Rivenrock Gardens Cactus Blog… go to www.rivenrock.com for edible cactus

Gracias Madre Restaurant
In San Francisco Features our cactus on their menu

We came upon a menu from the  fine restaurant in San Francisco called Gracias Madre.
It was a real pleasure, surprise and honor to see our name on the menu as their cactus source!
This illustrates the responsibility one has in business as a human to help others.

Thank you Gracias Madre….
we’ll work hard to make sure you continue to get high-quality cactus from us.

Gracias Madre restaurant menu

  Wow, this is one of the best food combinations I’ve ever made….
A most unusual omelet

   I started by grating an onion and browning it well in a skillet with vegetable oil
   I let it get really deep and brown, just starting to caramelize

   Then I added a couple of potatoes I had grated while the onions browned….
   Then I let it all cook for a while, stirring on occasion while I continued to grate the foods we had picked recently from the garden…

   You can see the browned onions on the bottom of the pan… I’d never grated onions before… I didn’t know I’d end up mainly with onion juice and paste. But it did brown nicely.

   We had picked some persimmons, sweet Hungarian peppers and cactus a couple of days beforehand. I grated all these things and added them to the mix that was stewing gently…. I like dishes where you can add pretty-much whatever you’ve got coming out of the garden. Adding a wide variety of different foods to your meals is a good way to get a wide range of vitamins and minerals… every food has its own little special packages of goodness to give you that is a bit different from what the other veggies have.
  I just kept turning it for a bit… the idea is to let it all cook slowly together.. into a big stew in essence…..
  I had second thoughts about adding the persimmons… but it was too late, they were already in there…

Continue reading A most unusual omelette

   The article below is a paste from the webpage ’100 Foods every Vegan Should Try’.

   Even if, like me you are not a vegan, you should really read vegan recipes and try to reduce your consumption of animal products to a  minimum for health reasons, if not out of understanding of the barbaric conditions many food animals have to live their short little lives under. Modern farming is not the farming methods of my grandparents wherein the animals are kept in open outdoors conditions, eating fresh green grasses and forbes…. they are instead stuffed into large barns by the  thousands, heel to toe in cramped conditions…. every time you decide NOT to eat a piece of such an animal, it reduces the demand jsut a bit. Year by year, perhaps the demand for such animals will reduce, and we’ll be left with only the old-style farmyard with animals given a large amount of space and room… before we kill them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A while back, Andrew of the foodie blog Very Good Taste, posted an article called the Omnivore’s Hundred. The “Omnivore’s 100″is a list of Andrew’s interpretation of the 100 foods every omnivore needs to try. The list gathered a loyal following as bloggers and foodies everywhere began following Andrew’s instructions to re-post the list and join in the challenge. He instructs everyone to cross out things they’d never eat and bold the foods they have already conquered. Fun right? Well as much as I loved the idea, as I began to read the food list I knew I couldn’t participate. Venison, snake, goat’s milk and haggis. Definitely NOT vegan-friendly.

Vegan Hundred.I love the idea of challenging foodies to try as many new, classicly delicious and unusual foods as they can. So I give to you: the vegan’s 100. One-hundred foods that every vegan (or any curious foodie) must try at least once. Check out the list and details on how you can participate in this foodie adventure…

The Challenge: Just as the omnivore list does, I challenge you to re-post this list and participate in the challenge! Cross out or italicize all the foods you would never eat, bold foods you have tried and update your list as you participate in trying all the foods on my Vegan’s 100 list. Then if you’d like, post a link to your list in my comments section so others can see how you are doing. I tried to stay true to the original omnivore 100 by leaving on a few of the vegan food items on Andrew’s list. However, since most of the foods were not vegan, there was a lot of space to fill! My criteria for food items were that they had to be either a unique whole food(like a lychee) or a notably stand-out-delicious way to prepare a common food (like scrambled tofu).

The Vegan’s Hundred

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or social networking site profile, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out or italicize any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment on this post linking to your results.

I hope you will join this vegan foodie tasting adventure.
Post the link to your list in the comments-if you have any questions, leave them in the comments as well!

…lets show the omnivores that the question “what do vegans eat?” definitely has over 100 amazing answers…!

The HHL Vegan Hundred:

1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales (we grow this, it’s all we sell)
3. Scrambled Tofu
4. Grilled Portobella Caps
5. Fresh Ground Horseradish ………(used to grow some, great for our own horseradish)
6. Sweet Potato Biscuits
7. Arepa …………(I’ll have to look this one up, never heard of it)
8. Vegan Cole Slaw
9. Ginger Carrot Soup
10. Fiddlehead Ferns
11. Roasted Elephant Garlic………. (Again, we grow this in our garden and I like to roast in foil w olive oil)
12. Umeboshi ………(again, something I’ve never heard of) 
13. Almond Butter Toast
14. Aloe Vera ..(well, we grow this and use it for burns, I’ve drank it prepared, but never processed it myself)
15. H and H Bagel NYC …… too far to go for a bagel, but not gonna cross it out, cause if I’m in NY, I’d try it
16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash……… yep….. Mmm good! 
17. White truffle  ……..(I’d try it, but not if I have to pay for it)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes  Does strawberry wine count?
19. Freshly ground wasabi  (I’ve made paste from the powder, but not fresh, would love it though, I know)
20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought) (umm, no)
21. Heirloom tomatoes (heck, Calif has more cool produce than anywhere!)
22. Orchard-fresh pressed apple cider  (my uncle used to make the best, I remember you Onkle Martin)
23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only) (yeah, hard to beat)
24. Quinoa (sister’s family spent some time in Peru and got addicted.. in a good way)
25. Papaya Smoothie (no, but sounds good to me)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper (just a bite!…hot! (Yeah, guys here grow the hottest they can to be more Macho)
27. Goji Berry Tea (no, but I’d give it a try)
28. Fennel (It’s a common herb, I’m sure I’ve eaten it in Europe….)
29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie (Yeah, my sis is vegetarian, her daughter vegan, they temp me with vegan goodies)
30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread  (gee, I just heard today of vegan butery spreads….I’m so in the Stone Age)
31. Starfruit (yes, it is good, but the price is too high… too rare)
32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread (used to have our own Sour Dough starter in the fridge!)
33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices (yes, at the town of Avila in Spain)
34. Sauerkraut (Doh, we used to ferment our own)
35. Acai Smoothie (no, I’ve only seen Acai in photographs)
36. Blue Foot Mushrooms (No, never heard of them, but I saw ‘Blue-Footed Boobies on TV (they’re birds, really!))
37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc  (again, I flew over NYC once, but never touched down)
38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo (no, but each with other stuff, will try it one day)
39. Falafel (yep, we even have a local chain called ‘King Falafel’)
40. Spelt Crust Pizza (no, is spelt like smelt?)
41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms (No, we have oyster mushrooms grow on trees here in winter.. but I don’t eat mushrooms I find)
42. Jicama Slaw ( jicama is pretty good…never ate it as slaw before though)
43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings  (I know what pumpkins, Ginger and Dumplims are…. put those 4 words together, I’m clueless)
44. Hemp Milk  (um, with my looks, if I bought that DEA would be raiding us fast!)
45. Rose Champagne  (I’m not a champagne fan, but I’d raise a glass if given to me) 
46. Fuyu  (the persimmon?… if so, yes, I’ve had it, but prefer my soft persimmons more)
47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup   (Never had it, but I love avocados, and coconuts are OK also)
48. Tofu Pesto Sandwich  (I’ve only had tofu a few times that I know of…. but I LOVE pesto, so I’d try it and like it I am sure)
49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice…with Extra Ginger  (never had it, won’t make it, but if I’m at your house and you offer it, I’d probably like it… would cure a fever I bet too)
50. Grilled Seitan  (seems I’ve heard of Seitan…. but have no idea what it is)
51. Prickly pear  (again, cactus, that we grow… eat it often)
52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk  (never had it, but seen it prepared on YouTube, so I’m game… I love almonds, a can a week
53. Concord Grapes off the vine  (yep, have helped pick grapes before)
54. Ramps (only used them for drining onto freeways (ausfahrt, einfahrt in German))
55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut  (no, it’s all old and milky by the time it gets here)
56. Organic Arugula  (LOL, we grew this in hte garden and tried to sell at Farmers Market, no one knew what it was! We’re Provincial here)
57. Vidalia Onion (Yep, they are good)
58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics  (No, but would try it if offered…. I’m kinda frugal with food money)
59. Honeycrisp Apple  (particular variety, don’t think I’ve tried it)
60. Poi  (never been to Hawaii)
61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores  (had Smores, but conventional)
62. Grape seed Oil  (yep, we use a dash of it on occasion… but so very pricey)
63. Farm fresh-picked Peach  (been there, grown that
64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus  (no, but one day perhaps)
65. Chestnut Snack Packs  (I’m so lost)
66. Fresh Guava  (yep, some folks here have good guava bushes in their landscape, pretty and edible)
67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
68. Raw Mallomar from One Lucky Duck, NYC  (again, I have no idea what this is!)
69. Fried plantains
70. Mache  (salad greens, we have grown mache blends for market, again, doesn’t sell well here)
71. Golden Beets  (we’ve grown them, they have a more tender taste, and don’t stain as much)
72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles (crunchy, dill…. love em)
73. Liquid Smoke  (we used this in the restaurant in High School, haven’t used it for 30 years)
74. Meyer Lemon (we have a meyer lemon tree on our farm)
75. Veggie Paella (I Love Paella, a Spanich classic… I prefer the seafood one at Gibralter)
76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional)  (I like Lasagna, meat is not necessary for it to be tasty)
77. Kombucha  (I’ve heard of this fungus thing that ppl grow under their beds, never tried it though)
78. Homemade Soy Milk
79. Lapsang souchong  (lost again)
80. Lychee Bellini
81. Tempeh Bacon
82. Sprouted Grain Bread  Does the breads from that LA bakery Ecclesiastes count?
83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh
84. Vanilla Bean  (yes, added it to other stuff a few times)
85. Watercress (I just adore watercress sandwishes)
86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself
87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie
88. Flowers  (yep, some here and there)
89. Corn Chowder (corn-anything, and chowder-anything are on my lists)
90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate (no, but nything dark chocolate is on my list)
91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi (we’ve had the fuzzy green ones plenty, never saw a yeller one)
92. White Flesh Grapefruit (eh, the yellow ones are sour, and I have to add suger to eat them, where’s the health in that?)
93. harissa  (sounds like the name of a girl I met in Morocco once….)
94. Coconut Oil (It’s on my list of butter replacements I will try)
95. Jackfruit  (I’ve heard of this…. but don’t form a mental image)
96. Homemade Risotto (I’ve heard of Risotto, but I’m not sure I’ve ever had it… )
97. Spirulina (Again, I’ve heard of Spirulina, but I’m not sure I’ve ever had it… )
98. Seedless ‘Pixie’ Tangerine  (Never heard of the variety… but I do like tangerines, one of the largest citrus nurseries is in our town)
99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought  (No, we don’t really eat out much.. too far to drive, too pricy, and I don’t know how to act in among fine dining places)
100. Fresh Plucked English Peas  (I’ve never been to England, but I kind of like the music. They say the women are insane there, and they sure know how to use it…. they don’t abuse it, never gonna lose it, I can’t refuse it)

*Want more info? Foodista links and HHL links are shown in a double list below*

The HHL Vegan Hundred:

1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales
3. Scrambled Tofu
4. Grilled Portobella Caps
5. Fresh Ground Horseradish
6. Sweet Potato Biscuits
7. Arepa
8. Vegan Cole Slaw
9. Ginger Carrot Soup
10. Fiddlehead Ferns
11. Roasted Elephant Garlic
12. Umeboshi
13. Almond Butter Toast
14. Aloe Vera
15. H and H Bagel NYC
16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash
17. White truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Freshly ground wasabi
20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Orchard-fresh pressed apple cider
23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only)
24. Quinoa
25. Papaya Smoothie
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper (just a bite!…hot!
27. Goji Berry Tea
28. Fennel
29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread
31. Starfruit
32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread
33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices
34. Sauerkraut
35. Acai Smoothie
36. Blue Foot Mushrooms
37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc
38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo
39. Falafel
40. Spelt Crust Pizza
41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms
42. Jicama Slaw
43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings (Kitchen Club NYC)
44. Hemp Milk
45. Rose Champagne
46. Fuyu
47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup
48. Tofu or Chik’n Pesto Sandwich
49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice…with Extra Ginger
50. Grilled Seitan
51. Prickly pear
52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk
53. Concord Grapes off the vine
54. Ramps
55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut
56. Organic Arugula
57. Vidalia Onion
58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics
59. Honeycrisp Apple
60. Poi
61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores
62. Grapeseed Oil
63. Farm fresh-picked Peach
64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus
65. Chestnut Snack Packs
66. Fresh Guava
67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
68. Mallomarfrom One Lucky Duck, nyc
69. Fried plantains
70. Mache
71. Golden Beets
72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles
73. Liquid Smoke
74. Meyer Lemon
75. Veggie Paella
76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional)
77. Kombucha
78. Homemade Soy Milk
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Lychee Bellini
81. Tempeh Bacon
82. Sprouted Grain Bread
83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh
84. Vanilla Bean
85. Watercress
86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself
87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie
88. Flowers
89. Corn Chowder
90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate
91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi
92. White Flesh Grapefruit
93. harissa
94. Coconut Oil
95. Jackfruit
96. Homemade Risotto
97. Spirulina
98. Seedless ‘Pixie’ Tangerine
99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought
100. Fresh Plucked English Peas