Vegfest 2006 brought close to 15,000 people to Seattle Center this weekend, where earnest young volunteers handed out samples from over 100 vegetarian vendors. Good news: not everything tasted like cardboard.
Best example: an outfit called Field Roast. Hadn't heard of them before. Not a fake animal meat like Tofukey or even Gardenburger, Field Roast has its roots in ancient Chinese baking techniques and Japanese Seitan. Seattle chef David Lee, working in an artisanal bakery ten years ago, added the bold flavors of European charcuterie--mustard, garlic, wine--to the mix. The result is a dense, rich and savory "grain meat."
Sampled the new line of Field Roast sausages--Italian, Mexican and Smoked Apple--all unbelievably tasty.
Lee runs Field Roast from a production kitchen in Georgetown and sells in 30 states (including PCC stores locally). Some time back, he started another company, Common Meals, to train homeless people as cooks; it's now run by a non-profit entity as FareStart. Clearly, a guy with his heart...and his tastebuds...in the right place.
