plantbasedclassblog

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A Voyage to Plant-Based Eating and Innovation in Empire City 

The Journey: 

It’s dinner time in 2009. Faint clanking and shuffling can be heard from the kitchen downstairs. The hand-me-down grandfather clock chimes six times and the pitter patter of three pairs of feet fly down the stairs. My sisters and I run through the house and crowd around my mother with hungry inquiries on the tip of our tongues. My oldest sister–-the tallest of us—can see right into the pan at the crisped brown meat simmering with rosemary. She asks what it is and my mother smiles down at us, “We’re having a cow tonight, girls.”

This is how all meat based dishes were described to me during my formative years. It was never just, “steak” or “wings” but instead  “cow” or “chicken.” Despite being an animal lover and avid watcher of Wild Kratz, at five I had not fully grasped the actuality of consuming meat, it was merely everyday life. But my mother, a vegetarian of almost thirty years, thought that it was pertinent that her girls were wholly cognizant of the origin of our food. She never pushed for us to stop eating it, but simply put awareness at the forefront of our minds.

It wouldn't be until age ten when my conscience would catch up to me and I began to follow in my mother's footsteps. There wasn't a particular meat-based catalyst, just the desire to follow along with my classmates as they gave up something for Lent. And while they resumed their vices on the next Holy Thursday, I was unaware of its end and just kept going. My Lent is still going steady almost exactly eleven years later.

The first few years were rocky, only because restaurants, companies, and relatives had not quite caught up. My once favorite activity of going out to eat and family dinners became almost mournful. There were several years where every restaurant menu was opened and subsequently closed with a sigh, salad again. But my plant-based streak kept going despite the lack of options, making do with roasted veggies, sauteed tofu and seitan, and copious amounts of pasta.​ I never wavered or intentionally spilled up…but there have been roughly five times I have accidentally eaten meat—at least knowingly. There were several times my devious cousins tried to slip me chicken and I am not sure if they ever succeeded. However, those days feel long in the past as the community of plant-based consumers has rapidly risen.

Vegetarian restaurants are plentiful, the frozen aisle is no longer sequestered to just chicken fingers, and my cousins have finally given up on sticking steak in my face. Even entirely vegan vendors, like The Vegan Market, have sprung up in the North, further cultivating the community of like minded eaters. Gone are the days of peeking around the first page of a new menu like an un-studied test, I now turn the page with the fervor of a seasoned plant based scholar; my passion for restaurants has been completely reinvigorated by the inspiring and innovative chefs around the world.

There have been several notable entirely vegan or veg-friendly restaurants that myself and my family have visited over the years: Rasa in East Greenwich Rhode Island, Life Alive Organic Cafe in Salem, and Engine Ramen House in Japan to name just a few. It would be on a quick trip to New York with my parents earlier this year that I would discover the one true standout amongst the nearly hundred places I have visited over the last ten years, Anixi.

The Restaurant:

Located in midtown Manhattan, Anixi is a fully vegan and kosher restaurant serving elevated comfort eats from Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. With ingenious spins on traditional Mediterranean cuisine, chef Guy Vaknin pulls you with the allure of classic bites and prying questions about its construction. 

Anixi’s namesake is Greek, meaning “spring,” after the fresh ingredients that come about with the new year. But this Mediterranean restaurant presents itself as anything but “spring.” Upon entering, the wrought iron gates give way to an emerald shaded art deco interior with 18th century marbled walls. Warm lights fall onto a smiling white-clad bartender shaking one of their signature cocktails in his left hand, he points to the hostess stand with his right. After a moment of waiting, my mother, father, and I are swiftly whisked away to a deep malachite half-moon booth.

While my party kept it clean with sparkling water, Anixi has an extensive drink list. There are over thirty wines ranging from Napa Valley to Istria and subtly enhanced classic cocktails. The innovations are not just caged to the beverage menu—the appetizers and entrees are spectacularly attractive to even traditional carnivores. 

