The Green Balloon…
I’d like to think I pioneered vegetarian life in my little community, but looking back I think I’m being too optimistic about what people thought back then…
Growing up as a 70’s child in the West coast of Scotland, ‘Vegetarian life’ wasn’t really understood and you wouldn’t find a veggie option on a menu, never mind an expectation of choice. A generous offer of Ratatouille meant the chef had made a special effort and you wouldn’t just get what everyone else had minus the meat – an ominous space on the plate, a void filled with…. Nothing. So that’s my starting point.
Some 30 years later (well as much as i’ll admit to anyway) – have attitudes really changed? OK – so they no longer tie a green balloon to your chair at an event to identify you, and Linda McCartney doesn’t quite dominate the Frozen Food Veggie Aisle but not much else. With nearly 375 million vegetarians worldwide, who I’m fairly sure eat more than pasta – I’d say that’s an opportunity?
Oh no wait. Drumroll…. we have Goats Cheese, closely followed by Halloumi – hooray, roll out the bunting and put up the flags at this exciting culinary development. Every vegetarian must LOVE Goats Cheese, and therefore you will have it for a starter option and a main course option, and if you are really lucky – you can have a cheese course too! Or we have pasta? Hooray – I really want to eat tomato pasta whilst everyone else is having a lovely Sunday lunch! … and now we are getting somewhere… the reason this little blog exists … The Gourmet Vegetarian.
I love great food. I like exploring and discovering. I like to eat in nice restaurants, I like little café’s, I like gastro pubs and local pubs, I like street food, I like barbecue’s, you name it – I love it – the experience that is, but not often the food or the choice. Did I forget to add that I am married to a meat eating foodie, and a truly wonderful cook – but a ‘serve it rare or not at all’ meat lover! We have two wildly different and wonderful teenage daughters who also love food, Daughter No.1 (in order of birth not popularity – if you are reading this!) is super healthy and will try anything meat or veggie with a particular liking for Seafood, Roast Beef and Avocado’s.- served separately of course! Meanwhile Daughter No. 2 thinks anything ‘green’ is the work of the devil and would be quite happy to exist without ‘green’ in her life ever again.
So there we are – my kooky family – a mixed offering but united in our love for great food – and visiting all kinds of places, and that’s our journey, our adventure… finding restaurants and eateries that make us all happy.
I’d like to take you on our journey… so read my next blog and find out what I really think of restaurants and the divine inspiration that is a Vegetarian menu.
Follow me on @TGVegetarian and feel free to let me know your fave places and fabulous recipes. #Vegetarian #Veggieblog #Foodblogger #Blog101 #newbie
PS – First blog, would love comments and advice – but please be kind – its only a hobby 🙂
The Gourmet Vegetarian 