d be surprised how many people are interested in learning more about the environment or sharing what they’ve been doing to live better.
Select a few simple recipes online or from your favorite recipe books. A few great resources are the Moosewood Restaurant recipe archive, Whole Foods iPhone app with grocery list feature, Food Network’s vegetarian recipe collection, or The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.
Head over to your local farmers market and buy the ingredients. If you don’t have a market nearby or if they’re closed in the winter, give Whole Foods or a similar health food grocery store a try. Buy some local organic wine, local microbrews, or some seltzer water and organic juice to sip on. Have some hot tea and coffee and some ultra dark organic chocolate on hand for after the meal.
Some ladies living near the beach in San Diego got together to make a few hearty dishes. They’re planning on making this a monthly gathering, similar to a book club. They shared a few photos from their first get together. They served polenta topped with mushrooms in a balsamic glaze, brushetta, and butternut squash leek soup. Looks delicious!
Washing and measuring the farm-fresh vegetables.
Slicing and dicing the celery, yams, and squash. Perfect winter ingredients.
Sampling the meal.
There are many variations of vegetarian or vegan themed parties you can have. The end result of enjoying a healthy meal with friends is incredibly satisfying. Keep copies of all the recipes you make to have them on hand to make for their other friends and family.
Natalie lives in San Diego, California and enjoys a healthy organic vegetarian lifestyle (with chocolate as the exception...). She does what she can for the environment and is constantly making adjustments to become greener in all...