The mezze, Greek for starters, is a collection of five different dips. They all sounded so delicious so our waiter, noticing our uncertainty, suggested we go all out and get all five. This included the Taramasalata, Ful Medames, Fire Roasted Eggplant, Hummus Masabacha, and Whipped Ricotta with your choice of dipping vehicle. While some sound deceptively elementary, they are uniquely elevated. 

The Whipped Ricotta is a heavenly light cheese topped with diced piquant aleppo pepper, slightly cloying apricot jam, and delicate saffron. The Taramasalata: a yogurt suffused with citrus, draped with a wafer of red onions, and a quenelle of golden seaweed caviar is absolutely exquisite.  But our agreed upon favorite had to be the eggplant. The eggplant was perfectly roasted and accentuated with biting mint, plus a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds which added a bright note of freshness alongside the drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We chose to pair it with their fluffy house-made za’atar pita and the petite vegetable crudite which added a bite of spring to the sauces. 

Ravenous, the three of us easily cleared the dishes. Now pristine, our appetizer plates were whisked away. We placed our orders for the main entree and a lengthy, but bearable time later our dishes arrived. 

Out of pure intrigue, I ordered the enticing Merguez, a spiced “lamb” kabob. Although it may seem like an odd choice for a decade long vegetarian, I figured that this would be the closest I would get to experiencing a real kabob. And dare I say, it exceeded my expectations. It was served steaming as if it had just been sliced from an authentic döner. Topped with a mesmerizing zigzag of peppery harissa and tahini, this speared imposter transports you right to Istiklal Street in Istanbul. Accented by fine charred potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes this counterfeit lamb is indistinguishable from the real thing, according to my father at the very least. The “meat” is tender and delightfully spiced, pairing beautifully with the sauces on top. It is a wonderful rendition of a classic Turkish dish. 

My father opted for the comforting archetype, the Khachapuri. Hailing from Georgia, this homey-style meal is a tasty take on the original–a crispy diamond shaped bread filled with cheese and herbs topped with a charming sunny side up egg. Nestled in an open-faced flakey bread and sprinkled with parsley, Chef Vaknin has miraculously replicated a bona-fide sunny side up with an equally puzzling, but flavorful stretchy cheese. The vibrant yolk holds itself together and with a light press from a fork—pops! Shocklingy, the inside is overtly…eggy. It's savory, buttery, and creamy all in one. While a simple dish in itself, the startling replication of the genuine commodities takes this from a basic eastern European breakfast to a feat of fine-dining. However, the ingredients used to create the cheese–likely a thickener such as tapioca starch–made the faux dairy a bit tacky. 

Finally, my mother picked the ricotta and spinach borek rolls. Served on what looks to be a miniature side table, the borek is presented as a wheel of flakey, crunched dough. The inside is stuffed with sauteed baby spinach, roasted sweet onions, and velvety housemade ricotta. On the side is a silkey labneh and piquant harissa that harmonizes with the aromatic pastry. Although quite good, this particular dish isn't as exciting as some of their other options. It is similar to the more familiar spanakopita, with the exception of the ricotta. However, this dish should not be discounted, because the labneh dip and buttery croissant inside boosts the taste to the next level.  

We all made quick work of our meals and waited with bated breath for the finale of the night, the Rose Malabi. The buttery cardamom and rosewater infused coconut custard is a light and nutty base for the crown of coconut shavings, chopped pistachios, and strawberry-rose syrup. It is elegant and fragrant without overthrowing the taste buds like other floral based sweets. A delectable but unfortunately haunting last course, I fought my parents' utensils and scraped the ornate glass cup for more. 

For carnivores, aspiring vegetarians, and unremitting vegans, Anixi is an alluring scene for those with more adventurous tastes; perhaps even for plant-based individuals looking to reminisce on their old ways. For myself, I found it an exciting glimpse into the future of vegan cuisine and its ability to open the eyes of skeptical on-lookers.

