When I read about watermelon being used as a substitute for certain meats, my eyebrows raised as my curiosity was piqued. I knew I needed to give this trend a try with my own Wondersmith twist and honestly I was astonished at how delicious and satisfying this recipe is! It may have started as a trend, but this dish is here to stay… at least in my family! I hope you enjoy it! It’s especially great with the addition of foraged daylily buds - more on those later.

New to foraging? Learn more about ethical and safe foraging (plus how to get started) here!

With more and more people adopting a vegan lifestyle or incorporating more plant-based meals into their diet, you’d think that the surge in faux meat and dairy products was a relatively recent trend. And while the innovation of home cooks and chefs is offering many new substitutions for beloved flavors, passing one food off for another is nothing new. 

Take, for example, mock turtle soup. This concoction of organ meat was created in the mid-18th century to mimic the flavor of turtle soup. (It even makes an appearance in Alice in Wonderland, when she stumbles upon a “mock turtle.”) It’s fascinating to me to see how foods change in response to the socio-economic and cultural shifts around them. Home cooks got particularly creative during the Great Depression, making mock apple pie out of crackers and cream of tartar, or carrot pie as a substitution for the classic pumpkin pie, which is, in my opinion, even more delicious. (Try it sometime! I might even share a recipe - let me know if the comments below if you’d be interested in that!)  

Why have we been so drawn to mock foods throughout history? For many reasons! Sometimes, it is about seeming impressive or higher status by serving (faux) foods that are thought to be more valuable than their counterparts. Other times, faux foods have been developed for religious reasons, such as fulfilling cravings during Lent. As in the example of mock apple pie, many faux foods are a result of a substitute in a time of scarcity (this also brings to mind the many coffee substitutes developed by early settlers in North America.) Sometimes, mock food is all about fun - as the many baking TV shows with “illusion cake” challenges demonstrate! What’s more fun than serving a sweet dessert that looks just like a savory dinner? Today, it seems that the main reasons behind faux food are for dietary restrictions or lifestyle choices rooted in ethical decisions, such as those choosing to eat more plant-based meals for the health of the planet. 

There is incredible innovation happening on all scales in our society right now. Not only do more and more substitution food products line grocery shelves, home cooks are also becoming extremely innovative at finding ways to curb their cravings using unconventional ingredients and methods. Thanks to the widespread availability of alternative flours and binders like xantham gum, I can make my own gluten-free artisan bread! I can use mushrooms that I’ve foraged or grown for a delicious take on a bbq meat burger, or I can make a silky bechemel sauce from plant-based milk for an entirely plant-based savory pastry pie.  Even dairy-free caramel sauce is within reach, using palm sugar and coconut milk! 

Right now, I can observe all kinds of creative meat substitutions, from fermented mushrooms standing in as mussels, to lentil-based “meat”balls, to heart of palm “fish” filets, to jackfruit shredded “meat.” I love trying out these creative recipes and sharing them, especially with omnivorous friends. I usually feel like these substitutions don’t necessarily trick the eater into thinking they are eating animal products, but they can be absolutely delicious in their own right - sometimes even more so than the food they are meant to replace! Who knows which of these creations will stand the test of time and become classics well into the future, and which ones will fall by the wayside. All I know is, right here and now, creating flavorful and appetizing “mock” dishes is a fun challenge that often yields delicious results.

I can’t take credit for the idea of substituting watermelon (of all things!) for tuna in a flavorful summertime Poke bowl. I’m not sure where exactly the idea originated, but a quick search for “vegan poke bowl” yields many pages of recipes calling for watermelon or tofu. It’s certainly a trend at the moment, but I think it’s a trend worth paying attention to because it is delicious, seasonally accessible, and leaves room for creativity. 

Speaking of, another passion of mine is incorporating wild foods into my culinary creations. Sometimes that means foraging for plants that are native to my region, but it also means gobbling up invasive weeds, scouring the city for wasted fruit, and getting creative with the plants in my own yard. My house came with a wild proliferation of day lilies, Hemerocallis fulva, which are actually a common vegetable in China and Japan. Here in the U.S., they are classed as an invasive perennial, meaning that eating them can help curb out-of-control populations. Eating invasive foods is a double win; not only can you harvest as much as you’d like and get lots of nutrition and deliciousness, you are preventing the need for herbicides that can damage the environment in other ways. My friend Pascal Baudar calls this “invasivore eating.” Look for daylilies in gardens and beyond; you may find them in woodlands or meadows where they have enough access to water to grow. 

*Safety note: Daylilies are different from other kinds of lilies, which are poisonous. Make sure you are confident in your identification and, as with any new food, it’s best to try just a little bit first to see how your body responds. Though they have been eaten by huge populations of people for a very long time, some people do experience gastric distress after eating daylilies. This may happen for a variety of reasons; this resource is helpful in understanding the intricacies at play. Basically, make sure you are absolutely positive in your identification, harvest from a clean, un-sprayed area, and try a small amount first to see how your body responds to a new food. 

