Vegan Shaved Parm

1 cup Brazil nuts

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup sauerkraut liquid (may substitute a vegan cheese starter called rejuvelac; see note)

2 tablespoons white, yellow or chickpea miso

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

Place the Brazil nuts in a bowl and cover with water. Let sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours.

Drain the Brazil nuts, discarding their water. Transfer to a food processor or high-speed blender, along with the pine nuts, sauerkraut liquid, miso, nutritional yeast and salt. Puree on HIGH for 2 or 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, then transfer to a container; cover tightly and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, until the flavors are sharp and have deepened.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 250 degrees. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture almost paper-thin on the baking sheets; depending on their size, you may have enough cheese mixture to spread on three of them. Bake two at a time (upper and lower racks) for about 30 minutes, rotating them from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until dry and golden brown.

Let cool, then break into shards and transfer to a tightly sealed glass container. Refrigerate for 3 or 4 months.

Makes 2 cups

NOTES: Brazil nuts provide a luscious fattiness to this vegan version of Parmesan, and the addition of miso and nutritional yeast provides plenty of umami, making the taste strikingly similar to traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Scatter it over pasta and salads or melt it onto garlic bread. Vegan cheesemaker Miyoko Schinner's use of sauerkraut liquid is not only easy but also adds tangy flavor to the finished product. But you can make a vegan cheese starter called rejuvelac, a probiotic liquid made from sprouted grains that serves as a plant-based rennet, or buy it at natural foods stores and via Amazon.com.

MAKE AHEAD: The nuts need to be soaked for at least 4 hours. The cheese mixture needs to cure at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. The cheese can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 or 4 months.

Nutrition | Per 2-tablespoon serving: 90 calories, 2 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar

From "The Homemade Vegan Pantry" by Miyoko Schinner (Ten Speed Press, 2015)