If you happen to wander your way into Chelsea, New York and have a hankering for a fresh, visionary bite, Anixi is the place to be. Just make sure you arrive solo—and with a growling stomach—I guarantee no matter the diet and whatever you order, it will be a dish you don't want to share.

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It’s a chilly Sunday evening in Somerville and the sun is filtering through dusted church windows into a space milling about with people and vendors. There is a line occupying half of the venue before spilling into an annex. Happy customers can be seen exiting the queue with a smile on their face and a box of sweets in hand. 

So what is the catch? These sweets–along with everything else being sold at this pop-up event in the Arts and Armory–is entirely vegan. 

Moore’s very own shop can be found right when you enter with pastel lettering reading, “Soy Much Brighter.” Her shop, which produces a number of remarkably delicious scented candles, lights the way into the rest of the market.

As you traverse the area, each vendor surprises you with something different. Some plant based innovators have surpassed the grounds on which was previously thought impossible to reproduce, such as meat and cheese maker, The MidCoast Vegan. 

Another notable regular at the market is the aforementioned bakers from VeegMyEats. Owner Sheena Salvador can be found at the end of a very long line with a smile on her face and ready with recommendations for first time buyers. For most of the vendors here, their products were founded from weekend passion projects or from the need to fill a personal want in a world with comparatively few vegan goods. When asked, Salvador says it was a combination of both. “I’ve always had a passion for baking, but when I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle, I noticed a lack of vegan treats,” Salvador said.  “I wanted to create desserts that not only satisfied my own cravings but also showed others—whether they’re vegan or not—that plant-based treats can be just as delicious, if not better. That’s how VeegMyEats was born.”

The evening wraps up at 4 P.M. with some vendors closing long before that. Including Sheena Salvador, who had completely sold out two hours earlier. 

Customers slowly left the venue, filtering out with treats in hand and a new found sense of community. Even first timers could feel the life in the air, non-vegan Emily Betwinek who was visiting the market for the first time remarked, “I was pretty surprised by the food and people there…that felt like my regular local farmers market–everyone seemed so happy to be there.” She added, “I’ll definitely be going to the next pop-up, I’ve got to get my hands on more of those cupcakes.” 

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A Vegan’s Way of Breaking Business Traditionalism and a Journey to Finding Fulfillment

Veganism, vegetarianism, plant-based: all terms often met with either intrigue or distaste from the masses. Most often equated with  outspoken aggression towards another's diet and videos online of wild looking people yelling inside a barbeque restaurant. However, there is a drastically different side of these diets and lifestyles that the majority of people are unaware of. 

The Vegan Market, founded in 2018 by Katie Moore, is a place where vendors and consumers can come together for a day of fun eats and shopping. Moore and other creators saw an absence of a regular marketplace in the New England area and sought to establish it–which they have been very successful in doing so. It started out with just a few vendors in a small space and has since expanded to a collection of over thirty different businesses. The pop-up market can be found right in downtown Beverly or as far as Boston. For them, it's all about uplifting small or experienced vegan vendors and connecting them with like minded enthusiasts. Small business owners from all walks of life are welcome, such as owner of the Jamaican restaurant RastaRant, Gigi Lawrence, or the meat and cheese innovators from Maine, the Midcoast Vegan. 

Moore is not just the creator of the market, but a business owner herself. Right in downtown Beverly is a charming shop by the name of Soy Much Brighter which can be found at The Vegan Market whenever it comes around. When Katie found herself searching for a non-toxic, vegan, and most importantly–adorable—candles, she struggled to find one that fit all her wants while simultaneously being sustainable and clean burning. So, in 2015 she dusted off her hands and got to work. For almost a decade, she has been working tirelessly to create the highly popular company she runs today. If you find yourself on the hunt for a creative and green candle with scents such as Pumpkin & Black Coffee or Orange Peel & Plum, Soy Much Brighter is just around the block in downtown Beverly. 

Could you tell me a bit more about your background and where you grew up?

