Enjoy delicious plant-based avocado corn salad

BY Betty Williams

A person comes to grips with their age when their children’s friends start getting married. It’s hard to think of myself as an adult that has adult children, but the truth of that becomes more apparent every time I scroll through Facebook.

Imagining that little Suzie would one day grow up and get married was a given, albeit one that was years and years down the road. But thanks to friends posting their kids’ wedding photos on Facebook and Instagram, the reality is that day has come.

A friend’s son got married this past weekend and I, along with a few other friends, helped out with the reception dinner. We set up dinner tables, filled water carafes, opened bottles of wine and cleared plates. It was a blessing to assist our friend on this momentous day for her family.

They had a beautiful ceremony in their backyard, complete with a setting sun, twinkly lights and a trio of Monarch butterflies that spontaneously made an appearance. It was a sweet moment.

Both the bride and groom are vegans, so a vegan caterer provided the all-vegan reception dinner. For those who aren’t quite sure what encompasses veganism, it is the practice of abstaining from consuming any animal products.

Veganism can take several forms. Dietary vegans do not eat meat, honey, eggs, or any dairy products. Their diet consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains.

Ethical vegans take dietary veganism a step further and eliminate all products derived from animals. This includes refraining from wearing leather shoes, belts and bags, as well as avoiding cosmetics, toiletries and other items that are derived from animal products or products tested on animals.

Some ethical vegans also consider themselves environmental vegans and avoid going to zoos, aquariums, circuses, horse races, dog races and polo matches because of the use of animals.

When I heard that the reception dinner was going to be all-vegan, I was glad I had eaten earlier in the afternoon. I knew that our crew would be fed after the reception was over, but I wasn’t sure I would want to eat vegan Mexican food. Just being honest.

As I cleared plates from the tables, I couldn’t help but notice that most everyone had eaten just about everything on their plate. Some plates even looked like they had been licked clean (note to teen readers: this is not good dining etiquette). This plant-based dinner must have been delicious and now I was eager to try it.

I’m happy to say I was so, so wrong in my expectations about the vegan Mexican food. The oyster mushrooms in mole was marvelous. The jackfruit pipian tacos were to die for. All of it was incredibly tasty, fresh and lick-the-plate-yummy (still not good dining etiquette, but I couldn’t help myself).

As for the wedding cake, it was baked by a different caterer and was also vegan. After tasting that, I will stick with my butter and egg-based cake and buttercream frosting, thank you. But it gets points for being pretty.

This week’s recipe is from the Natasha’s Kitchen website. It happens to be plant-based and uses up the last of summer produce. I think you will find it delicious, whether you are vegan or not.

Photo by Betty Williams

Avocado Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
• 3 ears of corn shucked, cooked and cut off the cob
• 2 avocados pitted, peeled, and sliced
• 1/2 red onion (medium) thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (1/2 small bunch)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. lime juice from 1 to 2 limes
• 2 garlic cloves pressed or finely minced
• 1 tsp. sea salt or 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions

Place sliced tomatoes, corn kernels, sliced avocado, thinly sliced red onion and chopped cilantro in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lime juice (to taste), minced garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss gently until dressing is distributed. Serve immediately.