I love travel, and I love food, so I was happily surprised when a cookbook titled The Forest Feast Road Trip by best-selling author Erin Gleeson came across my desk. The book is a journey through California with glorious illustrations and photos of the places that inspired these creative and delicious vegetarian recipes. Join author, Erin, on her journey and try these dishes at home.

Skillet Green Chile Polenta & Eggs

We had some incredible Mexican food while visiting San Diego—no wonder, given how close it is to Mexico. We stayed in Little Italy, which had an amazing farmers’ market right on our doorstep. Inspired by Mexican and Italian flavors, I came home and made this for breakfast.

• 1 C (360 g) dry polenta
• 4 chopped scallions
• 3 T canned diced green chiles
• ½ t garlic powder
• ½ C (75g) crumbled feta
• Salt & pepper
• 6 eggs
• 3 T chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado sliced
• ½  C (120 ml) salsa verde

In a large skillet with a lid, boil 4 c (960 ml) water with a pinch of salt. Slowly add the polenta and stir. After 1 min, add half the scallions plus the green chiles, garlic powder, feta, salt & pepper. Stir often on med/low until thickened a bit (about 3 min). Crack the 6 eggs in different spots over the surface then cover. Continue to cook covered for about 7 min on low just until the whites of the eggs set. Remove from the heat and top with cilantro, avocado, the remaining scallions, and salsa verde. Serve immediately, as the polenta will harden as it cools. Serve with additional salsa verde, salt & pepper.

serves 4-6

Walnut Enchiladas 

When I was little we had a walnut tree in the front yard, and we passed miles of them driving through the Central Valley. I love the protein and crunch they add here.

For the Filling

• 1 c (80 g) mushrooms, chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• c (90 g) unsalted walnuts, chopped
• 1 (15 oz/430 g) can black beans, drained

Sauté the mushrooms & onion on med-low with olive oil & a pinch of salt for 8–10 min. Then stir in the walnuts & beans until warm.

Next You’ll Need

• 8 corn tortillas or small flour tortillas,
• heated in a pan or over an open burner flame
• 1 (16 oz/480 ml) jar red enchilada sauce
• 1 approx. 7 x 12-in (17 x 30-cm) casserole dish

Start Rolling!

Pour ½ c (120 ml) sauce into the bottom of the dish, then start rolling a few spoonsful of filling into each tortilla and place them seam side down in a row. Fit as many tortillas as you can, then sprinkle any leftover filling on top. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas and

sprinkle with 1 c (115 g) grated cheddar cheese.

Serve with sour cream & avocado on the side

Serves 4-6

Raw Zucchini Sandwiches 

With a nod to the incredible Vietnamese and Korean food around the Bay Area, I like to make these baguette sandwiches in the summer when we have an abundance of squash. They are bánh mì inspired, with the addition of kimchi and thin zucchini strips. They are great for a warm summer night’s dinner, and they also pack well for a picnic. One baguette makes 2 large sandwiches or 3–4 smaller ones. Look for a vegan jar of kimchi without fish in it.

You’ll Need

• 1 baguette, preferably seeded
• 1–2 zucchini, cut into long, thin strips using a mandolin or peeler
• 1 large carrot, grated
• a few spoonsful of kimchi
• c (10 g) cilantro leaves
• lime
• salt

For the Spread (mix)

• c (60 ml) mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 t sriracha (or more)
• squeeze of lime

Halve the baguette lengthwise. Smear the spread on both sides of the bread then lay down strips of zucchini. Layer each of the other ingredients then add a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt. Cut into 2–4 sandwiches.

BBQ Corn Salad

After a day of swimming in Lake Tahoe, we went back to the cabin we rented and made a simple BBQ dinner on the deck. Food cooked outdoors always tastes better to me and the charring of the corn adds so much flavor to this dish. If you don’t have a BBQ, try using a grill pan or broiling in the oven on high until the kernels are slightly charred.

• 4 ears corn, husks removed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ red onion, finely diced
• ⅓ c (15 g) chopped cilantro
• ½ c (75 g) crumbled feta
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t Tajín seasoning

BBQ the corn, turning occasionally, for 3–5 min or until slightly charred.

Cut the kernels off each cob and mix them in a bowl with the other ingredients.

serves 4-6

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Ten years ago, Erin Gleeson left a food photography career in New York to move to a Northern California cabin with her husband.  Erin’s fifth cookbook, The Forest Feast Road Trip, takes an extended road trip around California where she, her husband, and three kids stayed in unique dwellings (all types of fun cabins and even a yurt) shows readers the beauty and incredible food of the Golden State. From the Sonoma County vineyards and the redwood groves of Humboldt to the desert of Joshua Tree and the lavender fields in the Eastern Sierras, the book showcases 100 vegetarian recipes, all inspired by her family’s journey by car, depicted in her signature aesthetic of atmospheric photography and charming watercolor illustrations.