Your favorite personal chef offers a new menu! For delivery to Boston and Beyond, Monday, August 27

Ah, August! What bounty the farmers markets offer us this month!

This lovely menu will be ready to deliver the morning of Monday, August 27. It helps to have orders in Saturday night, but I'll do my best to fill orders that trickle in all day Sunday too! Order by emailing rathercraftymary at gmail dot com.

Looking forward to seeing you Monday!

Much Love,
Chef Mary

P.S. Did you know that Sunday, August 26 is Women's Equality Day? It's the anniversary of the day back in 1920 that the 19th Amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote. Hooray!

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SOUP:

Roasted Beet Soup. Serve it hot or cold, depending on how you feel - it's great either way! Fresh and vibrant, and such an amazing shade of fuchsia. $9

PLATES

South Asian inspired burrito wraps! A delicious fusion of Eastern and Western influences. I'll take my hand-rolled gluten free flour tortillas and stuff them with coconut infused long grain brown rice, chili and herb infused beans with a splash of local favorite Alex's Ugly Sauce, and farmer's market veg du jour. I'll serve them up with a thick, gingery peach chutney on the side to dip. (Contains a small amount of honey.) You will love them! $12

Baked Beans with Veg du Jour! The best picnic fare, also perfect for a mini-getaway when you're stuck having lunch at your desk. Served with a pumpkin corn muffin on the side to round it all out. $11

Baked beans and some lovely veggies. This week's rendition will come with plenty of fresh local green veggies!

Millet Tabbouli! Tabbouli, tabbouleh, delicious any way you spell it! The traditional middle eastern grain salad gets a gluten free update with lovely golden millet. Fresh parsley, lemon, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes take it to a whole new level. High protein hemp seeds boost the nutrition even more! (Yes, I will make an all-raw, all-hemp-and-veggie version on request.) $12

Some gorgeous local veggies, ready to become your lunch!

BAKERY:

Pumpkin Corn Muffins $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread with Chocolate Chip Scones! (Chocolate free version available on request. Dip is raw; raw cacao and buckwheat crackers available instead of baked scones on request. Also available: dip or scones or crackers a la carte. A la carte prices by request.) $10

Oh my goodness do I love this stuff.

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Please inform me before ordering if you have any allergies or sensitivities. I do NOT use meat, dairy, or egg ingredients. I do not use wheat or other gluten ingredients. I do not use soy or peanut ingredients. I do not even keep them in my kitchen.

I DO use fresh veggies and fruits, local and/or organic when possible. I use nuts, seeds, beans, and non-gluten grains, also organic when possible. I use healthy oils in reasonable amounts, mostly extra virgin olive oil. I strive to accommodate individual sensitivities and preferences when I can, but please note that tree nuts and seeds are used in my kitchen so there is a possibility of cross-contact with those ingredients. I occasionally use gently and respectfully harvested honey, but I know not everyone chooses to use honey so I try to let you know so you can make an informed decision.

The following is not a comprehensive ingredients list, but is a guide to help the very sensitive make informed decisions. Please still remind me of your sensitivities when you order. Thanks!

SOUP: Contains cashews; can be omitted on request. Contains a small amount of cooked garlic.
TABBOULI: Contains a small amount of raw garlic; can be omitted on request. No nuts; contains hemp seeds.
BURRITO: Contains cooked garlic. Alex's Ugly Sauce contains a small amount of honey. Homemade peach chutney also contains a small amount of honey. No nuts.
BAKED BEANS: Small amount of cooked garlic.
HAZELNUT SPREAD: Contains nuts and chocolate. Can make it cinnamon-vanilla instead of chocolate, on request. Scones contain cashew; can be made without chocolate on request. Raw Cacao crackers (raw alternative to scones) contain sprouted buckwheat, flax, raw cacao, and truly raw cashews.
MUFFINS: Contain corn, flaxseed, and nut milk.

