{"id":5355,"date":"2023-07-06T02:43:07","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T19:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5355"},"modified":"2023-07-06T02:43:07","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T19:43:07","slug":"4-plant-based-summer-food-trends-for-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5355","title":{"rendered":"4 Plant-Based Summer Food Trends for 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">A<\/span>sk any chef about their priorities when it comes to crafting a menu, and they\u2019ll likely tell you that number one on the list <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-pick-produce\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-pick-produce\/\">starts by asking what&#8217;s in season<\/a>. It\u2019s basically their surefire way of ensuring what makes it onto your plate is at peak freshness and has the most amount of flavor\u2014and why you\u2019ll find that most restaurants rotate their menus depending on what\u2019s readily available at that time of year (asparagus and peas in the spring, root veggies in the wintertime&#8230; you get the gist).<\/div>\n<p>With summer just starting, we caught up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/royelam\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/royelam\/?hl=en\">Roy Elam<\/a>, chef of <a href=\"https:\/\/donnajeanrestaurant.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/donnajeanrestaurant.com\/\">Donna Jean<\/a>, a plant-based Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, who revealed some of the top summer food trends to look out for to make the most of the hottest (literally) season of the year. From his top ingredient picks to easy ways to reduce food waste this time of year, Elam didn\u2019t gatekeep anything from us\u2014and all of his tips were crafted with plant-based folks in mind. Now who\u2019s ready for a poolside nosh?<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4 plant-based summer food trends to keep an eye out for, according to a chef<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>1. Using tons of fresh, seasonal ingredients anywhere and everywhere<\/h3>\n<p>While some fads emerge rather unexpectedly (Dalgona coffee\u2014never forget), it\u2019s easy to predict that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/seasonal-produce-benefits\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/seasonal-produce-benefits\/\">seasonal ingredients<\/a> are usually at the top of every chef\u2019s summer food trends each year. After all, they tend to live by the motto that fresh is best. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s always about what\u2019s coming into season,\u201d Elam says. This means that you can expect to find quintessential summer staples on most menus, like cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and corn, to name a few. On the sweeter fruit side of things, he notes that you should expect tons of stone fruits, like peaches, nectarines, pluots, plums, and apricots.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/summer-food-trends-2023\/\" current-title=\"4 Plant-Based Cooking Techniques Anyone Who Eats Fruit or Vegetables Needs To Know About, From a Pro Vegan Chef\" current-image=\"summer-food-trends-appetizers-in-small-bowls-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-01-05\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/summer-food-trends-2023\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/summer-food-trends-2023\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/summer-food-trends-2023\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That said, what\u2019s seasonal and \u201cbest\u201d will vary depending on where you are. \u201cFind what\u2019s growing around you. For instance, in Illinois where I\u2019m from, there are lots of corn and soybeans&#8230; But once, I found ghost peppers in a rural area of the state, and they were delicious. I would really encourage people to search out things that are growing around them first,\u201d Elam says. To that end, Elam partners with local farms to ensure he\u2019s always featuring the highest quality produce at Donna Jean.<\/p>\n<p>TL; DR? Always make the most of the freshest produce nearest to you as your first line of defense.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Smoking vegetables<\/h3>\n<p>Light and refreshing foods <em>tend<\/em> to be the way to go come summertime. However, Elam notes that one summer food trend he says he can\u2019t get enough this year of is adding nuanced flavors to simple ingredients by smoking them. \u201cI\u2019m currently working on making a smoked beet hummus for the summer menu that adds just enough extra umami flavor to the whole thing,\u201d Elam says.<\/p>\n<p>But like most things in life, less is more, especially when it comes to smoking delicate summer produce. \u201cVegetables don\u2019t like heavy smoke. Instead of using something like Mesquite, we\u2019ll use something like apple or cherrywood,\u201d he says. As such, Elam&#8217;s testing smoking beets using applewood, then mixing them with traditional hummus ingredients that yield a stunning Barbie-pink side dish. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CtP1Am3Pdsu\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CtP1Am3Pdsu\/?hl=en\">You gotta see it for yourself!<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that home cooks don\u2019t need any fancy-schmancy equipment to smoke fresh produce at home. To smoke foods, Elam uses a method called \u201chot smoking,\u201d which involves cooking the food slowly to ensure the smoke flavor is infused into the food. Although you can technically do this inside your kitchen, Elam urges against it. Instead, he encourages folks to take advantage of the summertime weather and head outdoors. \u201cWe have a huge hood that\u2019s pulling all of the smoke in the kitchen from our <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FIndoor-Outdoor-Stovetop-Smoker-Stainless%2Fdp%2FB01N1Q9CID%3Ftag%3Dwgtrx9017-20%26asc_refurl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.wellandgood.com%252Fsummer-food-trends-2023%252F%26asc_source%3Ddirect%26asc_campaign%3Dno-campaign&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fsummer-food-trends-2023%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Indoor-Outdoor-Stovetop-Smoker-Stainless\/dp\/B01N1Q9CID\">stovetop smoker<\/a>, but I wouldn\u2019t recommend doing it at home like this,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, when at his house, he uses a propane burner setup outside and a few heat-safe pans. \u201cI soak the wood chips for an hour, drain them, and put them in the bottom of a hotel pan. Then, I put a perforated hotel pan on top of that and a lid over it. Since the wood chips are kind of wet still, this will smoke and steam foods at the same time,\u201d Elam says.<\/p>\n<p>Then, the important thing is not over-smoking the food, which he says will make it bitter and inedible. \u201cYou just want it to be kissed with smoke nicely,\u201d Elam says. For beets, an hour is more than enough.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Simplifying side dishes<\/h3>\n<p>In most cases, seasonal produce is already exploding with loads of delicious flavors (not to mention nutrients) on its own. As such, Elam urges folks to simply enhance the subtle flavors of the produce with delicate ingredients. For example, he pairs cucumbers with a light and refreshing marinade made of olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Or, he&#8217;ll quickly roast eggplant in a pizza oven and pair it with a bomba calabrese sauce (a spicy hot pepper spread) for an explosion of flavor.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Using as much of every summertime ingredient as possible to reduce waste<\/h3>\n<p>For Elam, reducing food waste is also a huge priority at his vegan, plant-based restaurant. For instance, the chef has been working on a green onion project starring the stems, which he\u2019s using to make green onion kimchi. Another experiment he\u2019s testing out is drying onions and turning them into homemade onion powder (genius!).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, if you find yourself at the end of the season or with too much produce that\u2019s on the brink of going bad, Elam recommends fermenting or pickling them to preserve and prolong their shelf life.<\/p>\n<p><em>Can&#8217;t wait to try? Learn how to make beet hummus ASAP:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beet Hummus Recipe | Cook With Us | Well+Good\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lPTiRYXDBLw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimers__after_content mb-[18px] mt-[16px] pt-[16px]\">\n<div class=\"outline-earmark relative mt-[8px] pt-[10px] pl-[20px]\">\n<p>\n            Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.          <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ask any chef about their priorities when it comes to crafting a menu, and they\u2019ll likely tell you that number one on the list starts by asking what&#8217;s in season. It\u2019s basically their surefire way of ensuring what makes it onto your plate is at peak freshness and has the most amount of flavor\u2014and why &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}