Saturday Farmers’ Market Vendor Feature: The Raw Guy

Who is “The Raw Guy”? Brian, a gourmet raw food chef and advanced raw food nutrition educator, started the business just over 7 years ago with a passion for community and the benefits of raw, organic and vegan food that everyone will love.

The Raw Guy a part of the Feeding Growth progressive food business community and a new vendor at the UBC Farm Market for the 2018 season. These spreads, crackers, sweets and kale chips have piqued the taste buds of many in our market community already so we got a chance to ask Operations Coordinator (and “raw guy pal”) Catherine more about the business.

What is your business name and how long has it been in operation?

Brian started the business just over 7 years ago. Brian attended Living Light culinary school prior to that and truly found his passion. With having his own farm and understanding the full circle of earth to table as well as being an ambassador for Raw BC it just made sense for him to take it to the next level.

Please share a memorable or meaningful interaction you have had with a shopper (at any market or sales venue):

It’s hard to narrow down a memorable or meaningful interaction as one of the best parts of going to markets and events is every interaction that he has. He loves being able to share his knowledge of what a raw, vegan diet can provide and all the delicious options there are.

Among the products you sell, what is your personal favourite and why?

Brian’s personal favorite is the Mesquite BBQ kale chips. Kale chips were the first product we came out with and among the 30 different flavors we offer it is the mixture of spices and the way they react with the rest of the recipe that have him hooked big time.

What do you like best about the UBC Farm Market?

For Brian, the best part of being out at UBC Farm Market is the farm itself, as it brings back so many memories of his days on his own farm. Having said that the thing that really ties it all together is the community feel that makes it one of his favorite venues.

Do you have a recipe that features one or more of your products that you would like to share?

The a perfect way to use one of our newest products, “Vegan Kream Cheeze Spread”, is with this recipe for a raw bagel: this one is my personal favorites!

Raw Bagel & Kream Cheeze Spread

You can also use this basic recipe to make a plain bagel, just omit the onion/garlic powders and the added seeds. Instant gratification – these are not. It will take about 2 days in the dehydrator for a “toasted” bagel, and about 1 1/2 days for a softer bagel. This recipe makes 2 regular-sized and 1 smaller bagel, or a pizza crust.

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds (soaked at least 2 hours)
1 cup carrots
1/3 cup dehydrated onion powder (or flakes)
3 Tbsp whole flax seeds, ground
2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil (can use 1 Tbsp)
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dry almonds, ground — This is the “cornmeal” sesame & poppy seeds, as needed

Instructions:

In a food processor, grind the soaked almonds and carrots together with the vinegar, olive oil, & sea salt. Add the ground flax and onion/garlic powders and process until sticky dough forms. You will need to keep scraping down the sides of your processor. You may also need to add 1-3 Tbsp water. If dough isn’t quite workable, you can let it sit for a while, possibly in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.

Form into rolls, a bit thicker then the size of bagel you want, and mush the edges together to form the shape of a bagel. Remember it will shrink in the dehydrator, so to get a normal sized bagel, yours should start out a bit bigger. Sprinkle the top, and sides with sesame &/or poppy seeds or… lightly pressing them in. Cover dehydrator trays with drier sheets or parchment paper, and use the ground almonds to dust the surface of where you will be placing your bagels. This will also make them easier to flip.

Dehydrate at 115 degrees until the top is slightly dry, flip over & sprinkle with more seeds, pressing them in. Dehydrate another hour or so & flip back over. Then leave overnight or roughly 8 hours. Carefully with a sharp knife, slice bagels in half. Dry halves until desired texture, flipping periodically.

Raw bagel pizza with sun-dried tomato sauce, cashew “cheeze” (like The Raw Guys Cheddar??), tomatoes, red & cayenne peppers, red onions, fresh basil, and spices or a Blue Cheeze pizza with TRG’s Blue Spread? A pizza crust made with extra dough. I think pizza is always just better on a bagel, even a raw vegan one. =) What do you think?

If you want to learn more about The Raw Guy, check out their Instagram and their website. They will be at the UBC Farm Saturday Farmers’ Market on August 25, September 22, and October 27. Learn more about other market vendors and topics on our Saturday Farmers’ Market blog! These weekly market blog posts are linked from our newsletter when they are posted; to get regular updates, make sure to join our newsletter here.