Special dietary paths:

RAW: Choose raw version of tabbouli, and chocolate spread with raw crackers.
ACD: Choose soup, tabbouli, and the burritos if you tolerate grains.
SCD/GRAIN FREE: Choose soup, raw version of tabbouli, baked beans if you tolerate beans (omit muffin or give it to a friend,) and chocolate hazelnut spread a la carte. (Raw cacao crackers contain buckwheat, a pseudograin, not a true grain - choose those if you tolerate buckwheat.)

A new menu is here! For delivery Monday morning, August 20 to Boston and beyond!

Hello all you wonderful folks out in CraftyLand!

This coming week, I have an amazing new menu for you, just packed with all our favorite local fresh fruits and veggies. It is so much fun to create recipes and menus in August, because the farmers' markets are just overflowing with absolutely gorgeous fresh fruits and veggies!

Without further ado, here it is, your new menu for next Monday, August 20!

Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP

Gazpacho! The ultimate chilled summer soup, featuring local heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. $9

PLATES

Enchiladas! Lots of local veggies inside, fresh local tomatillo sauce on top, and cultured cashew creme on the side. $12

Herbed kinawa, cooked in homemade veg broth, topped with almonds, served with local veg du jour. Kinawa is an even-tinier cousin to quinoa; rich in iron, protein, and all sorts of good stuff! $11

Veggie Sushi! Brown rice and julienned veggies rolled up in nori seaweed with sesame seeds. Served with homemade quickled ginger and a side of a creamy wasabi-cashew dipping sauce. (Sauce and quickle contain honey. Raw all-veg version available.) $12

Southwestern Black Bean Dip with crunchy veggies. (Did you know if you don't like a certain crunchy veggie, you can always ask me to make sure you don't get it in your assortment of dippers? It's true!) $10

BAKERY

Sweet Cinnamon Maple Bean Dip, blended up with a dollop of creamy almond butter. With chewy house-dried honey apple slices to dip. $9

Morning Glory Muffins! The "Everything" of muffins, named after Morning Glory Farm on Martha's Vineyard, our hosts a couple weeks ago! Full of carrots, apples, nuts, cinnamon, even pineapple and coconut! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

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Please inform me before ordering if you have any allergies or sensitivities. I do not use any meat, dairy, or egg ingredients. I do not use peanut, wheat, or other gluten-containing ingredients.

I do use a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, local and/or organic when possible. I also use tree nuts, seeds, beans, and non-gluten-containing grains, also organic when possible. I occasionally use ethically sourced honey, but because some people choose not to use honey I let you know when I use it. (I'm using it this week in the sushi!) The following is not a comprehensive list of ingredients, so please do remind me if I have forgotten to include your dietary sensitivity or path.

COMMON ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITIES, listed by dish:

*Soup contains raw garlic, but otherwise should be safe all around.
*Enchiladas contain corn and cooked garlic. Cashew sauce may be omitted easily.
*Kinawa may be nut-free easily; simply omit almonds and/or sub pepitas if you prefer. A tiny bit of garlic will be cooked into veg broth, but no extra will be added.
*Sushi contains sesame. Quickles and sauce contain honey, and sauce contains cashews. Both may be omitted easily.
*Black bean dip should be safe all around, as long as you tolerate beans. I can omit the garlic on request.
*Maple bean dip contains almonds. Apple slices will be dried with a little honey to prevent oxidation.
*Muffins contain flaxseed and coconut. Walnuts may be omitted easily.

ADDITIONAL DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS:

RAW: Choose gazpacho and raw version of sushi. I can also do a side of the dried apples without the dip, on request.
SCD/GRAIN FREE: Choose soup, raw version of sushi, and if you tolerate beans, enjoy both the sweet and savory bean dips.
ACD/SUGAR FREE: Gazpacho is a perfect choice. Sushi and coordinating sides will contain a tiny bit of raw, local honey, so use your judgement. If you tolerate grains and beans, choose all the other savories with abandon! Sweet bean dip contains maple, but not an enormous amount, so use your judgement.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Love,
Chef Mary

Happy August, everyone!

We are well into the season for zucchini and other summer squashes, plus juicy cucumbers, and even heirloom tomatoes. I picked up the first local broccoli of the summer today, and assorted stone fruit to experiment with for future recipes. I am so excited!

