as a young boy i'd go with my father down to the pier to catch crabs. after that we'd go pry mussels of the rocks at low tide with a crowbar. on the way home we'd stop at the local fish monger to pick up some scallops. we'd stop in at our neighbors house, an old retired teamster, to pick up some home grown tomatoes, fennel, and onions. when we'd get home somehow my dad transformed it all into cioppino, and italian seafood stew. that is the only thing i deeply miss from my omnivore days, and i'm proud to say i've figured out a vegan version.

i went to the shore at a super low tide, and collected 3 varieties of seaweed (sea palm, sea sac, and boa kelp). so ya, here's what i made.

1 large can stewed tomato (fresh if you've got em in yer garden)
1 large fennel bulb
1 large onion
3 Tbs mushroom sauce (you can find this at asian markets. if you cant find it, go ahead and use real mushrooms)
3-4 cloves of garlic
2-3 bay leaves
2 Tbs crushed red peppers
1 Tbs sea salt
black pepper to taste. i don't like much so add very little
2 tbs thyme
2 cups water
1/2 -1 cup red wine
olive oil (you decide how fatsy you want it to be)
1 package of firm tofu
a pound or two of fresh seaweed (if you can't get to the shore at low tide asian markets often sell it fresh in the refrigerator section)

keep in mind that seaweed should be washed fairly well to remove any funk and/or sand.


put the onion, fennel, and garlic in a food processor and pulse it until its all been chopped up. the idea is super small bits, not a liquid. over a medium high heat add some olive oil, your chopped veggie mix, red peppers, thyme, salt, and bay leaves. when the veggies become soft add water, wine, mushroom sauce, tomatoes, tofu, and seaweed. cover and let simmer for about 30-45 minutes. serve in a big bowl with plenty of crusty french or sourdough bread.


if anyone has any ideas on how to make this more authentic let me know. it's a bizarre passion of mine.