¡comamos! happened

Welcome to Messy Vegetarian Cook. She is a dear friend, an amazing artist and one of the best vegan cooks in London. She wants to tell you all about her enjoyment of the ¡comamos! vegan tapas club organised  by yours truly last weekend that featured the gorgeous food stylings of Vegan Peasant Catering and cruelty-free wines supplied by Vegan Wines Online.

Once you have feasted on her words, make sure you take advantage of this very special vegan wine deal: FGV readers simply enter code FGV5 for 5% off all purchases at Vegan Wines Online. Valid until August 31, 2012. Click here to shop.

Got your wine? Good. Take it away, Messy Cook!

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This past Saturday I attended ¡comamos!, a vegan Spanish tapas supper club organised by Sean (the Fat Gay Vegan), catered by Vegan Peasant, and hosted by The Third Estate. For a reasonable £20 guests were provided with a selection of Spanish tapa dishes as well as more regional Basque tapas (locally referred to as pintxos). Did I mention there was wine too?

Attendees were greeted with a choice of beverage, including still or sparkling waters or wine. Provided by Vegan Wines Online, there was a choice of 3 Tinto red or Yemanueva white (which is currently on sale for those interested). A bit about the wines – the Yemanueva is sourced from Bodega La Tercia, a family winery based in La Mancha in central Spain. This wholly organic wine offers floral and fruity characters, perfect as an accompaniment to tapas. A blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah grapes, the 3 Tinto Tierra de Castilla contains rich notes of black and red fruit and is a good all rounder. Bottled and exported by the modern Bodegas Aruspide winery in Valdepeñas, Spain, this red’s a keeper.

After downing a tumbler or two of the vino, we were invited to dig in; naturally I positioned myself next to the table so I could get right in there. The variety was impressive and included some of my personal tapas favourites: padrón peppers in olive oil with sea salt (incidentally, Sainsbury’s is rumoured to be stocking padróns now in select stores) and the classic patatas bravas.

The latter dish was a unique and welcome take on the popular tapa, with a smooth and creamy tomato sauce drizzled over roasted potatoes. It was a constant personal battle to not consume every portion laid out. Also dotted around the table were enticing bowls of aceitunas con ajo y guindillas, olives with garlic and chilli.

The pintxos comprised of a multitude of bread-based tapas, a selection of delicious toppings skewered on crusty bread with cocktail sticks. The piquillo con Manchego, roasted red pepper with faux Manchego cheese and the berenjena con calabacín, tomates y albahaca (roasted courgette and aubergine with basil and tomatoes in a balsamic reduction) were my top choices in this round. Other options, also delicious (and yes, I tried them all. Of course.) including garbanzos y pepino con melaza de grenada (chickpeas and diced cucumber with pomegranate molasses), chorizo con melon (faux chorizo sausage and melon), and aguacate con pesto de albahaca y tapenade (avocado with basil pesto and olive tapenade).

The event was a perfect example of how people with different skills could (and should) work together. Sean (Fat Gay Vegan), who is proving to be an excellent organiser of vegan events across the city, working alongside Diana and Adrian from Vegan Peasant Catering, has proved an amazing team. Combined with the space graciously provided by James and Angie of the vegan shoe and ethical fashion haven that is The Third Estate, it was a night to remember. Great company and great food in a fabulous space. What more could a hungry vegan want in a night out?

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