This coming week, the schedule is changing! I am in the process of adjusting my schedule so that I can have your food to you on Monday mornings from now on. So this menu will be delivered not on Tuesday afternoon, but instead on Monday morning, August 13. Please let me know if you have any specific time constraints, or if your Monday location going forward will be different from what your Tuesday location has been.

Because of the new schedule change, it will help to get orders in by Saturday night, if possible. As always, orders are a la carte - order as much or as little as makes sense for you this week, and I will be happy to bring it right to your home, office, or classroom (within a sensible delivery area, of course.) If Monday is absolutely impossible for you, I may be able to stop by Tuesday or another day, by special arrangement. And of course, feel free to inquire about special orders at any time!

Thank you so much! I look forward to cooking for all of you very soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Creamy local zucchini soup. With seasonal herbs, finished with a dollop of cashew creme. Yes, an all-raw version will be available on request. $9

Zucchini and Herb Soup! This variation with Cilantro.

PLATES:

Quinoa salad. All sorts of fresh, local veggies, with everyone's favorite pseudograin, in a Dijon balsamic vinaigrette. Topped off with crunchy pepitas. Yes, an all-raw version with just veggies and seeds will be available on request. $12

 Farm Fresh Veggies!

Slow-roasted local heirloom tomatoes and farmers market veggies, served over delicious gluten free pasta. Topped with a protein-packed crumble of selenium-rich Brazil nuts and nutritional yeast. Yes, an all-raw version with kelp noodles and raw veggies will be available on request. $12

Chioggia Beets

 Tuscan style white bean dip with herbs. Served with crunchy fresh veggies to dip! $10

BAKERY:

Banana buckwheat chocolate chip muffins. Everyone's favorite! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Original style granola balls: cranberries, raisins, nuts, seeds, almond butter, gluten free oats, spices, and general amazingness. Crunchy, chewy, delicious! $9

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Please inform me before ordering if you have any sensitivities or allergies. Rather Crafty does not use any meat, egg, or dairy ingredients. We do not use wheat or any other gluten-containing ingredients. We do not use peanuts, soy, or any ingredients that contain them. For our safety and yours, we never even have those ingredients in the kitchen. We use only vegan ingredients, with the addition of ethically produced honey from real farmers who take good care of their hives, and the bees who choose to live in them. Any time I plan to use honey in a specific recipe, I let you know so you can make an informed choice!

We DO use lots of fresh, nutritious fruits and veggies - local and/or organic when possible. (Stillman Family Farms is our favorite source for Conscientiously Grown produce.) We also use (organic when possible; most are unfortunately not local) beans, nuts, seeds, and non-gluten-producing grains and pseudograins.

Below is a rundown of additional sensitivities I'm aware of in our midst. It is not a comprehensive ingredients list, of course, so please let me know about your sensitivities. Ask me anything!

SOUP: Cashew may be eliminated on request. My homemade veggie broth contains a small amount of cooked garlic. Additional garlic may be eliminated on request.
DIP: Contains beans. Garlic may be eliminated on request.
PASTA: Brazil nuts and nutritional yeast may be eliminated on request. GF pasta is made from brown rice. Raw kelp noodles are made from sea vegetables.
QUINOA SALAD: Pepitas and garlic may be eliminated on request.
MUFFINS: Contain flax and bananas. Chocolate may be eliminated on request.
GRANOLA BALLS: Contain almonds and sunflower seeds. Oats are certified gluten free.
RAW: Choose raw versions of soup, salad, and pasta.
SCD/GRAIN FREE: Choose soup (raw or cooked,) raw version of pasta, raw version of salad, and also bean dip if you tolerate beans.
ACD: All the savories are great choices - I can certainly dress the quinoa salad with a vinaigrette of raw apple cider vinegar on request, if balsamic vinegar is not tolerated.

Mint Frogs!

A care package to make anyone feel better!

A birthday special order idea - a dozen cupcakes, a dozen scones, and some Chocolate Hazelnut Spread! (I can do special orders without chocolate too, I suppose...)

Welcome August, Happy National Watermelon Day, and an upcoming schedule adjustment!

Happy August, everyone!