Sure, yeah so I am actually from Florida. I grew up in southern Florida and went to college there. I've been in Massachusetts now for around 12 years. Florida was just not where it's at, too hot. I spent a couple years after college working down there and that's when I realized it just wasn't the place for me. I came up here because one of my ex-boyfriend's families live here so it was like an easy connection to just go anywhere but Florida and I ended up loving it. And I started my business shortly after moving here so it was meant to be.

How did you start your business, Soy Much Brighter? Did it begin as a hobby? 

No actually, my story is a little bit different from most people. Most people I think start from a hobby but I really just wanted to work for myself. I didn't wanna be in a cubicle anymore cause I was working for a software company in the customer service department and the company was great, it was fine. It was just God awful boring and just wasn't you know, satiating my needs. So, I was like, “I just wanna work for myself and be able to do the things I wanna do and create my own hours.” And one day candles literally just popped into my head. I was searching for something I could do and I loved candles. 

Were you vegan at this point in your life? 

Yes, I had been vegan for about a year at this point. I was going through the process of cleaning all my products and getting rid of gross products in my house and exchanging them for clean, vegan products and one of those things with candles. So it just came to me and I was just like I'll try this out. I watched a couple of YouTube videos and started making blends on my own and then I started and it was great. Shortly after that, like six months later, I just quit my full-time job and then went full-time with the candle business. 

Was there a particular catalyst for you for why you wanted to change your lifestyle? 

I think there's a lot of power in having your own business at the beginning. I think I wanted more control over my life, like I wasn't fulfilled. I knew I needed something more to keep me… I don't know, just interested in what I was doing. You know we spend so much of our lives working and I didn't wanna spend it being miserable if it wasn't gonna be enough for me. So that really sparked the interest in wanting to find something. I dabbled in art, I went to art school for a little bit, so I knew I wanted it to sort of incorporate art in some way, but not being an artist cause that's a hard pathway to go down. So when I came up with the idea of making candles back then–not a lot of people were doing it at the time like they are now, the market is really saturated–but back then it was just like, “Oh maybe I'll do this.” I didn't really see a lot of people doing it and thought that I would be able to make the labels and that could be the artistic portion of this. And actually along the way, I realized creating the scents that I make is the main artistic portion of making candles. It kind of morphed overtime. I also do a lot of graphic design with our labels and other stuff so I'm able to incorporate art into that but making candles in general is for sure an art. It’s definitely a lot of fun too, I mean 10 years and now and I'm not bored of it. 

Since your business is obviously vegan, when did you make that lifestyle change?

Yeah, so about 2012 or 2013 I went vegan. After that is when I started the business and then through the business is when I you know, I was doing arts markets here. There were some around town but I wasn't really impressed with the way these events were being run. So I was just like I could create my own event and it would be cool to have a vegan event that's more regular throughout the year and that's where I started The Vegan Market. 

 So you wanted to find a community where you could connect with other like minded people?

Yes, yeah exactly. When I started this in 2017, 2018 there weren't totally a bunch of vegan restaurants or places to go regularly. There's a few here in there, like all the Veg Fests in Massachusetts or around New England but they are once a year and that just killed me. I was just like why do we have to wait a whole year to have the food again? So my plan from the beginning was to have it be quarterly. So that vegan food could be more accessible to the community. Also in turn, the businesses that I brought in as vendors would have more opportunity for people to meet them and for people to enjoy their food and discover them really.

What was one of the main challenges you faced when first opening? Was it finding the right vendors?  

In the beginning it wasn't so hard. It became hard later on. I was doing the market for around 2 1/2 years I think before Covid hit and then a bunch of businesses had to close. So once I came back it took us two or three years. I think I brought it back in 2023 and because I was on a hiatus for so long and so many businesses were closed I lost most of the connections I had. Yeah, and then you know it's tough to get in and find that community again, so in 2023 it was difficult. I had to do a lot of outreach. At this point now that I'm two years back, it's not difficult because I don't have to do a bunch of outreach anymore. With the vendors who have vended with me before, it's sort of like social proof so they share with their vegan vendor friends. So through the grapevine other vendors can find us at this point. 

