Yes, somewhat shortish notice! But what could be better on a fine summer's evening than some delicious raw vegan cuisine? Oh, and some super special guests...who are running a marathon every day of the year this year! Meet the inspirational Janet and Alan and hear how they power their muscles with nothing but good ol' raw! Get the background on their story at www.runningrawaroundaustralia.com.

Meanwhile you can get the details of the potluck / picnic from Gosia O'Reilly at Raw Tassie. As it's being held at a private residence we aren't just putting the address out, you'll have to make contact. So please get in touch via Raw Tassie.

Well, perhaps you were, if so you'll know how fantastic the spread was at the Raw Vegan Enthusiasts' (we don't really have a formal group structure, but capital letters are cheap) December picnic. Also what a lovely afternoon it turned out to be on Kevin's charming property at Crabtree. A big thank you to Kevin for hosting us. I'll post my recipe soon but meanwhile Ellena, who brought the stunning pumpkin pie brownies, said she learned how to make them via the video tutorial by Kristina. If you weren't there, perhaps the slideshow below will convince you to not miss the next picnic. Details after the jump, but first feast your peepers on this:

Next picnic (only 60 more sleeps!): Sunday 2nd February 2014 starting at 12 noon. This time we are gathering at Nut Grove Beach picnic area in Lower Sandy Bay, Hobart. As per usual please bring a raw vegan dish to share, your eating utensils and a rug to sit on. If you're interested in eating lovely food and discussing how to prepare it, you're invited!
If you want to know more about our Raw group, see the Facebook page or get in touch through the Otis Beanery contact form.

A lovely summery canape that is fresh and easy enough to make. As is commonly the case with raw recipes, you'll need to plan ahead a little.

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
2 cups sprouted quinoa
2/3 cup pesto

First you'll need to sprout your quinoa. Soak a cup of organic quinoa - try some lovely Tasmanian quinoa from Kindred Organics - for a few hours, rinse and then let it sit overnight to sprout.
Cut the tomatoes in half and carefully scoop out the flesh. Keep it, you can use it for something else :-). Rub some salt on the inside of the tomatoes and put them upside down on a paper towel.
While the tomatoes are softening you can make some pesto. Traditionally basil leaves are the main ingredient but I also like to add in various edible leaves from my garden: spinach, sorrel, radish, broccoli, kale, etc. Blend some generous handfuls of leaves with a little cold-pressed olive oil, lemon juice, a few nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc. are all fine), garlic and nutritional yeast until you have a uniform paste. Season to taste.
Next, fold the sprouted quinoa into the pesto until it's well-mixed. Use a spoon to ladle the mixture into the tomato shells and garnish with a basil leaf if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature. Makes 8 tomato portions..
Recipe provided by Alan!