HUNGRY FOR HEMPEH: Vegan restaurant Plant will feature Smiling Hara's Hempeh on a rotating basis. Pictured is Plant chef Jason Sellers' yellow split pea Hempeh steaks with smoked broccoli, homemade kraut and cultured spicy mustard. Photo by Daniel Judson
Hempeh, the latest delectable from Smiling Hara Tempeh, is finally hitting the streets — or at least doorsteps — after a successful crowdfunding campaign in late 2014. The soy-free tempeh, fortified with hemp seeds and beans, is being shipped to funding backers nationwide this month. Owners Sarah Yanceyand Chad Oliphant hope to distribute Hempeh through grocery retailers after completing additional product development and solidifying long-term hemp suppliers.
“We have farmers in Kentucky, including our friends at Growing Warriors, growing hemp for us this year,” says Oliphant. “We are currently producing our pilot batches of Hempeh with hemp imported from Canada. It won’t be until we have a supply of U.S.-grown hemp seed — late summer hopefully — that we will move into full production.”
Oliphant says limited supplies will be available at local tailgate markets this spring and on vegan restaurant Plant’s rotating menu.
“We’ll be playful as we learn its capabilities,” says Plant chef Jason Sellers. “But we’ll likely recreate the dish with which we first found its charm — sesame crusted peanut Hempeh with carrot pureé, bok choy, peanut sauce and a pepper relish.”
Until then, Smiling Hara’s regular product line will be stocked at many health food stores, the latest of which — Whole Foods Markets — is featuring the company’s soy tempeh at in-store hot bars across the Southeast for a limited time.
The tempeh troupe is also planning tempeh and Hempeh cooking classes, which Yancey and Oliphant aim to host locally this spring to “further connect with [the] community, particularly those who share [their] passions for tempeh, local food, and new and inventive products.”
No comments:
Post a Comment