The last market I went to was a lot of fun with a lot of variety. Was having that variety important to you? 

Yeah, I try to do a little bit of everything. I want half of the market to be made up of food members and the other half products. Because I personally find it easier to find vegan products than vegan food but I think that a lot of people who are going vegan don't really understand or realize how easy it is. So that's a big part of it for me as well. 

Have there been any vendors that have really stood out to you in terms of what they are creating? 

Yeah, actually there's this cheese and meat vendor. His name is Tim, he owns Midcoast Vegan. I am constantly just like, how are you doing this? The stuff he makes is so good and every week that is something new. There's like a new flavor of cheese he just made and I just don't understand where he pulls that from. So that's very impressive to me. Then another one would be Veeg My Eats, she's a cupcake vendor. She does the same thing: she's always creating a new flavor. I think one of her main goals is to replicate non-vegan dessert flavors into vegan flavors. She uses the best ingredients that you can find. It's not really refined sugar, it's like the best organic food that you can find and because of that, I don't feel like shit after I eat her food.  Also, it's like the food that she makes is really incredible, it's like she's a boutique cupcake maker. I'm just constantly impressed by her as well. 

Finding ingredients was something I was curious about as well for your own business. What is the process like for vetting and sourcing all the ingredients and materials? Is it difficult? 

So for the most part, no but along the way, I learned–which I didn't realize at the beginning��that cotton wicks are not necessarily always vegan. Sometimes they're coated, actually the majority of the time, they are coated in beeswax. I learned that after a couple years and because of that that was difficult to source actual vegan non coated wicks, which took a long time for me to find. The place I have to get them from–the minimums are so extreme. We invest a lot of money to get it because it's the quantity. We have to pay a lot of money upfront but it ends up being cheaper in the long run. It's worth it. You know we have to have a vegan product, so that is the most difficult part. Other than that, glass, wax, fragrances, all of those things are all vegan.

How many candles do you think you make in a year?

Oh gosh, I have no idea. Thousands and thousands and thousands. That's a good question. I never thought to keep track of that.  

Out of curiosity, what is the wake up time for you and your employees? Is it a super early morning and wake up time to get the process started? 

Absolutely not, no. When I started this business I for years I was like I just want my own business where I don't have to get up like before 8 a.m. That was 10 years ago and I'm not as young as you anymore. So for me it's natural that I am getting up early these days, but I don't come into work early. I don't really believe in working myself into the ground.I usually get to work around 10 in the morning and I'll leave around four or five. Then the store hours are 11 to 6 so that my employees also don't have to be up super early. They get here around 10:45 and close around six so it's a pretty good schedule we have going. 

I was checking out your website and saw that you recently opened a creative workshop, Friends Forever Studio. Has your store become a community hub for you like the market has? 

Yes, yeah. We started it at the beginning of last year. And the idea came to me because I was racking my brain to figure out how we could pivot as a business. Because we needed to sort of work with the slowing economy. Inflation is constantly threatening us and because of that people aren't buying as much. When they are, they're spending less money in the store and then also not buying as many candles online. They're just not buying as often. This trend has been happening since Covid and so I finally was like I need to figure something out that sort of brings in another stream of income that's different from what we have going on right now. We're constantly getting questions about workshops and places for people to gather, so what I did was I transformed the back of our store. Where we make the candles–our studio–in the very back of our store it's like this long old car garage. It used to be filled with just tables for candle making, but I cut our candle making down a bit so now we only have a quarter of the room dedicated to it. It's just me now but I used to have another candle maker. But In order to make this shift, I had to sort of decrease our productivity there. I was able to kind of tear those extra stations down and then the rest of the room we basically did a makeover. I had a contractor come in and he put in new walls, cause again it was used to be a garage so it's really gross in here. It worked fine when it was just me in here but it had to become customer facing. So we put in new walls, new ceiling, new floors, got tables going. We've got a 90s theme going so I've got like some blowup chairs and a purple couch, 90s movie posters and things like that. That's the theme of the room. Then what we do is we reach out and curate different instructors depending on the classes we're looking for. We offer different kinds of art classes: we've got black printing, painting, journaling things like that. I have friends in the community just from being in business for 10 years so I know a bunch of other small businesses. I basically reach out to the people that I know and see if they wanna come and teach. They put together a class and then we advertise it online and that's been going really well. It's been a lot of fun. 