Do you know that tomorrow, August 3, is National Watermelon Day? As soon as I found out about that, I had to veer from my original plans and put my chilly, refreshing watermelon soup on the menu in honor of this festive day!

Please enjoy this wonderful new, fresh menu! Place orders throughout the weekend for delivery on Tuesday, August 7.

I have important scheduling news: This coming week, I will still deliver on Tuesday, as usual. But starting the week after, I am trying something new! Starting with Monday, August 13, I am going to try delivering Mondays, in the morning! Yes, starting with the menu after this one, you should actually receive your food before lunchtime on Monday! We're going to try it out and see how it works. Any and all feedback is always welcome. I am especially interested in how early I can actually deliver to your home/office/classroom, and if you have a location change coming up as the weekday and time change, and the start of the school year approaches!

Thanks so much, and I look forward to cooking for you soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Raw Watermelon Ginger Soup! A touch of spice balances the sweetness of the melon in this chilled soup. $6

PLATES:

Carrot Ginger Nori Rolls! The original recipe, with plenty of fresh raw veggies, cilantro, and a handful of nuts and seeds. Local carrots are coming in all sorts of crazy colors right now, so don't be surprised if you see a touch of purple mixed in! Rolled up with spinach and nori. My favorite! $12







Summery Black Bean Chili with fresh local corn and tons of local veg! Served with brown rice. $11


Muhammara! This middle-eastern style walnut dip is traditionally made with roasted red peppers, but I am offering an even-healthier, just as scrumptious, raw version! Kissed by fragrant cumin and a splash of lemon juice. Served with crunchy veggies to dip. $12

Roasted Farmers Market Medley! All kinds of fresh, local veggies. What will make an appearance this week? Only the farmers know for sure! Served with millet and crunchy pepitas. $11


BAKERY:

Chocomole! There is nothing I love more than avocados, unless it's this rich, raw, vegan chocolate pudding made from avocados! With a dollop of agave vanilla cashew creme. $10

Pumpkin Spice Muffins! Yum! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

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Please let me know before ordering if you have any allergies or sensitivities. I do not use any meat/fish, dairy, or egg ingredients. I do not use any peanut or soy ingredients. I do not use wheat or gluten ingredients.

I DO use tree nuts, seeds, coconut, non-gluten grains, and lots and lots of fruits and veggies; local and/or organic when possible. Some sensitivities I'm aware of in our midst are listed below, but it is not an exhaustive ingredients list. I try to avoid cross contact between nuts and non-nut dishes, but please know that nuts are present in the kitchen. Please remind me of your sensitivities when you order. Thank you!

NUTS and SEEDS: Soup: No nuts or seeds. Nori rolls: do contain assorted nuts and seeds: cashew, almond, and sunflower. Chili: contains beans, but no nuts or other seeds. Muhammara: contains walnuts. Veg medley: I can leave off pepitas. Chocomole: I can leave off cashew creme. Muffin: I can leave out nut milk on request; contains flax.

GARLIC: I can leave raw garlic out of muhammara and nori rolls. There is some cooked into the chili. Not present in anything else this week.

RAW: Choose soup, nori rolls, muhammara, and chocomole.

SCD/Grain Free: Choose soup, nori rolls, muhammara, veg medley without the millet, and chocomole.

ACD: Soup is all fruit, so a good choice in stage 2 and beyond. All entrees are great choices, all stages. Chocomole is fruit sweetened, so choose in stage 2 and beyond if you tolerate dates and cacao. If you don't tolerate agave, simply omit the cashew creme.

HONEY: Not present this week.

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Upcoming opportunities to see me elsewhere: This coming weekend, I will be working at a Cuisine en Locale event on Martha's Vineyard. We'll be at Morning Glory Farm, cooking it all up locavore-style! http://cuisineenlocale.bigcartel.com/product/once-mv-field-to-table-at-morning-glory-farm

The following weekend, celebrating tomatoes in Brooklyn! http://cuisineenlocale.bigcartel.com/product/once-brooklyn-alottatomata

Someone recently asked me an important question about gluten. I often work events where gluten ingredients are used, I cook occasionally at the restaurant, and I cook every week as the Head Vegevore for ONCE a Week at Cuisine en Locale. The big question is: Do I keep separate, GF dedicated tools and space for Rather Crafty? The answer is a resounding YES! At CeL, I use CeL's kitchen and tools. Same goes for the restaurant. I always shower and change clothes after leaving those kitchens and before entering the Crafty kitchen. I even have gluten-kitchen-shoes and non-gluten-kitchen-shoes! The gluten in the CeL kitchen stays in that kitchen! I don't track it back to Crafty Land with me.

