kite hill yogurt | Emily N Cannon

Let’s pretend it’s cold outside and not the dead of summer and things like turning on the oven don’t make us miserable.

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Anyone else mildly obsessed with the Bon Appetit YouTube channel?

I saw this recipe for smashed potatoes (not vegan) and was like, “Ooh. That looks…veganizable and delicious.” Then a friend posted about it on Instagram and said it was ahhhhmaaaaziiiing so I DM’d them to discuss vegan options.

Above: Smashed potatoes on a platter over almond yogurt with yogurt dressing, dill, parsley, and lemon wedges.

Here’s where it landed: the anchovies became capers (I used about a tablespoon) and olives (two kalamatas, roughly chopped) and the sour cream was Kite Hill plain unsweetened greek yogurt. I also used one chopped medjool date instead of golden raisins because it’s what I had on hand.

And it was really good. Oh yeah.

The potatoes were the most work, and I might not bother to do the boil-smash-roast process again when basic roasted potatoes would do, but one cannot argue with the elegance of Smashy McSmasherson.

For my money, no international cuisine embodies today’s theme of “original vegan” like Indian food. Sure, they’re more likely to cook with dairy, but vegetable oils are common and inexpensive and lentils, beans, rice, and other grains are critical components to dishes throughout the region.

At the farmers’ market this week, I picked up a few veggies that really lend themselves to Indian-inspired preparations: cauliflower and mustard greens. I’ve also had my eye on a recipe for fancy-looking roasted cauliflower and spiced rice dish with pomegranate seeds (also seasonal!) from Vegan for Everybody – and it was easy enough to find a simple palak recipe (pureed greens sauce) that would pair well with chickpeas, thanks to Vegan Richa’s website.

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I have GOT to improve my plating skills, ‘cause this is a unicorn rainbow of deliciousness and I made it look a little meh. OH WELL.