Potato & Nutmeg Vegan Gnocchi with Spicy Sherry Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Sometimes, there are weeks where I have entirely no clue what to write about. Other weeks, I want to write about something completely inappropriate or entirely too personal. This just happens to be the later. For your sake and mine, I'll spare you the "entirely too personal", as it has to do with my lower digestive track and it's inadequacies. Nope. This week, we're going to talk about something entirely inappropriate: my addictive personality.

In the past, this has manifested itself in many forms. Ingesting far too many hallucinogens, smoking exorbitant amounts of marijuana...you get the picture here. But as I age, my addictions become down-right unusual. One of the less odd examples is my cleaning neurosis, a stranger example is my addiction to cleaning my ears with Q-tips. I swear on my mother's name, it gives me the most euphoric sensation. Other odd addictions of mine include:

1) Crying to the Indigo Girls and Tegan and Sara.
2) CVS coupons.
3) Wearing only black, short socks.
4) Making sure I have no less than 10 pairs of black, short socks...and that every sock has a matching sock. If one goes missing, I lose my shit.
5) Heirloom Tomatoes. Some people have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), I have SPD (Seasonal Produce Disorder)
6) Not wanting to leave the house until the mail arrives. Yes, I'm addicted to receiving mail. 

Of course, I have normal addictions like coffee, making lists and buying clothes. I have to admit, though, I'm kind of a weirdo. Anyways, on to what's important...

If you missed my little note last week, I launched two new websites in preparation for my book.

1) VeganizeThis.org
2) A "Veganize This!" News Blog (special shout-out to Vegansaurus.com for posting an interview with me, giving me something newsworthy to write about and some damn good publicity.)

Also, I've started actively using my Twitter account. You can follow me @jennshaggy.

And one last thing before the recipe. If you haven't had the chance and are a Facebook member, I'll love you forever if you follow each of my blogs by clicking here and here. 

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Nutmeg Potato Gnocchi topped with "Parmesan", Basil
and Spicy Sherry Heirloom Tomato Salsa

For the Gnocchi...

• 2 1/4 lbs Waxy Potatoes
• 2 1/4 - 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus more if necessary
• 1/4 cup Vegan Heavy Cream combined with 2 TBSP Egg Mix (or Vegan Liquid Eggs)
• Large pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 2 TBSP Vegan Butter
• 1 package of Dr Cow Tree Nut Cheese (any flavor), cut into shavings
• Chiffonaded Fresh Basil Leaves, for garnish

For the Sherry Salsa...

• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 Shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 Heirloom Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small Red Chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 TBSP Sweet Sherry Wine
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 TBSP Fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped

First, make the salsa. Heat the olive oil in a pan that has a well fitting lid over medium high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, heirloom tomatoes and chilli to the pan, stir to combine, then cover with a lid and allow it to cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, pour the sherry into the pan, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley, turn off the heat, then cover with a lid to keep warm until the gnocchi is ready. You may need to reheat it for a few minutes prior to serving.

To make the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the potatoes until very tender but not falling apart. Drain well and peel while they're still warm.

Take some of the flour and spread it on your work surface. Pass the hot potatoes through a food mill, dropping them directly onto the spread-out flour. Take half of the remaining flour, and mix it in very lightly. Make a well in the center of the dough, and pour in the egg yolk mix. Add the nutmeg and knead until the dough is no longer moist, adding more flour if necessary.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a 3/4 inch thick tube. Then cut the tubes into 3/4 inch pieces. Using a fork, individually roll each gnocchi along the tines to form ridges on one side, and push your thumb into the other side to form a small well.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then drop the gnocchi into the pot. When they rise to the surface, they're finished. Drain well, place in a large bowl, then toss with the butter until all are fully coated.

Divide the gnocchi into individual bowls or plates, then garnish with the Salsa, Dr Cow Shavings and basil. Serve immediately.