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On a recent trip to the Orange County Fair — the ninth largest fair in the United States — the onslaught of fried delights had me feeling quite guilty. Luckily, the theme for this year’s fair was “Farm to Table,” despite the rampant availability of cheeseburgers with donuts for buns. Organizers invited a number of nationally-renowned chefs and speakers to give fair attendees live culinary demonstrations … and something they didn’t’ expect to eat.
One of the featured speakers at this year’s fair was Chef Keiko Beatie, who is also a longtime cannabis advocate and OC NORML board member. Chef Keiko was on-hand to show aspiring chefs among the gathered crowd how to whip up delicious vegan dishes that would impress friends, family, and guests who have chosen the vegan lifestyle — and everyone else, too.
keiko beatie oc fair
Chef Keiko’s enthusiasm for healthy culinary creations was infectious, radiating among the audience during her live cooking class. As samples of Keiko’s non-dairy chocolate strawberry pudding made from avocados were passed around to drooling audience members, the revelation that the delicious dessert also contained hemp drew oohs, ahhs, and even a gasp or two.

Recipe: Vegan Hemp Chocolate Strawberry Pudding

Ingredients (serves six)

2 large avocados
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup coconut cream
½ cup agave
¼ cup hemp seeds
1 dropper of CBD (30 mg)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh strawberries
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
½ cup water as needed
1 pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Scoop avocado into a blender along with cocoa powder, coconut milk, agave, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.
  2. Blend slowly until avocados are in chunks and then add in half of the strawberries before speeding up the blender. If the mixture is thick, add more coconut milk or water until it has the pudding consistency you desire.
  3. Place into dessert cups and garnish with the toasted almonds and fresh strawberries.
Tips from Chef Keiko: Best if chilled before serving and let’s see if they guess it’s made from avocados! Enjoy making it with love!
“Hemp seeds are so nutritious because they’re full of complete protein and lots of Omega-3 dl fatty acids. Food made with hemp not only tastes great but can help ward off cancer, diabetes, and other diseases,” explained Chef Keiko.
chef-keiko
“Hey, what’s better than some hemp and a Zeppelin cover band? That’s a fair!”
Chef Keiko followed up her dessert-first sample giveaway with a lesson on how to make her Summer Veggie Bean Salad, perfect for backyard cookouts or a simple afternoon snack. The delicious salad, which will serve roughly six people with the ingredients provided in Keiko’s recipe, also contains hemp seeds and CBD. Everyone in the crowd was looking for seconds of the salad after samples had run out, and during a follow-up conversation recently, Chef Keiko informed me that multiple people from the fair had reached out to her for information on obtaining CBD oil.

Recipe: Summer Veggie Hemp Bean Salad

Ingredients (serves six)

1 heirloom tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped­­
½ cup of roasted corn or frozen
½ cup green peas frozen
½ cup black beans
½ cup garbanzo beans
2 stalks chopped green onion
½ cup toasted hemp seeds
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped yellow, red, or green bell peppers
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp granulated garlic
½ tsp salt
1 lime juiced or ¼ cup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 dropper CBD 30 mg
½ cup toasted almonds (garnish)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl place Tomatoes, Corn, Peas, Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Green Onions, Red Onions, Toasted Hemp Seeds, Bell Peppers and mix.
  2. Mix in small bowl Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic, Salt, Vinegar, Olive Oil CBD and Lime Juice. Mix easy till blended and taste. Depending on your palate you may add more Lime Juice or salt.
  3. Pour over bean mix and stir until liquid is well dispersed.
  4. Garnish on top with chopped avocados and almonds
  5. Serve with chips
While Chef Keiko has provided cooking lessons on hemp-infused creations at the Orange County and San Diego Fairs before, this is the first time Keiko incorporated CBD into her demonstration. This is the first year of the fair where adults can legally grow hemp or cannabis in the state of California, so it only makes sense to educate people on healthy uses for the plant. Keiko says it was “a pleasure to share this information with the community in the goal for better health and well-being for all.”
The end of marijuana prohibition in California means you may soon be able to consume cannabis for fun at the fair, too. The language of Proposition 64, passed last November, affords fairground operators the opportunity to apply for a license that would allow adults over the age of 21 to consume marijuana at a fair or other private event held on the grounds. Though county fairs are events organized with the entire family in mind, it is not uncommon to find beer gardens, wine competitions, and other adult-only activities at California fairs.
Who knows, maybe next year Marijuana.com will be sharing THC-infused demonstrations from Chef Keiko‘s mainstream events. Ultimately, that’s up to the fair’s board of directors, but Keiko is ready. “I would be honored to share with fair attendees the benefits of cannabis-infused foods at the Orange County and San Diego Fairs,” added Keiko.

Arugula Tofu Hemp Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Salad Ingredients (serves 6)

4 cups arugula washed
1 cup baked tofu chopped
¼ cup red onion chopped fine
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
¼ cup toasted hemp seeds
6 fresh washed strawberries chopped

Salad Directions

  1. Place Arugula in salad bowl with tofu, hemp seeds and red onions, and mix lightly.
  2. Pour lightly the salad dressing and mix.
  3. Sprinkle on top the pecans and strawberries

Dressing Ingredients (serves 6)

1 cup fresh washed and stemmed strawberries
2 tablespoons agave
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup tablespoons olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 dropper of CBD 30mg

Dressing Directions

  1. Blend all of the ingredients in a blender and taste. If strawberries are not sweet enough, you may add more agave, salt, and pepper to taste.