Maize is Manna from heaven for vegan and organic fans

June 28, 2017 12:00 am • Last Updated: June 29, 2017 10:08 am

Tofu chicken salad (Alex Nunes)

Since opening in October 2012, Maize n Manna Wholefoods on High Street in Westerly has provided a singular food experience and, I'd argue, even a service to its customers.

The concept is noble: entirely vegan (with the exception of milk for coffee drinks) and nearly all organic offerings of prepared foods, drinks and smoothies, as well as a wide selection of bulk items for cooking your own vegetarian dishes and delectables at home.

Heading through the front door and up the ramp, you're hit with the distinct and invigorating "health food store smell" and the impressive sight of rows of flours, rices, pastas, dried beans, nuts, dried fruits and other items for the scooping and the scaling.

So vast is the selection, you might consider the proprietor the Willy Wonka of healthy eating, minus the the singing and the rivers of chocolate (although I guess the equivalent here would be carob).

The ambience is bright, eclectic and earthy. The eating area consists of whimsical paintings on the walls, cushioned, built-in window seating, a few tables and chairs, a granite-topped coffee table and reading material ranging from newspapers to cookbooks.

The menu updates sometimes more than weekly but always includes a long list of exclusively vegan and gluten-free options. They range from salads to soups to stuffed peppers to pastas to rice bowls. All are prepared with a unique and dynamic mix of ingredients only a cook well-versed in vegetable-centric cooking could conjure up and execute.

Offerings, at present, are divided into several sections: eggless quiche of the day ($6.50 or $8.50 with a small soup or salad; crust made with a mix of flax meal, almond flour and oats; filling of tofu and other ingredients), soups, salads, and "lunchboxes."

At the moment, the salad section consists of three options:

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[naviga:li]A refreshing tofu "chicken" with mixed greens or spinach, tomato, celery, cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, liquid amino acids, sage, nutritional yeast, rosemary, thyme and other spices ($7.75), which is more a piquant balsamic "chicken" salad than mayonnaise style;[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]The chopped Greek with tomato, red bell pepper, cucumber, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and pepperoncini ($6.75);[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]And the inventive barbecued tempeh with cabbage slaw ($7.75). The tempeh, with its wide mix of flavors, is prepared with a panoply of ingredients too long to list here (ketchup and tomato paste to cumin, paprika and chipotle to apple-cider vinegar, liquid smoke and veganaisse, to name some).[/naviga:li]

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Soup options consist of a chilled cucumber dill, a smoky, tomato-based gazapacho, and "creamy" red lentil and kale. All worth your while, I especially recommend the red lentil and kale, which is made with carrot, celery, onion, tomato, red bell pepper, garlic, parsley, coconut milk and cumin.

Each come priced according to size: 12 ounces for $5.75, 16 ounces for $7.25, 32 ounces for $13.

"Lunchboxes" are essentially quick, to-go assortments of finger foods. There's the guacamole and salsa with gluten-free tortilla chips, and the classic hummus with carrots, celery, cucumber and red bell pepper.

I find the baked goods at Maize n Manna to be among the most noteworthy of the offerings. They include muffins ($2; varieties changing daily), brownies ($2), and chocolate chip cookies ($1.25).

There are also almond or coconut ice cream sandwiches ($3), granola snack bars $1.50), and parfait-style yogurt bowls ($3.25) made from rice, soy, almond or hemp milk rather than dairy.

As many know, indulging in cookies, cakes and muffins is often a complex dance of seduction and betrayal: the joyous, sweet surprise, followed by the miserable sugar crash. But treats at Maize n Manna are more likely to boost your vitality than drain it.

They're made with evaporated cane juice and a variety of flours, ranging from chickpea to buckwheat to amaranth and beyond.

The muffins — I tried blueberry lemon, and raspberry lemon most recently — are far more dense, sticky and even pleasantly gritty than what you're likely used to. They're sweet but in a way that registers as natural rather than artificial.

Raspberry lemon, and blueberry lemon, both a mix of fruity and tart, struck me as well paired.

The other obvious thing to mention at Maize n Manna is the drinks. There's organic coffee from Rhode Island-based roaster Dave's Coffee, and a variety of teas, hot or iced, hot cocoa, and hot or iced mochas.

Very popular are the smoothies and the cold pressed juices ($6 for 10 ounces; $8 for 14 ounces; $9.50 for 18 ounces). Recommendable juices include the "Evergreens" with greens, green apple, ginger and lemon; "Bright eyes" with carrot, beet, red apple, celery and ginger; and "Winter Sunshine" with cranberry, orange, pineapple, lemon, carrot and cabbage.

In addition to traditional cold press juices and smoothies, there's also the list of "Rise 'n' Shine" varieties (available with caffeine), including the "Wake'n Shake" with rice milk, cantaloupe, avocado and banana, the "Morning Rush," with coffee, cocoa mix, cinnamon and banana, and the "Get up 'n' Go" of green tea, strawberries, watermelon, flax seed and lime.

The owner of Maize n Manna, Susan Champouillon, is more than faithful to the ethos of healthy and sustainable living. In addition to the vegan and organic foods, the utensils and boxes are recyclable or compostable.

There's a group of regulars who appear to appreciate the effort. Indeed, it's common to see a customer or supplier lingering at the register, just chatting.

So, if the goal is a local oasis for a healthy vegan eating, then I'd say mission accomplished.

Raspberry and lemon muffin and blueberry and lemon muffin (Alex Nunes)

Red lentil and kale soup (Alex Nunes)