What do you think your next steps are? For either your business or the market? 

You know, I'm kind of really just digging going with the flow at this point. I spent the last 10 years trying to figure out what's next. I feel like I missed out on enjoying what was right in front of me in the current moment, so right now I'm good with slow sustainable growth just doing what we're doing and not you know trying to get too crazy. I kinda just wanna take a look at everything we're offering and make sure they're as good as they can be. Whether it's like editing labels or making sure the scents are as strong as they need to be. So just sort of going with the flow I would say and enjoying what's happening now. Not trying to crash and burn into the ground with our current economy you know. 

Finally, for anyone coming into your store, what candle scent should they make sure not to miss?

Oh anything from one of our newest collections, it's called the portal collection. There's seven scents and they're all just to die for I love them so much. 

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Spectacularity Delicious and Shockingly Vegan

Do not be deceived by the title…these cookies may be vegan but they certainly aren't healthy! These baked-goods by Jasmine Nicole pack a delicious albeit seed-oil-filled punch. 

“Oh my god.” Is the most common reaction that baker Jasmine Nicole’s vegan delights elicit with the first bite. When I first got the chance to experience them, my cousin had just hopped in the car after a successful farmers market shopping morning. We had immediately broken into one of the cookies and with mouths still full looked at each other and said, “Oh my god.” 

To this day whenever I have had the chance to–somewhat reluctantly–give up a bite, the reaction is always the same. This baker might just have been blessed by the heavens. 

To the delight of many local plant-based consumers, vegan microbakery No Cows Harmed is taking the leap from Connecticut to Massachusetts to sell their illustrious baked goods at The Vegan Market. The bakery was founded during the lockdown in 2021 when Nicole started experimenting making 100% plant-based macrons. Excited by the possibilities, she expanded her menu to include cookies, cakes, and cinnamon rolls and with friends' and families’ encouragement, she officially began selling them in summer 2024. The small-scale pastry shop has kept it local to the Connecticut area but will start selling at The Vegan Market in a few months. The market, founded by a Beverly Massachusetts local, is a pop-up monthly indoor and outdoor market selling entirely vegan goods and products. 

But thin and chewy cookie lovers beware… the only type of cookie you're going to find here is a crisp shell with a viscously rich center. As an avid fan and advocate for Nicole's baked goods, I will be breaking down several of the innovative and deceptively simple flavors that have been created this year. The good, the bad, and especially the gooey. 

The Strawberry Crunch 

With this cookie, Nicole picks us up and tosses us headfirst into a cool summer pool. Biting into this treat is like emerging from the shallow end and grabbing a Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake popsicle before your swim goggles come halfway off your head. It’s incredibly vibrant in color with a flamingo flush infused into the dough. At first bite, the shell breaks away with a soft crunch. The inside is decorated with dehydrated strawberries which adds a lovely texture to break up the gooeyness. The crumbled freeze-dried strawberry and cream crunchies that crown the top layer add another wave of nostalgia and deliciousness. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the sweetness level, as it is almost overwhelming. A younger me would have found it more than enjoyable, but my mature tastebuds unfortunately find it a tad formidable. Chilled or warm, this particular cookie is a standout amongst the others and absolutely an unmissable morsel for all strawberry enthusiasts.

Richness: 6/10

Sweet Level: 8/10

Deliciousness: ★★★★

The Lemon Crinkle 

The first time I tried this cookie–-I fell to my knees. Literally, it was that good. 

