Live Free Or Die. (Vegan New Hampshire, Day 1)

I am very excited to have the opportunity to do some summer traveling! The season commences with a weekend in Concord, New Hampshire with The Electrician. Bright blue skies and white cotton candy clouds, covered bridges and affirmations of beauty on the bathroom stall doors, it was a perfect day for a roadtrip! But, c’mon–let’s get to the food.

First was lunch at the all-vegan spot Cafe Indigo. I had tried their vegan baked goodies before at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival several years back but was eager to try their savory house-made seitan in a sandwich.

The location was kind of odd–in a kind of office complex off a lonely state road. But hey, it’s these kinds of spaces that a New Yorker finds refreshing. I chose their ‘The Rachael,’ Cafe Indigo’s seitan rueben: that homemade seitan grilled on rye and topped with a delicious special sauce and coleslaw. I inhaled this simple sandwich with enthusiasm and speed. For lunch dessert: Maple whoopie pie. Scrumptious! Ok, New Hampshire–what’s next?

Roadside berry farm.

Dinner time: Blue Moon Evolution in Exeter. This was our fancy pants stop. We started off with some freshness–their raw, vegan and gluten-free Vegetable Nori Roll. This was a heavenly appetizer made of nori-wrapped summer julienned squash, zucchini, red pepper and carrot with pea shoots and a delicate and flavorful sunflower seed pâté. These pieces sat on a delectable cashew wasabi cream. That cream was my favorite. And that pickled shallot! An appetizer like this is so exciting because it gets you even more excited about what is to follow.

Perfect.

My entree: a scrumptious Butternut Squash Lasagna. This beautifully composed dish had layers of thin, roasted Butternut Squash, organic kale, caramelized onion and creamy tofu ricotta, topped with tomato sauce and green pesto. I’m getting hungry all over again typing about it.

It was divine. What a special meal, New Hampshire.

Did I mention my cocktail yet? Beetnik After Dark, organic beet juice (!) infused tequila, Lillet (a French aperitif wine), Cointreau triple sec, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a splash of Agave. Mmmmm.