By Melissa Stonesifer | TCPalm.com
Alison Murphy sets up her Veggie Love food truck at the Wednesday Green Market and Co-op while parked on Melody Lane in downtown Fort Pierce on Jan. 23. “I need to do something, I don’t want to work for somebody else,” Murphy said. “I was trying to find something that I could do for myself and for other people and I didn’t have to have a boss and I could make my own schedule, and make my own life.”
You might have spotted a purple-and-green truck, decked out in hand-painted vegetables, driving around St. Lucie County lately. If you’re vegetarian, vegan or following another untraditional diet, you might want to follow it to its next stop and grab a tasty meal.
The Veggie Love Truck caters to those looking for “vegan, organic or gluten-free meals.” Owner Allison Murphy said she’s inspired by local produce and “passionate about feeding people.”
The idea for her truck began at music festivals Murphy attended. She was appalled at the food being served and said she wanted to fill a void for fast, good-for-you food at those sorts of temporary venues.
Although she graduated from college with a degree in music business, Murphy turned her talent toward the food industry. She bought the Veggie Love Truck about 18 months ago and began traveling around to Treasure Coast venues six months ago. Local people seem eager to try her food.
“People have come out of the woodwork (looking for vegan and gluten-free food),” Murphy said.
Elliott Ehrlich of Oregon holds his daughter, Maya Pearl, while waiting for their lunch order at the Veggie Love Truck. “Love it. It feels just like home.”
Using produce from local growers, Murphy assembles her recipes and offers food every Wednesday and Saturday at the Fort Pierce green market on the waterfront. She brings the truck to other venues as they come up, including fundraising events and festivals.
Murphy also will cater and make personal requests.
“No meal is too small,” Murphy said.
After seeing several delighted customers walking away from the Veggie Love Truck chowing down a dosarito ($8), I decided to try one. Aromatic curried sweet potatoes, crisp cabbage, cilantro, tasty coconut chutney and cashew cheese were rolled up in a dosa, a crepe-like wrap. It was a delicious concoction in which every individual flavor was identifiable and perfectly combined.
Alison Murphy (right) prepares organic ice tea and her boyfriend, Flint Blade, assembles a sandwich from inside their Veggie Love food truck. They serve organic vegan food to customers at the Wednesday Green Market and Co-op in downtown Fort Pierce. “I like to feed people vegan food,” Murphy said. “I pretty much got people from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando wanting Veggie Love food, so we go to lots of different places.”
While I munched, several young children made tough decisions between different types of smoothies, spring rolls and the organic peanut butter and jelly sandwich served on Ezekiel bread.
Other menu items include raw pad thai and gluten-free marshmallow chocolate chip blondies.
VEGGIE LOVE TRUCK
Cuisine: Vegan, organic and gluten free
Phone: 772-971-6150
Web: www.facebook.com/veggielovetruck
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/feb/07/restaurant-review-vegetarians-vegan-will-fall-in/