It is supremely decadent and seeped with an abundance of lemony flavor. It is far from overwhelmingly acidic, like found in a common lemon bar, but perfectly biting. It’s dressed with a dusting of powdered sugar that has been broken apart by the quake of the one inch cookie below, giving it that signature crinkle look. The sugar cuts through the lemon creating a harmonious balance of saccharine and tartness. And despite its impressive height, it is thoroughly cooked. The center emulates a simple Meyer lemon curd in cake form but just so much more elevated. 

Like a fine foie gras or any haute cuisine, this treat is best paired with a drink–just maybe not wine. I recommend a not-too-sweet iced matcha latte or unsweetened iced tea to accentuate the lemon tang. 

Richness: 4/10

Sweet Level: 6/10

Deliciousness: ★★★★★

Strawberry Matcha Swirl - Gluten Free 

As Nicole’s first gluten free bake, this cookie has its shortcomings. 

At first glance, it presents itself as a lovely twirl of soft green and bright pink. It’s a great deal flatter than the others but still holds relatively the same structure. And when broken in half the shell has a nice crack that gives way to a soft interior. However, when sampling either of the combined doughs, the flavor is unfortunately a whisper of its colorful exterior. The lusciously pink dough favors an artificial strawberry aftertaste instead of the exquisitely ripe strawberry that I was hoping for. The matcha follows suit with a vague notion of fresh green tea that leaves me looking for more. Amidst this, the texture is rather grainy, reminiscent of most gluten-free baked goods. 

Despite this, the cookie does have some redeeming qualities being a less rich and more subtle version of the others. For consumers looking for gluten-free confections this is a fine alternative and a great deal better than most other GF goods on the market.

Richness: 3/10

Sweet Level: 5/10

Deliciousness: ★★★

Nutty Blueberry Delight 

And a real delight it is! Blueberry, walnuts, with brown sugar notes? Oh my.

 Reminding me of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, this chestnut shaded dough is painted together with an indigo swirl of blueberries that's dotted with little white chocolate chips. Crunchy bits of lightly toasted walnuts and pecans sprinkle the hull of the cookie, accentuated by the elegantly baked crust. It tumbles into an impossibly moist middle, no doubt from the fresh summer blueberries. The brown sugar based dough pairs nicely with the chunks of white chocolate—but breaches into the too sugary territory. However, the absent cocoa chips are a tad waxy and don't add enough interest to be necessary. 

For those looking for the perfect summer to fall transitional sweet, this is going to be the cookie for you. For an added bonus, you can almost trick yourself into believing it's at least a little bit good for you (I mean, fruits and nutrient-rich nuts, right?)  

Richness: 5/10

Sweet Level: 6.5/10

Deliciousness: ★★★★

Bakery items aside, where Nicole’s business falls a bit short is entirely outside the food. The name, No Cows Harmed, is often met with a bit of confusion. It communicates very little information about Nicole's company–except her own values. It does obviously get the point across that there are, at the very least no cows harmed in the making of the cookies but it begs the question, “Well, are chickens harmed?” Which, no they are not, but the name remains a bit perplexing. When I first became acquainted with the businesses at the farmers market, had I not seen how mouthwatering the baked goods looked I likely would not have given the booth a second glance. I can imagine this goes for anyone not interested in plant-based alternatives as well. 

There is also the issue of when a baked good crosses the line of being too rich… and if that is the case here. Yes, the cookies are delicious, but the ingredients are simply very heavy. Some of the vegan alternatives end up being filled with a variety of different oils that while giving the interior of the cookie their characteristic soft feel, are quite dense on the palate. However, I guess this could also be considered a blessing, as the richness truly makes you savor it.All in all, this mini bakery is practically celestial—even if it may occasionally toe the mark of being a smidge too full-bodied.

If you happen to swing by The Vegan market or make the trek over to Connecticut, No Cows Harmed is an unmissable bite for sweet treat devotees. 

Seen below, Baker Jasmine Nicole at the CT Farmers Market:

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