Gratitude Gourmet (tm)

The evening before the Net Impact Conference in Ithaca, New York, Emily Sadigh, Young Women Social Entrepreneurs Board Member and Net Impact Lifetime Member, organized a dinner for some San Francisco Bay Area Net Impact Friends at Moosewood Restaurant. I had heard about Moosewood Restaurant from my friend Martina, and I was lucky to be in the Ithaca area to experience the Autumn-inspired Dishes. Moosewood Restaurant has operated for thirty-three years and has been known for its creative, vegetarian cooking in addition to being named one of the most influential restaurants of the 20th Century by Bon Appetit magazine.
Neil Minnis, one of the owners, gave me a tour and authored the Ginger Tea recipe in their newest cookbook: Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health which includes more than 200 new vegetarian and vegan recipes.
Melissa, the Front House Manager, mentioned to me that sometimes customers come into the restaurant at 3:30pm and ask what's for dinner. Sometimes the Chefs don't know because the food shipment hasn't arrived from the farm yet. It's that Fresh! Per Melissa, the food is "local, organic, fresh, and as sustainable as possible", and it's "not fancy, but home-style".
Most of the menu's Appetizers, Soups, and Entrees have the option of being made vegan.

A delicious mixed Appetizer plate was brought to our table:
1. Macedonian Vegetable Salad on greens
2. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with tomatoes, olives, and toasted sesame pita
3. Avocado-Tomato Salsa with organic corn tortilla chips

Lentil Sambar was another delicious entree shared by the group. It featured cauliflower, sweet potatoes, multicolored peppers, onions and lentils simmered with curry spices tamarind and coconut milk, served on rice with apple-apricot chutney.

My entree was Stuffed Squash with local and organic sweet dumpling squash baked with savory tofu, mushroom and walnut filling, served on wild rice pilaf, with orange-ginger sauce.
Melissa mentioned comfort food, and this entree is just that; a perfectly nutritious and delicious fall entree!

I highly recommend you visit Moosewood Restaurant and check out the new cookbook: Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health. Please share your favorite recipes from the book by commenting on this Blog Post. Thanks! :-)
Additional pictures from the visit include Melissa and Mary, Neil Minnis, Net Impact San Francisco Group, Pumpkintini, and Kitchen.