Watermelon and Daylily Poke Bowls 

I love Poke bowls in the summertime. There’s something about fresh fish, flavorful marinades, rice, and vegetables that feels delightfully light. This is a vegan version using watermelon as the star! I think you’ll be delighted by the transformation from a juicy sweet treat to a flavorful savory ingredient. The texture is a bit lighter and it doesn’t have the mineral-like tones of tuna or salmon, but I found that I actually liked it even better! The density of fish means I can only eat a little bit before my stomach starts feeling heavy or slow, but I was able to finish off my whole bowl and felt energized and pleasantly full afterwards! All of my taste testers (a.k.a. family members) agreed that this was a great dish for vegans and omnivores alike. I decided to add a little extra flavor and panache to my version by serving it with coconut rice in real coconut shells! This is entirely optional, but boy is it fun. Add in some sauteed daylilies for color and flavor and this dish is a winner. You’ll need to prepare the watermelon, amaranth, and soak the daylilies the night before; everything else comes together quickly right before serving. 

Watermelon Poke: 

1 small ripe watermelon

Sea salt to taste

½  c. ponzu sauce 

2 tbs. Rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 Tbs. finely minced fresh ginger root

2 Tbs. sesame oil 

1 Tbs. gluten-free white miso

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 365F. Cut your watermelon into 1” cubes and sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange the pieces on a large lined baking sheet (or two if they’re smaller) and space them out. Bake for 30 minutes, then flip the pieces over and bake for another 40 minutes. 

2. While the watermelon bakes, whisk the rest of your marinade ingredients together and pour into an airtight container or large sealable plastic bag. Add the watermelon and marinade in the fridge for at least an hour (overnight is better!) 

Amaranth “tobiko”

I love the crunch of tobiko (which are tiny fish eggs) in poke bowls, but since this is a vegan version I turned to amaranth grains, which have a similar texture when prepared the right way! I got this idea from Olives for Dinner, and I have to say it is a winner!  

1c. Beet juice

1c. Orange juice 

⅓ c. rinsed whole amaranth grains

¼ c. ponzu sauce

Directions: 

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the beet juice and the orange juice to a boil. Add the ponzu sauce and amaranth grains as whisk well. Continue to boil for about 35 minutes, whisking often. Once the amaranth grains have softened (but not become mushy), pour the mixture into a sealed container and store in the fridge, preferably overnight. When you are ready to use them, just strain through a fine sieve. 

Sauteed Daylilies: 

Daylily buds taste a bit like green beans mixed with squash blossoms, and are delicious sauteed with a little oil (or butter) and salt. To prepare, harvest unopened but orange buds, then remove the anthers and pistils inside carefully. Cover them in water and allow them to soak overnight. Strain and let dry on a clean kitchen towel, then saute over medium heat with a little oil or vegan butter and salt until tender. 

Poke Bowls: 

These refreshing summertime meals look wonderful when presented in coconut shells! This recipe is very adaptable; just add in whatever flavorings or veggies sound best to you! 

3 mature coconuts (to serve six)

1 ½ c. sushi rice 

Sauce: 

⅓ c. ponzu sauce

⅓ c. white rice vinegar

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. Fine sea salt

Additions: 

A couple of thinly-sliced radishes

½ c. vegan mayo

¼ c. sriracha 

1 ½ c. steamed edamame beans

3 green onions, cut into diagonal slices 

2 avocados, cut into chunks or slices

As many cooked daylilies as you want to try

Black sesame seeds

Unsweetened coconut flakes

¼ c. nori seaweed sheets, cut into thin pieces

Edible flowers 

Directions:

1. The first step you’ll need to do is drain the coconut water from the coconuts and crack them in half. The easiest way I’ve found is to use a drill to drill through the three “eyes” (indentations) on one end of the coconut and allow the liquid to drain into a strainer set over a bowl. Then, make a little nest with a dish towel on a sturdy surface and place the coconut in the middle. Whack it with a hammer along the equator, turning between each strike, until it splits in two. (If it’s easier to visualize, this is a great video just using a hammer and a screwdriver!) 

2. Rinse the pre-soaked sushi rice and add it to a saucepan along with 1 ¾ c. fresh coconut juice (if you don’t have enough juice, just add some water to make up the difference.) Use a rice cooker, or bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer, cover,  and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooking, remove the saucepan from the burner and leave to sit, still covered, for another 10 minutes. 

3. While the rice is cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the radish slices and let sit for about half an hour. Strain, reserving the juice. When the rice is done cooking, stir the reserved juice into the rice. 

4. Mix together the vegan mayo and sriracha sauce. 

5. To assemble your bowl, first put some rice in the bottom of each bowl or coconut half. Arrange the watermelon, pickled radishes, daylilies, and amaranth on top. Drizzle with the sriracha mayo, then top with some sprinkles of black sesame seeds, coconut, nori seaweed, and edible flowers. Enjoy! 

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