Scented Beetroot Soup

We're in for a treat this week with a well deserved Indian summer so that gives us the perfect excuse to show off Marise's exquisite soup. As always she has the patience (unlike me!) to experiment with wonderful flavour combinations that make your taste buds tingle and this recipe is no exception to the rule. ... furthermore it uses one of our favourite vegetables. We think it would also make a superb starter when entertaining over Christmas because it's so light and fresh.

Ingredients

500g raw beetroot (scrubbed if dirty) peeled and diced
1 medium red onion (root on) halved through the root
2 whole, large star anise
600ml boiling water
2 rounded tsp low salt vegetable stock powder (use less if full salt)
1 grapefruit, juice only (about 100ml)
To serve
Spoonful light cream cheese and a little milk to make it 'flow' , or double cream

Serves 4

Method

Put the beetroot and red onion into a paln. Tie the star anise in muslin or use an empty bouquet garni bag. Add this to the pan with the boiling water and bring to the boil. Stir in the stock powder, cover and simmer very very gently for about an hour until the beetroot is tender. Then make sure you let it cook for about 30 minutes and take out the star anise so that the flavour remains subtle.

Next remove the onion, pressing as much liquid from it as possible (then discard). Strain the beetroot through a sieve, reserving the liquid and the beetroot pulp. Measure the liquid and make back up to 400ml with water if necessary.

Then put in a liquidizer along with 200g of the cooked beetroot. Keep the remaining beetroot for a salad or dip (try mixing with equal amounts yoghurt and French dressing with some oregano - nice!)

Finally add the grapefruit juice and whizz until the soup is smooth. Often best with citrus to keep some juice back and taste until you get the flavour you want. The end result should be a little tart with a hint of background grapefruit.

Serve hot or chilled depending on time of year (or what you fancy!)

Smoky Black Bean Quesadilla

So proper Mexican cooking has finally hit the UK -  much to our delight! We love the colours and the combo of simple ingredients - beans, herbs, squash or sweet potato, corn, garlic and chillies, with an excuse for avocado as a garnish. I have to admit that quesadillas are a little bit Tex-Mex but you know what ... they are a great quick and easy, store cupboard standby for dinner in a dash or something a bit different for a vegetarian lunch.

Most 'Mexican Toasties' as I like to call them are loaded with hard cheese - and of course this is fine for flavour, but I rather like using goats cheese instead. It's higher in vitamin A and short chain fatty acids (good for your gut!) and lower in saturated fats so you can class this as a truly healthy meal!

Ingredients

1 large (or 2 small)  sweet potato (approx 200g)

75g black beans, drained (pinto will do)

2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

½ fresh lime, juice only

¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

½ red pepper, finely diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 green chile, finely chopped (use a spoon to scrape out seeds if necessary)

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cumin

1½ tsp hot smoked paprika

75g sweet corn (blanched)

75g soft goats cheese

2  x 10” multi-seed wraps (please don't use own brand - they are soooo rubbery)

To serve

1 small avocado mashed with 1 tbsp lime juice

50ml plain yoghurt (or sour cream if you prefer)

Serves 2 for supper

Method

Hey ....I know it looks like a lot of ingredients but it's mainly spices which you should by now have stocked up on if you're testing our recipes! First of all bake the sweet potato(es) for 30 minutes until soft (gas 6 or 200C). Scoop the flesh out into a bowl and season.

Then mix the beans, lime juice, coriander and onion together. You should be able to find black (turtle) beans in tetrapaks or cans now - yes even in UK supermarkets.

In a large frying pan sauté the pepper for 10 minutes until soft (the colour isn't vital, it's more for texture). Add the chilli, garlic and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the sweet corn making sure everything is well coated with the pepper and spice mixture. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Take one wrap and spread the sweet potato mixture onto the base, leaving a small border around the edge. Place the vegetable mixture on top and then the beans and onion. Finally scatter over the cheese (using a teaspoon if necessary) and cover the filling with the second wrap so you have a ‘toastie’.

To cook either place on a baking tray, brush with oil, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes turning once. Or using a large frying pan, fry lightly with 1 tsp oil on both sides (if you have a steady hand this is my favourite method). Serve hot.

Red Pepper Chipotle Adobo

Still managing to hang on to a little of the home-made chipotle salsa from our mad half day Mexican course. Tommy Miers wonderful book and TV programme has only increased the growing interest in this simple peasant cuisine and I wanted to make sure that our recipes were as authentic as possible (without being too much of a pain to shop for). This sauce or relish is I think even better than our favourite Chipotle en Adobe from The Cool Chile Company and goes with anything from plain old avocado on toast to vegetables roasted in one of the exotic recardos from the Yucatan. You can buy fabulous dried chillies from a wide variety of online sources now - I got ours from MexGrocer. Don't worry, they look incredibly shrivelled when they arrive, but the flavour is wonderful!

Ingredients

2 dried chipotle chillies

3 dried ancho chillies

1 tbsp olive oil

½ onion, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 tbsp tomato puree

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp light muscovado sugar

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

200-250ml light vegetable stock

 Makes a good bowlful

First of all toast the dried chillies briefly in a small frying pan. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for at least an hour (better and more reassuringly soft if you leave for 2 hours). Drain, de-seed and puree the flesh in a small blender, adding extra water in needed. (If you want the sauce really hot keep in some of the seeds too).

Then, sauté the onion and pepper in a medium sized pan until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the spices. Cook again for a minute and add the sugar and puree. After another minute or two add the vinegar, stock and pureed chillies. Simmer for 5 or 10 minutes to thicken and then blend. I left our salsa quite chunky but feel free to make it more like a smooth ketchup.

So easy, so addictive.

New Potato and Red Lentil Curry

I'm often asked for quick and easy supper dishes and I find one of the most simple... but tasty ..can be a curry. However I would say that the matching of the ingredients needs to have some thought and not just be a random compilation of what is hidding in your vegetable cupboard. I've been through a phase of butternut squash and chickpeas recently (with a touch of coconut) but this is my current favourite. It's not necessary to make your own paste from scratch - I generally favour Pataks. If you're going to use something processed it might as well be good quality and full of flavour.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely sliced

4 or 5 new potatoes cut into large chunks

2 carrots cut into chunks at least half that size

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tsp grated ginger

1 cup (about a small teacup) red lentils

1-2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

2 tsp korma paste

500ml light vegetable stock

1/3 to ½ can of chopped tomatoes

Couple of handfuls of spinach

Serves 2-3 depending on appetite

Sauté the onion until soft and then add the potatoes and carrots, stir well and add the garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes. Finally stir in the lentils and fenugreek leaves (these add a nice subtle edge - you could use curry leaves instead).

Add the curry paste and make sure it coats the vegetable mixture relatively evenly. Cook for a few minutes and then pour in the stock so it just covers the veg. Then pour in the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat, covered for 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Pop the spinach in to wilt a few minutes before serving.

I said it was simple.

Portabella Mushroom en Croûte

Coming up with dishes that appeal to meat lovers is always fun and this is one of Mo's favourites that we often use for such occasions (and for Christmas too...) because it's pretty easy and actually makes a substantial statement in the middle of the plate which is the space that can be bothersome.

So when it came to holding a team building lunch on the Farm for one of our favourite local businesses in Liverpool, The Chocolate Cellar, we wanted to impress their veggie-wary staff - and in fact these worked even better as mini pies (always useful to have something that people recognise at a buffet I recall from catering days).

Ingredients

2 tsp oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

200g baby spinach, rinsed

2 large portabella mushrooms

2 tsp white balsamic condiment

50g vegetarian tapenade

200g puff pastry

1 medium egg, beaten 

Serves 2                         

                                   

First pre heat your oven to 200ºC/Gas 6. Then in a large frying pan sauté the garlic for a few minutes, then add the spinach and sauté until wilted, when cool, squeeze out any excess juices and chop finely.

Next, remove the stalk from the mushrooms and score the surface with a sharp knife. Pour over the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Top each mushroom with 25g of tapenade.

Then roll the pastry out as thin as possible (best if you use the block version - ready rolled these days doesn't have much 'puff'') and cut in half. Cut each piece into a circle large enough to cover and enclose the mushroom. Either by hand or with a nifty little lattice cutter, cut several lines just in the middle of the pastry (not the edges). Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg.

Now you're ready for the fun part - divide the spinach in half and place on top of the mushrooms, then carefully place a circle of pastry over the mushroom  to enclose, making the pastry stick to the bottom of the mushroom (it does, honestly!)

Finally place the mushrooms on a lined and greased baking tray, brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. If you fancy you can always add some feta or goats cheese on top of the spinach.

ps. I think you should also get to share, at least visually, the glorious array of brownies that we had to (yes had to!) sample in order to find the winner. I think perhaps 6 were indeed my max in one sitting.

M'Hancha

Veering now to the other end of the Mediterranean here is one of my favourite 'smart' desserts that I first developed for a course entitled Casablanca. Ostensibly it's a Moroccan 'serpent' cake based on almonds and cinnamon, but not being a great lover of what is basically just marzipan I've introduced a few additional flavours (one of which is distinctly not north African!) and I do recommend serving it with something like fig and sherry ice cream.

Ingredients

50g toasted almonds, chopped

150g ground almonds

100g unsalted butter, melted

75g white chocolate, finely chopped

45g citrus peel, chopped

½ large orange, grated zest only

50g caster sugar

2 tbsp orange blossom water

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

300g filo pastry

To garnish

1 tbsp cinnamon powder

1 tbsp icing sugar

100g strawberries/orange segments

Makes enough for 8 (and can be frozen too).

Melt 60g of the butter and pour into a large bowl. Add the nuts and the next six ingredients and mix well to form a paste. Shape roughly into five long logs.

Cut the filo pastry into 10 rectangles approximately 220mm x 250mm and melt the reamining butter in a small pan. Brush one sheet with butter and place another sheet on top.

Place one of the logs across the middle and brush with more butter, before rolling to look like a snake or very small strudel.

Repeat this process until you have five ‘snakes’, then join them together to make a large coil on a large baking sheet. This is the tricky bit and best to do in the privacy of your own kitchen with no one watching. Don't worry it you have any cracks - these can be masked with artful decoration. Brush lightly with the rest of the butter and bake for 20-25 minutes on Gas 5/190C until golden brown.

When the cake has cooled sprinkle all over with cinnamon. Then cut three long strips of baking parchment, place 2 or 3cm apart on the cake and sprinkle icing sugar to create a striped effect. Add the fruit wherever you think appropriate.

If you're nervous of filo don't buy the very fine Greek version; several supermarkets have decent chilled versions which give you a little more 'working' time before they dry out and crack. Jus Rol frozen filo is ok, but defrost very carefully.

Imam Bayaldi

In honour of last week’s course, Mysterious Middle East, a recipe featuring one of our other favourite ‘a’ vegetables.  The aubergine can be an awkward customer both to cut and cook gracefully. Frankly any aubergine slice is only going to be as good as your knife and I save my Global for this special occasion. The other piece of advice is to pace the amount of oil you need…there does come a point when aubergine will start to release a little of what is has thirstily glugged, so if you don’t want to end up with something slimy have a little patience (not something I used to have much of until I started cooking!).

There are many ways of cooking and presenting Imam Bayaldi, including the one below, but I find my method easier and possibly tastier.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp coriander, ground

½ tsp dried dill

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cinnamon, ground

1 tbsp tomato purée

½ can tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

 salt to taste

4 tbsp olive oil

2 medium sized aubergines

4 tbsp flat leaved parsley and mint, finely chopped

Makes enough for 4 servings

Method

First of all heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a medium sized frying pan and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the spices, garlic and tomato puree and sauté for a further minute or two before adding the tomatoes, sugar and seasoning. Cook gently for another 10 minutes until the mixtures starts to get a bit sticky.

Then trim the aubergines and peel the skin lengthwise in 2 cm strips (this isn’t strictly necessary but it helps with the flavour). Cut the aubergines in half or thirds length ways and make diagonal slashes on one of the flat sides.

Heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergines until golden on both sides. Spoon the onion mixture into the slashes and place the aubergines into an oiled baking dish and cover with foil

Bake in a preheated oven 190ºC/ Gas 5 for about 30 minutes until cooked (the aubergine flesh should be really soft by now) and then finish off by drizzling over some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with parsley and mint. Much nicer served at room temperature than piping hot.

Suzy's Summer Salad

In celebration of this brief glimpse of summer I thought I'd share one of my favourite starters. It's so simple and so unexpected and makes a very welcome change from mezze style dips (which even I tire of occasionally). Suzy is a very special friend whom we used to spend wonderful, not entirely sober weekends with in Edinburgh until she abandoned us for Sydney (the place!). Suzy's fridge was always full of fabulous deli delights, but she tends to be more of an 'assembler' than a cook so you can rest assured this is dead easy to make.

Ingredients

1 small melon (charentais is good for colour, but ogen or honeydew is fine)
1 large punnet cherry tomatoes, halved (or 5 really ripe tomatoes, deseeded and quartered)
1 small cucumber
4 tbsp white balsamic condiment
1/2 - 1 tsp sugar
handful mint

Makes enough for at least 4 or 5 starter portions

If you have the patience make melon balls, otherwise just cut into  large dice. Pop these and the tomatoes into a large bowl (along with any juice from the melon). Use a potato peeler to make long strips of cucumber (exclude the first two or three strips which will be mainly skin)... or you can just cut into slices... the aesthetics are down to you. Anyway add the cucumber to the bowl too.

Then cut the mint into very fine ribbons (if you chop it instead it bruises very easily and black is not a good look for this dish). Add to the balsamic and 'season' with the amount of sugar that suits you. Best chilled before serving. Drink with plenty of Australian chardonnay.

Asparagus Rice Paper Rolls

We are mourning the end of the asparagus season at the moment, so here is the last recipe of the season before we say bye bye. It's adapted from Mo's brilliant mezze selection on our World Tapas course and was one of the favourites at the Claremont asparagus evenings this year (as well as the soup of course!)

Ingredients

4 large rice paper roll wraps

20 asparagus spears, trimmed and steamed lightly

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

several handfuls baby spinach

4-5 tbsp sprouted mung beans

Dressing

1 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 red chillies, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

25g salted roasted peanuts, ground

Serves 4 as a starter

First of all moisten the rice paper wraps one by one in a wide bowl of warm water. Lie them on a flat surface then place some spinach along the centre, add 5 spears of the asparagus and sprinkle with the bean sprouts and onions.

Then drizzle over some of the sauce and roll into a wrap folding in the edges. (This sauce is fab with all sorts of oriental dishes...) Cut in half  and serve with thinly sliced cucumber and mint. You may need to make double the quantity since they slip down rather easily - who would have believed healthy food can taste so divine...?

Chile Rellenos

As you might suspect, Mo is very fond of Mexican cuisine (the spicier the better in her book) and I still have very happy memories of eight scorching days in the Yucatan during 2004. The end result is a proper Mexican cookery course which we love teaching – no Tex-Mex but lots of simple, easy to prepare dishes, based on beans, corn, tomatoes, chocolate and avocadoes. During our research there was one traditional vegetarian dish we came across (which is quite unusual in Mexico!) so we have included it here. It is spectacularly unhealthy, but quite delicious and best eaten using fingers.

Ingredients

6 poblano chillies or dried ancho chillies

300g mature cheddar cheese, cut into wedges

2 large eggs

1 tbsp plain flour

salt and pepper

vegetable oil for frying

Salsa

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp vegetable oil

6 large vine tomatoes

1 medium onion, peeled, cut into 4

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 jalapeno pepper (optional)

1 tsp sweet or hot smoked paprika or chipotle sauce

2 tsp Mexican oregano (Italian will do if necessary) 

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Serves 2-3

To make the salsa pop the tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapeno (if using) into a sauce pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, blend and then do the boring bit - sieve the mixture into a bowl. Mix in the paprika or chipotle powder, oregano and coriander, season to taste.

This is the point at which you decide how much heat you want…. chipotle is a wonderful way of boosting heat but be careful it has an evil kick that creeps up on you. If you can’t find chipotle en adobe at your local deli, it’s easy to order from The Cool Chile Company (along with the anchos!)

Then heat the oil in a frying pan and toast the cumin seeds until they release their aroma, before adding the tomato mixture. Cook for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.

To deal with the chillies make a small incision at the top of each chilli, place on a rack and grill until charred all over. Throw into a bowl, cover with cling film and when cool enough to handle remove the skin. Or, if you are using dried anchos just rehydrate with boiling water in a large bowl for several hours; then drain, dry and cut a slice down the side of the chilli

Carefully stuff the chillies with the cheese in the incision, secure with a cocktail stick if needed. To make the batter separate the eggs and whisk the whites until stiff, mix the flour into the egg yolks, season with a little salt then mix into the whites.

When you are ready to eat dip the chillies into the egg batter and shallow fry until golden on both sides. Serve with the tomato sauce (and sour cream as well if you fancy a dairy overdose – tho it can help cool down the heat…)

Passionfruit Tart

Now there are lots of recipes for passionfruit tart out there and I thought I'd found a pretty good one by Gordon Ramsey, which has a chocolate lined pastry case! But I have to say I've just eaten a rather large portion of one that tasted even better... no doubt because it was made by the greatest loss to the culinary world -  my ex-restaurant partner, Lee (with the help of ace pastry maker Craig). The recipe comes from The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer and although we have a few reservations about his restaurant Greens, this really is divine! Maybe it's a patience thing.....

Asparagus Tapenade

It wasn't perfect weather, but we still had a great Asparagus evening at Claremont Farm last Friday. Once everyone was thoroughly exhausted after striding through the strawberries and down to the asparagus fields to cut their own little harvest, we sat down to a feast of our favourite vegetable. We still love the pre-dinner canapes so here they are - asparagus and strawberries (yes - it's a fab combo....) with pomegranate molasses and orange and spicy (of course if Mo has cooked it!) tapenade on smart little bread 'spoons'. (Please note it's ever so healthy with the pumpkin seeds and did you know that asparagus is really high in something called glutathione - a natural anti-oxidant that's great for the liver.....)

Asparagus Tapenade
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Ingredients

450g asparagus, trimmed and cooked

75g pumpkin seeds, toasted

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp dried tarragon

2 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

 ½ tsp black pepper

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method

Just whack all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired texture (smooth or rough - whatever suits your taste ... or patience threshold). Then transfer to a serving dish, chill a little and serve with crackers.

White Asparagus Soup

We are now in the midst of the asparagus season at Claremont Farm on the Wirral and Mo is in her element. She’s been experimenting with the beautiful white version that we normally only see in posh restaurants in this country, so here is her post!

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced (grit not very nutritional hey Sarah?)

500g Claremont Farm white asparagus (or however much you can afford!) peeled and cut into 1” chunks

2 stalks of lemon grass, finely chopped

1 litre veggie stock

80ml sherry

juice of ½ lemon

40g ground almonds

salt and WHITE* pepper to taste

Serves 4

Fry the leeks in the oil until soft, add the asparagus and fry for a little longer (while tasting the sherry that you've had a the back of the cupboard for few years aka Michael McIntyre syndrome).

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil and simmer until asparagus is tender.

Blend until smooth, may need to sieve if you haven't got a super dooper blender like me!!

Season and enjoy, try to visualise you are in a Spanish Villa. (Can be served hot or cold).

* Yes, Mo promise I will try it with white pepper instead of black even though I find it really strong!

Stuffed Vine Tomatoes

Up here in the chilly North West we’re not quite ready to celebrate summer, so here is a recipe that reminds us sun and warmth may not be far off, but that hearty ingredients can still be appreciated.

It’s back to my nemesis – the stuffed vegetable – a word that strikes fear and loathing into anyone attempting modern vegetarian cookery (or eating out). On day I’ll let you in on the Ramiro pepper and halloumi secret, but right now we’re going to do another plug for a luscious legume (the link will take you to one of our favourite courses too!)

Baked Tomatoes with Lentils & Goats Cheese

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Ingredients

4 large, ripe vine tomatoes

100g puy lentils, cooked (with a bay leaf and pinch of salt)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp tomato puree

½ tsp smoked paprika

50ml red wine

5-6 black olives, chopped

2 tbsp parsley and chives, finely chopped

75g soft goats cheese roughly crumbled (or feta if you prefer)

Preheat your oven to Gas5/190C, then get to work on the tomatoes. First take a slice off the top (keeping any bit of vine on for decoration if possible). Then the best implement to get rid of the pips is a grapefruit knife. Once these have been scooped out, turn the tomatoes upside down on kitchen towel to drain further.

Use 2 tsp oil to sauté the shallot until soft, pop in the garlic for a moment (it will burn if you add it at the same time as the shallot) along with the paprika. Cook for a minute or two and then add the tomato puree. Again cook for a minute (uncooked tomato puree tastes pretty awful). Finally add the red wine and heat for a few minutes before throwing in the cooked lentils, olives and herbs (I have resisted using my favourite dill, but do feel free to add it!)

This mixture can be made several hours in advance which will allow the flavours to infuse nicely. When you are ready, season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper (or some dried oregano), add the cheese to the lentils and fill the tomatoes – you may have to squash in some of the filling. Place the tomato tops back on and drizzle with the remaining oil.

Momos

Mo has just returned from from Oz where she was celebrating a very special birthday.  As well as bringing back the sun (thank you!) she also discovered these little parcels at the famous Eumondi Market in Noosa, Queensland -  a Tibetan version of dim sum filled with vegetables and tofu. (But she doesn't think they understood her scouse sense of humour when she asked if she could have them cheaper because her name is Mo!)

Ingredients

for the dough

60g plain white flour

60g strong white flour

pinch of salt

water

for the filling

1 small onion, finely chopped

5cm ginger, peeled and grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ bunch coriander, finely chopped

250g cabbage, shredded

250g smoked tofu, crumbled

140g  chestnut mushrooms, chopped and sauteed

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp stock powder

Makes about 14 balls

It's a really easy dough - just mix the flours and salt together and add enough water to make a soft dough. Knead for a few minutes, then cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix all the fillng ingredients together in a large bowl.

The roll out the dough out quite thinly and cut out circles approximately 8-9cm wide, then place a tablespoon of the filling in the centre of the circle and using a folding action join the dough together to form a ball. (Don't be too generous otherwise the filling will burst out!)

You can then deep fry (preferably in groundnut oil) until golden or for the healthy option steam for 10 minutes. They taste aste best served warm with a chilli tomato based dipping sauce.

A Room in Leith

It is very rare that I come across a restaurant where I am seriously surprised and impressed by the imagination of the chef when it comes to the vegetarian option. On a recent trip to Edinburgh I had such a moment. Although most Scots are unlikely to embrace a non meat meal, this city does have a sophistication and excitement in its culinary offerings that is rarely seen outside London (except in small pockets!)

A Room in Leith is part of a chain of three restaurants based across Edinburgh and part of its allure is that although it doesn't have a huge selection of dishes, it is possible to satisfy all tastes - which given our family is quite a challenge.

The menu reads beautifully - but this does not always translate into a plate of delicious food, so I was a wee bit sceptical. Sadly, I have no picture of the Mull of Kintyre cheddar, aubergine and chilli tart with tomato and tarragon dressing, but below is the Baked Portobello mushroom with herb crusted goats cheese, haricot bean and rocket fricasse. It was divine and I am working hard on recreating the recipe.

ps. prices are extremely reasonable at £15.95 for three courses

Orange Baklava

It’s not really difficult making vegetarian puddings, but vegan ones can be a bit more tricky. Since I have a seriously sweet tooth I tend to avoid making desserts – it’s just too tempting having them staring at me.

But as an experiment for part of our World Tapas course on the Wirral I had a play with a simple baklava. The filling is dead easy, but the filo (as always) takes a little bit of patience (which is a test for me!). It was also an excuse to use one of our favourite ingredients – pomegranate molasses. Sometimes I think it’s even better with nuts and fruit (try strawberries!) than vegetables.

It is also really important to find super fresh nuts. Better from a good independent health food store than a supermarket… and do remember to keep the rest in the freezer to stop the polyunsaturated oils becoming rancid. Stale nuts taste pretty awful and they’re not too good for your health either!

Pistachio and Orange Baklava

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Ingredients

1 packet filo pastry (minimum 270g)

60g hard margarine (Tomor has an ok flavour)

Filling

100g pistachio nuts

125g walnuts

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Syrup

100g caster sugar

1 orange, zest and juice

2 tsp pomegranate molasses

Makes 10-12 smallish pieces

First of all making the filling by pulsing the nuts, sugar and cinnamon in a processor until pretty well crushed, but not superfine (depending on how much crunch you want).

Line a small baking tin (18cm x 18cm is good) with baking parchment (don’t ever bother with greaseproof paper – it’s too thin and porous). Cut the filo pastry to the same size as the tin. Ideally you will have at least 12 sheets.

Then melt the margarine. Place one sheet of filo on the lined base and brush with margarine. Top with 5 more sheets, brushing each sheet well with margarine. