By Mary Bilyeu - Blade Food Editor - Jul 31, 2018
Susan Herhold, owner of Leaf and Seed, serves made-from-scratch vegan comfort food meals out of her food truck.
“I have almost no time to breathe,” exclaimed Susan Herhold, owner of the Leaf and Seed, excitedly from a window in her new food truck. It’s been such a success that she’s served about 1,200 meals in the past eight weeks, often selling out even before a lunch shift is over.
The Leaf and Seed is a family-owned business that debuted in September by offering meal delivery service with a twist: made-from-scratch vegan comfort foods.
“That was our concept, with doing comfort food,” said Mrs. Herhold: “You don’t have to give up your favorite foods to eat with a conscience.” No animal products are ever used: no butter, milk, eggs, honey, meat, poultry, or fish.
Just a few of the dishes Mrs. Herhold prepares are black bean, brown rice, and quinoa burritos topped with tomatoes and guacamole; Reubens; no-meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy; a TLT (tempeh, lettuce, and tomato) salad featuring fresh local greens; and barbecued jackfruit sliders with a chipotle maple barbecue sauce. Bean and corn chili-laden hot dogs come topped with cole slaw – a tribute to the cook’s West Virginia roots – if desired.
And Mrs. Herhold would never forget dessert, which ranges from chocolate chip cookies to lemon cake with a raspberry buttercream sauce.
WATCH: The Leaf and Seed truck serves up tantalizing food with a twist
Loaded Nachos, with tortilla chips, black beans, cashew nacho cheese, mixed greens, tomato, onions, salsa and gaucamole, left, and Hawaiian burger, sweet potato, chicken pea patty with topped with pineapple slaw, Teriyaki Sauce, with a slide of orzo pasta.
Blade food editor Mary Bilyeu, left, and The Full Course guest Susan Herhold, owner of Leaf and Seed, during the taping of a show.
Customers wait in line for Susan Herhold's vegan comfort food at the Leaf and Seed.