Pot Luck Hemp Recipes
by Ruth Lefkowitz
HempWorld magazine, 11th Issue, Nov/Dec 1995

Mushroom-Hemp Paté
Hemp Oil Pesto
Dr. Alan Brady's Hot and Spicy Hemp Oil
Tomato Coulis
Hemp Rella Fondue
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pancakes

Have a hemp food fest -- and invite your friends! It's easy to start cooking with hemp. Check out the recipes for the foods pictured as well as many other ideas for culinary delights you can make from basic hemp products. Happy holidays!

For Hors d'oeuvres, you can serve Mini Falafels and Mushroom-Hemp Paté on bread toasts. The Paté is an easy preparation of finely chopped mushrooms and ready-to-cook Hempburger Mix from Cannabis Food Company. Both the hempburger and falafel, also by Cannabis Food Company, provided a great vegan alternative to meat, and was well received by even the omnivores in the group.

Mushroom-Hemp Paté

2 pounds fresh mushrooms
1 cup Hempburger
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
Horseradish to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Coarsely chop mushrooms. Sauté over medium to high heat until mushrooms release and evaporate all moisture (mixture shrinks a good deal). Add an equal amount of hemp burger and cook briefly. Remove from heat and cool and then add mustard and horseradish, fresh chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. This yields a flavorful mixture with a spread-able consistency for hors d'oeuvres or even sandwiches. Pair with a Sauvignon Blanc or Champagne.

The fresh, ready-to-cook falafel mix was very easy to prepare, delicious, and authentic tasting. As an appetizer or for the main course, we served it with the traditional fixings. The burgers were broiled or pan fried- just add the bread of your choice and have a new-age old-fashioned treat. Pair with a full-bodied Zinfandel.

Your basic larder for cooking with hemp products can include cookie and pancake mixes, roasted and flavored seeds, hemp non-dairy cheese and meat substitutes, and naturally, hemp oil.

Hemp oil is a easy transition for the hemp-uninitiated. It is a tasty and satisfying alternative to other culinary oils including olive. Fresh vegetables naturally taste great when dressed with hemp oil. Drizzle it on fresh corn on the cob, or a baked potato. Hemp oil will put sparkle into just about any salad with its light and nutty taste. It offers many nutritional benefits too, being high in essential fatty acids and amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

We used dark green Chinese hemp oil from Ohio Hempery, and the light, "virgin" Chilean hemp oil from Herbal Products and Development to make Herbal Products recipe for pesto:

Hemp Oil Pesto

1/3 cup hemp oil
1 bunch of basil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1 cup parsley with beet greens
filtered water (optional)
2 cloves garlic
juice of one small lemon

Put garlic and lemon juice blender and chop coarsely. Add the basil, pine nuts, parsley and beet greens and pulse lightly. Drizzle in hemp oil and blend at higher speed until sauce-like. Add filtered water as needed.

Serve on pasta and pair with an oaky Chardonney or lightly spicy Pinot Noir.

A versatile oil preparation is Dr. Alan Brady's Hot and Spicy Hemp Oil. Proportions have been added-you can try your own:


Dr. Alan Brady's Hot and Spicy Hemp Oil

1 tbs. brown rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Bragg's liquid aminos or tamari
1 clove fresh garlic
1/2-1 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. red dulse
nutritional yeast to taste
1/4 cup hemp oil
For best results mix ingredients in the order listed. Keep refrigerated.

Electric power is pretty essential for most of the recipes described in Christopher Kent Stewart's Hemp Live Food Vegan Recipes. Blend Hemp oil with fresh tomatoes to make a wonderfully lively summer salad dressing. Try our variation on the Ketchemp idea:

Tomato Coulis

3 fresh tomatoes- chopped
1 tbs. honey
2 tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 tbs. each freshly chopped parsley, basil and oregano
1/3 cup hemp oil

Mix first four ingredients in blender, slowly drizzle in hemp oil, continue mixing until emulsified.

Hemp Rella Fondue

Another great appetizer idea is Hemp Rella Fondue. According to Janet Crolius at Sharon's Finest, just grate desired amount of Hemp Rella cheese and blend while drizzling with hot water. Keep mixture warm while serving. It's great for dipping vegetables or bread.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A house favorite is the chocolate chip cookie mix by One Brown Mouse. As easy as any cake mix, the finished cookies are more than satisfying in both flavor and texture. The "bite" has just enough resistance, and then breaks into a satisfying crumb, and the flavor is genuine. We made them with walnuts and white and dark chocolate chips.

Pancakes

Pancakes were really fun to make and eat all the results! Prepared mixes by Cannabis Food Company and One Brown Mouse yielded high-quality pancakes, made in the traditional manner. For variety add a cup of applesauce or sliced bananas, and chopped nuts. Garnish with fresh or preserved fruit-we especially like our local blackberries- fresh or lightly cooked with sugar.

It doesn't take much effort to begin cooking with hemp. Ask for hemp ingredients where you shop to help with the education process. Have a Hemp Cook-Off in your neighborhood and send us the results, and have a Hempy Holiday!

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Ruth Lefkowitz is a volunteer management consultant at the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County. She practiced the art of pastry making for 10 years in East Coast restaurants and still works as a free-lance caterer.

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