Orange Saffron Paletas - Vegan Month of Food

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

maggie and milly and molly and may

E. E. Cummings

maggie and milly and molly and may

went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)

it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

Here is Michigan we are surrounded by water, so we know what it means to find ourselves in the sea (or ‘lake’ I guess would be more accurate.) It doesn’t matter if it’s a hot August day at the beach or a quick drive by in the dead of winter – Lake Michigan is sure to put us in our place and help us remember how small we are in comparison to all of God’s creation.

This poem seems so old fashioned and sweet to me. How often do we slow down enough to play at the beach, to listen to shells until our troubles melt away? Not enough.

For some reason, in my mind’s eye, little Maggie and Millie and Molly and May are wearing those baby-doll type dresses with smocking and maybe a pocket with an appliqued bunny peeking out. Can you picture them?

Orange Saffron Popsicles (adapted from “Pure Vegan” by Joseph Shuldiner. This cookbook has the most beautiful photos and some pretty glorious food as well.)

Here’s what you need:

¼ C sugar

¾ C water

¼ t saffron threads (or more if you are lucky enough to have them, like me)

2 perfect oranges, zested, peeled and separated into segments

2 C fresh orange juice

¼ - ½ t  Rose water OR 1 t orange flower water

Here’s what you do:

Combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sugar is totally dissolved. Remove from heat, add saffron and set aside to cool.

Prepare the oranges by zesting them, peeling them with a knife so not one speck of the white pith remains, and separating them into segments. Place the oranges, orange juice and Rose water in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add the saffron water and stir.

Divide equally between popsicle molds and allow to freeze.