WHEATLESS MEATLESS!!!

for my next trick,
i'll be making meatballs that aren't that,
but,
for an added degree of difficulty,
i will also make them without vital wheat gluten, which is the go-to protein binder
for most of those magical roundies in most instances.
yup.
wheatless meatless BALLS, ya'll:

kaBOOM! kaPOW! 'SPLODE!!
yeah!
i doo-doo that freaky sh!t.
why?
because expert recognize expert,
and real mutha 'uckas do real sh!t.
is the sauce homemade?
man, c'mon.
what am i?
an *A-hole??
of COURSE it is.
that's how it be at the Folk Life & Liberty Fortress.
and the pasta?
green lentil gluten-free penne, pal.
we're on some other other jauns these days.
me, personally, i LOVE gluten....
i just also love a gluten-free lady.
- and so here we are.
you want the recipe for the balls, or the sauce?
or both???
ah, i see-
too much IS the right amount, man.
let's do it:
-
* 
GF GARBANZO BALLZZZ!
-
in a smaller saucepot, on medium high heat,
with a tablepsoon of olive oil,
saute:
1/2 cup minced onion;
1/2 block finely diced tempeh;
2 cloves crushed roasted garlic;
2 tsp fire-roasted tomato flakes;
1 tsp each GPOP (Garlic Powder & Onion Powder)-
stir for four or five minutes, then add:
1 cup crushed tomatoes (i used chunky fire roasted jauns, it doesn't really matter);
1/2 cup water;
mix in: pink salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper;
2 T nootch;
1 tsp ea dried basil, parsley, sage, thyme, fennel seed;
1/2 tsp dried oregano, rosemary;
1 T fresh oregano, and fresh basil;
2 shakes of liquid smoke;
1 T red wine vinegar;
when the liquid is mostly absorbed, add 1/4 cup coarse oat flour,
and remove from heat-
wait five minutes, and add 2/3 cup of chick pea flour, and 1 T olive oil,
mixing and stirring well enough to completely combine everything.
wait another five minutes, and form into 2" balls.
if you'd like, brown 'em up in a hot pan, rolling them around to prevent sticking and burning.
tight.
i baked mine for fifteen minutes at 350℉, then tossed them into the sauce!
and that sauce was the TRUTH!!
-
*
SAUCE!!
-
in your food processor, pulverize 1/4 onion, 1 carrot, 1 clove of garlic-
add those into a half gallon sauce pot, with:
1 cup halved baby grape tomatoes;
15oz fire roasted crushed tomatoes;
1/4 cup apple juice;
pink salt, black pepper;
fresh oregano and basil;
1 T nootch;
2 tsp each GPOP;
2 T tomato paste;
all stirred around with 1 T red wine vinegar,
and a splash of water to keep it from overly thickening into mud, bud-
^ you will be thrilled to eat this.
seriously, i had it on a hard bubblin' boil for ten minutes,
and a low bubbler for another 'nother half an hour-
it was molto expert, and it activated all the flavors with ultimate excellence.
rich, and hearty, and full-bodied, and perfectly paired with those balls.
that's how it's done,
and that's how i did it.
-
a few blackened tomato sprankles,
a couple of leaves of fresh-plucked late-season oregano,
and i was in heaven, homie.
***********
i hardly even have time to eat, let alone cook-
but,
i'll tell you all about the highlights as they happen.
that's the best i've got on offer at the moment;
NQNS.....