Go Ghoti

I was trying to come up with a title that would play in some way with the word fish since this post and the last one are primarily focused on raw, vegan, fishy dishes. Then I remembered learning about this word "ghoti" in a linguistics class in college as an alternate, plausible (given the largely nonsensical and quixotic rules of pronunciation in English) spelling for the word fish. Too silly? Too academic? Too irrelevant?

Of course, I don't really want to tell you about that whimsical little linguistic joke. I want to tell you about the Salmon patties, which were the product of a certain whimsy on my behalf. We've been really good about not eating flour or really anything at all in the way of processed food, and I decided to push our raw cuisine for just a day or two past the tuna. I spent a few minutes combing through Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen before I found her recipe for what she (less cleverly than I, with my ghoti) calls Save-the-Salmon Patties. These are mostly composed of carrot pulp, the masticated and usually composted remnants of making carrot juice, and a cheesy base made from raw sunflower seeds. She suggests serving them with an almond and lemon-based hollandaise.

I had been thinking along these lines, but holding off on making anything like a real plan for dinner while I waited to see what we would get in our very first farm-box from the CSA. When I saw carrots, I decided that this was a go. Of course, since I lack most of the necessary equipment to do raw food as well as one should, I don't have a juicer. I opted instead to simply shred the carrots. I can't say for sure what effect this ultimately had on the resuling patties, but I'm guessing that if one had access to pulp the final product would actually approach a salmon-type flakiness. With the shredded carrot, they were a bit moist but still very good. I also made my patties quite smaller than she recommends, so I got quite a few out of the recipe. Truth be told, I was worried about how they would dehydrate if they were too large or thick. The dehydrating technique I'm working with involves turning the oven on to it's lowest warm setting, and leaving the door open a crack. I let it go for a while, and then when everything seems to be getting warm to the touch, I shut the oven off. This strategy probably violates all the rules of raw food practices, but until the sun comes out for serious this seems to be my best option. I will not be defeated.

The recipe, which I found previously posted here, is as follows:

Ingredients: 

~ Patties ~
Pulp from 5 juiced carrots
1 batch of Sunny Dill Chz
2 tablespoon Yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Sea salt
2 tablespoon Dulse flakes,or more if u like
~ Hollandaise Sauce ~
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 Cup of water
2/3 cups soaked almond
2/3 tsp salt
1/3 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup olive oil
~ Sunny Dill Chz ~
2 cup Soaked sunflower seeds
1 Lemon, juiced
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh dill
1 cup water

Preparation: 

To make patties, place carrot pulp into lrg bowl with Sunny Dill Chz. Add onion, salt, and Dulse. Mix well. Shape into pattties, and dehydrate 5 hrs. This dries the outside layer and makes it look like real salmon cakes.
Hollandaise sauce, blend lemon, water, salt, turmeric, and almonds til smooth. Add oil and blend til thick.
Sunny Dill Chz,Blend seeds,lemon,garlic,and dill til smooth, adding water as needed to make creamy texture.

Here's another pic. We had them with raw asparagus that I tossed with just a bit of olive oil and salt. C swears this messed up his tummy, but I am doubtful. 


One final note, and it's really more of a teaser. I recently joined an online group called the Daring Bakers. Every month, they pose a different baking challenge. All the members make whatever it is, and then post their results on an agreed upon reveal date. That day is the 27th. Know that I have already completed the challenge. Know that I will be posting my results. Know that I can't tell you anything else about it lest the DBers find out and revoke my access to the DB forum. Know that there are pictures and at least one person (other than myself) disgusted with themselves for having consumed the delicious, decadent product of this challenge. Know that that person would do so again. And again. Also, know that I'm hoping for your comments. Waiting for them. Languishing. And if I don't get some soon, I'm going to change the title of this blog to "Howling (Vegan) Monad (Squared)."