Here in Crafty Land, I keep my tools and equipment as free of gluten ingredients as is physically possible. Earnest has celiac disease, so going GF was an important step for us to take as a family. I've carried that level of care into my business! Crafty Land is also free of soy and peanuts (I'm allergic) and all animal products (except for raw honey, used with respect and care, and in only a few recipes.)

Some of you have celiac disease, or are otherwise sensitive to gluten. Some are vegetarian, vegan, or have other dietary sensitivities. Some of you are full-on omnivores with no sensitivities at all! I don't discriminate. I just want everyone to enjoy food that is amazingly awesome, fresh, beautiful, delicious, safe, and reasonably priced; all at the same time!

See you all soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

The summeriest of summer menus! For delivery to Boston and surroundings, Tuesday, July 31!

Hello wonderful folks! Can you believe it's almost the end of July?

It is definitely high summer here in Crafty Land. Right now is the best time to take advantage of some of the best produce summer has to offer, so let's get right to it!

This colorful new menu features so much local produce it's amazing! In fact, every dish prominently features at least one local fruit or veggie, and some feature six or seven or more! This menu will be ready to deliver on Tuesday, July 31. Please try to place orders by the end of Sunday night, but I do my best to fill orders that come in right through Monday. The earlier the better, though!

Thanks so much, and I look forward to cooking for you soon! (As always, allergy/sensitivity info is below the menu. Please inquire for even more details!)

Much love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP

Summer Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder! Corn season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate it than with the summeriest of summer soups? Yum! $9

PLATES

Guacamole! It is no secret that I love avocados. They are my favorite fruit! Here they get all happy in the quintessential raw dip, with peppers, cilantro, and lime. Served with plenty of crunchy local veggies to dip. My idea of heaven! $11

The Littlest Carrot

Quinoa Tabbouli! Tabbouli, tabbouleh, delicious any way you spell it! The traditional middle eastern grain salad gets a gluten free update with lovely red quinoa. Fresh parsley, lemon, cucumber, tomato, and quinoa take it to a whole new level. High protein hemp seeds boost the nutrition even more! (Yes, I will make an all-raw, all-hemp-and-veggie version on request.) $12

Fresh Local Produce!

Colcannon! Everyone's favorite mashed potato dish! Lovely new potatoes (yup, they're local too!) are mixed with cashew milk, plenty of fresh dark leafy greens, and a smattering of scallions. Served with roasted mixed squash and topped with toasty pumpkin seeds. $11

Beet and bean pilaf! Long grain brown rice, assorted types of local beets, and nourishing beans come together with fresh herbs and leafy greens for an amazing (and stunning) plate. Yum! $10

BAKERY

Chocolate zucchini muffins! A childhood favorite, rediscovered! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Raw Blueberry and Chai Spice Mousse! This rich, fluffy mousse has a secret ingredient: Irish moss, also called carrageen or carrageenan. It's a seaweed that grows wild in the northern Atlantic, from Maine all the way across to Ireland and her neighbors. It is an amazing ingredient that allows raw or cooked foods to set up in a way that is similar to gelatin, but I promise this mousse is 100% cruelty free! $9

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Please let me know before ordering if you have any allergies or sensitivities. I do not use any meat, dairy, or egg ingredients. I do not use any peanut or soy ingredients. I do not use wheat or gluten ingredients. I do use tree nuts, seeds, coconut, non-gluten grains, and lots and lots of fruits and veggies. Some sensitivities I'm aware of in our midst are listed below, but it is not an exhaustive ingredients list. I try to avoid cross contact between nuts and non-nut dishes, but please know that nuts are present in the kitchen. Please remind me of your sensitivities when you order. Thank you!

NUTS and SEEDS: Cashew creme can be eliminated from soup on request. Guac is nut and seed free! Tabbouleh is nut free; if you are sensitive to hemp I can leave it off; if you are sensitive to quinoa I can leave it off too! Colcannon DOES contain cashew; pumpkin seeds can be left off on request. Pilaf is nut free but does contain beans. Muffins are nut free. They do contain flax and cocoa. Oil in muffins may be sunflower or safflower seed oil (always cold pressed, GMO free, and hexane free, of course!) Oil in savory dishes is olive. (I also use coconut flour in baking, and virgin coconut oil occasionally as appropriate; let me know if you are sensitive to it!) Blueberry mousse contains cashews and/or almonds.

GARLIC: Soup contains a small amount. Entrees can all be garlic-free on request. Sweets are naturally garlic free.

SCD/GRAIN FREE: Choose Colcannon, Guacamole, raw version of Tabbouleh, and Blueberry Chai Mousse.

RAW: Choose Guac, raw version of Tabbouleh, and Mousse.

ACD: Guac and raw version of Tabbouleh are the very best ACD choices, but there are many good options! The muffins are the sweetest item, and not suitable for stage 1. If you tolerate fruits and grains, feel free to order anything else!


Thank you all so much for reading and supporting locally grown, freshly made food!

Much love,
Chef Mary

A rainbow of colors and flavors! Your favorite personal chef brings you a new menu for delivery to Boston and beyond, Tuesday, July 24!

Hello hello!

The time has come! Time, that is, for yet another amazingly wonderful menu full of summer delights!

The farmers' markets are bursting with color this week, and I'm so excited! This week, we have a veritable rainbow of colorful, fresh dishes, chock full of local produce to enjoy!

Please place orders through the end of Sunday night for delivery on Tuesday afternoon.

Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Curried Carrot and Almond Soup! Yum! One of my favorites, featuring a mix of orange and golden carrots from our favorite local farmers. Great hot or cold. (Raw version available.) $9

PLATES:

Baba Ghanouj! Yes! It is here already! I can't believe it either; it feels too early for eggplant. But our friends the Stillmans have taken advantage of the wacky weather and are already harvesting some really gorgeous, deep purple and white eggplants. I am going to roast them up and whirl them with tahini, lemon, and parsley, into the best summer dip ever! With your choice of roasted thick-sliced potatoes or crunchy fresh veggies to dip. (If you don't specify, I will choose your dippers for you!) $10

Local produce!

Pizza! It's pizza season again! This lovely, gluten free, summer rendition will feature a cashew-based creamy white sauce with plenty of herbs, fresh heirloom tomatoes, roasted zucchini, and roasted garlic. (I can skip the garlic and/or the cashew sauce for the sensitive types, and/or do a raw version on a dehydrated chia and flax seed crust!) Heat it up easily, or just kick back with a slice straight from the fridge. Yum! $12

A green pattypan squash, ready to be roasted and put on a pizza!

Raw Sprouted Sunflower Seed Hummus! I know, it's crazy to offer two dips on one menu, but it has been pretty hot lately and dips are really the perfect, easy to pack, convenient lunch! Plenty of protein, lots of vitamins and minerals, the good kind of slow-release carbs to sustain you through the afternoon, and just a splash of good olive oil make this a perfectly balanced meal-to-go! $10

Black Bean and Local Corn Salad! Cool and refreshing, with a solid protein boost! This colorful salad with a Southwestern flair will keep you nourished and cool. $12

BAKERY:

Blueberry muffins! This classic is a favorite with almost everyone! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Maple Walnut Granola Balls! Yum! Another popular favorite for all ages, from 2 to 102! $9

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Please let me know before ordering if you have any allergies or sensitivities at all!

I do not use any dairy, egg, or meat (including fish) ingredients. I do not use wheat or any other gluten-containing ingredients. I do not use peanut or soy ingredients.

I DO use a lot of nuts and seeds, as well as fresh fruits and veggies and non-gluten grains; organic and/or local whenever possible!

Specific dietary concerns and potential sensitivities:

SOUP contains almonds.
BABA and HUMMUS contain sesame; hummus also contains sunflower seeds.
PIZZA sauce contains cashews, but can be nut free and sauceless with extra veggies on request!
GRANOLA BALLS contain walnuts, almonds, and certified gluten free oats.
MUFFINS contain flax and may contain nut milk; if you are sensitive let me know. I can skip it.
SCD/GRAIN FREE: choose soup, baba, and hummus.
RAW: choose hummus, raw version of the soup, and raw version of the pizza.

ACD: choose just about everything in stage 2 and beyond; stage 1 use your own judgement with the following: Muffins and granola balls are sweet (but not too sweet, and made with reasonable amounts of 100% natural sweeteners.) Hummus and pizza contain nutritional yeast, which is a denatured strain of yeast that is NOT in the candida family. PIzza also uses baker's yeast, but it is obviously cooked thoroughly!
GARLIC: Not present in the muffins or granola balls. Can be eliminated from the baba, hummus, pizza, and the bean and corn salad on request. Cooked thoroughly in the soup (unless you order it raw, and I can skip it entirely in the raw version.)

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you all soon!

Much Love,
Chef Mary

P.S. UPCOMING SPECIAL APPEARANCES: This Saturday I'll be working at an ice cream workshop with JJ Gonson of Cuisine en Locale, where I lead the Vegevore kitchen and work on special events. I think we have another seat or two available in the class!  This is not a vegan event, but it is gluten free, soy free, and ovo-lacto vegetarian. Three of the four recipes we will demo do contain dairy and/or eggs; the sorbet will be vegan. (While I am vegan, I do work with local, gently produced dairy and eggs in others' kitchens.) Sign up here: http://bcae.org/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=7966&int_category_id=2&int_sub_category_id=5

NEXT WEEKEND, July 28-29, I will be guest chef at my old haunt, Centre Street Cafe at 669 Centre St in JP. In addition to the pretty awesome brunch menu and specials, we do have a few gluten free and vegan options. You can always substitute corn tortillas for toast or flour tortillas on any menu item or special, too! Come early to beat the lines! I think Marc will be on the floor as usual, with Amy filling in for G, who will be away. I'll be back in my old home behind the stove while Felicia is away, gettin' hitched!

A gorgeous new menu is here! For delivery Tuesday, July 17

Happy Summer, everyone!

It seems like the weather just gets lovelier and lovelier this time of year. And the local produce is amazing! If you can't get to the farmers market, don't worry! I've got you covered with LOTS of fantastic fresh produce. Giving a shout-out to our friends the Stillmans this week, who grow a lot of what we love best here in Crafty Land. I had the opportunity to visit their farms a few weeks ago and see everything getting all ramped up for summer, and it was really amazing!

And a shout-out to my parents, who have been married (to each other!) for 44 years today! Happy anniversary, you crazy kids!

Please place orders through Sunday night for delivery to greater Boston on Tuesday, July 17. Thank you!

And without further ado, here is an amazing, inspired, colorful, fresh, hot-off-the-laptop menu, just for you! Enjoy!

Love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Early Summer Gazpacho! Here's the greatest thing about this awesome raw soup: it adapts itself so well to all the phases of summer. Right now, there are lots of local cucumbers, and some varieties of tomatoes are already quite ripe and fantastic! Later in the summer, as all the great capsicums come in, we'll go a little heavier on the peppers, and we'll see different tomato varieties come in too. It's all about balancing with the seasons! $9

Gazpacho-to-be (okay, I actually took this picture last year, but isn't it pretty?)

PLATES:

African-inspired Sweet Potato and Cashew Stew! Warmly spicy, but not super hot, Aleppo pepper lends an authentic and lovely note to this stew of veggies and beans, with a touch of smooth cashew butter and crunchy cashews on top to round it all out. Served with millet. $12

African sweet potato and cashew stew

Curried Bean Dip! Everyone loves a good bean dip, and what's not to love? Caramelized onions, warm curry spices, and a side of cool and crunchy veggies for dipping! (A raw, bean-free, cashew version is available for a dollar extra.) $10

Seasonal Antipasti! There are too many amazing things in season right now not to feature a whole lot of them all together! What will appear on this plate? That depends on this week's bountiful harvest, but I might stuff some cucumbers with dried tomatoes, stuff some zucchini with herbs, marinate some green beans, and who knows what else will turn up? All I know is it will be amazing, and inspired by local produce and Mediterranean flavors. (Raw version available.) $12

Antipasti, including baked stuffed zucchini, salad of haricots verts and almond, beet and fresh corn salad, spicy stuffed dates, and lemon cucumbers with a sun dried tomato and cashew stuffing. Topped off with fresh red currants!

Potato and Fennel Salad! The first of the local potatoes are here! I am so excited about this! I'll simmer them up and combine them with some lovely fresh fennel, and dress it all up with a honey mustard vinaigrette made with some amazing local, sustainably harvested, raw honey! Surrounded by fresh greens and topped with protein and nutrient rich almonds, this is the quintessential summer lunch! $11

Local potato and fennel salad

BAKERY:

Zucchini-Walnut Muffins! Oh my goodness the local zucchini are amazing right now, and so versatile! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Blueberry Crisp! I know, we just had another crisp not long ago, but the blueberries are too amazing to let another week go by without blueberry crisp! With a dollop of agave-vanilla cashew creme on the side. (Raw version available.) $10

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread with Chocolate Chip Scones! Inspired by a recent special birthday request, I got a hankering for some of my famous chocolatey spread and so I'm offering it on the menu this week! (Chocolate free version and raw version both available on request, as are a la carte dip or scones - prices by request.) $10

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Please let me know if you have any allergies or sensitivities at all! I do not use any meat or meat-derived ingredients, including fish and shellfish. I do not use dairy or egg ingredients. I do not use soy, peanut, wheat, or any gluten-containing ingredients. When I use honey as an ingredient I like to let you know, as in the dressing for the potato salad; so that people who choose not to use honey (or who have infants who can't yet eat it safely) can make the most informed decisions possible!

I do use as many fresh, local and/or organic ingredients as I possibly can, and I support other small, local businesses!

If you are sensitive to anything, please let me know! Below is a list of a few of the sensitivities I know some of you experience, but it's not an exhaustive ingredient list so please remind me.

RAW: Choose gazpacho, and raw versions of curry dip, antipasti, crisp, and chocolate hazelnut dessert.
GARLIC: Present in the gazpacho. There's a little in the entrees but it's either thoroughly cooked or negotiable; just let me know. There's none in the bakery goods.
NUTS and SEEDS: None in gazpacho. Cashews and beans in the stew. Beans in the dip, but no nuts unless you choose the raw version, which contains cashews but no beans. I can do the potato salad without the nuts, leaving them off altogether or substituting pumpkin seeds. There will be nuts and possibly green beans in the antipasti; it's going to be a semi-improvised dish and nut-sensitive folks may choose to skip it altogether. There are almonds in the crisp, but cashew creme can be omitted. Walnuts and flax in the muffins. Hazelnuts in the hazelnut dip; a bit of cashew in the scones. Chocolate can be omitted from both scones and spread for rich vanilla flavor instead.
SCD/GRAIN FREE: Choose the gazpacho. Choose dip if you tolerate beans, raw version of the dip if you don't. Choose stew, omitting the millet. If you tolerate beans, great, but I can actually leave out beans from a portion of the stew if you avoid them too. I can do a grain-free version of the antipasti easily. Potato salad is great if you tolerate potatoes. If you tolerate buckwheat, you might enjoy the raw version of the crisp which contains no true grains but does contain sprouted buckwheat. You may love the raw cacao cracker with the chocolate dip instead of the scone, or you can get the chocolate dip a la carte and use it with fruit instead!
ACD: Choose the soup and any of the entrees, using your own judgment about how you tolerate potatoes. Let me know if you are following an ACD path so I make sure the only vinegar I use on your dish is the raw apple cider vinegar, and so I can make modifications to the antipasti if necessary.

Thank you all so much for your continued business! I look forward to seeing you very soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary