Vegan Treats at City Market 

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a duo of products at City Market that I hadn't seen before: raw, vegan "egg salad" and "tuna" salad. At the time, I was seeking mass quantities of comforting cooked potatoes, so I abstained.

This morning, I noticed a some new products from the same company, Vermont Fiddle Heads, so I decided to try 'em. I came back to the office with a bag of raw spice cookies (dehydrated, not cooked) and balls of Super Mint Fudge. Both sweets are gluten-free and dairy-free.

As an omnivore who luxuriates in butter, cheese and cream from small, locally-owned farms, and who enjoys cooked products such as gingerbread cake and apple crisp, I'll admit that my palate may not be well suited to judging what might taste delicious to someone who abstains from such items. With that in mind, I tried a piece of the fudge.

The soft, dark brown ball felt soft between my fingers, and I resisted the urge to play with it as if it were Play-Doh. The aroma was dominated by mint extract, which made my sinuses feel nice when I inhaled. Like a more pleasant, edible version of Vicks VapoRub.

After biting into the ball, I was surprised to find it quite chunky --seemingly with nut pieces and cacao nibs. The flavor had little incommon with the product that I think of as fudge -- a smooth, creamy,sugar-y dessert -- but it was not unpleasant, and is certainly muchhealthier.

The sticky spice cookie was also dark brown but studded with nut bits. It had a mildly spicy aroma.  The most interesting thing about the cookie's flavor was the fact that every bite was a little different. One had more salt, another had a bitter edge -- perhaps from a piece of citrus zest. The spices were detectable, but not overpowering. 

Both tasted fine, but would I choose to eat them just for the pleasure of it? Maybe not. When I want what I consider to be a healthy snack, I often eat a handful of mixed nuts and dried fruit, fresh fruit with a piece of artisan cheese or some olives, all of which I love. Nix the artisan cheese and they're all vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free, too. But not all raw. And definitely not local.

On the rare occasion that I opt for something sweet, it has nothing to do with health. It's all about living a voluptuous, sensual life. To me that means downing an eclair, or something similarly decadent, every couple of weeks.

But if you're a vegan proponent of raw food, and enjoy slightly sweet snacks that you don't have to prepare yourself, I bet that these will be right up your alley!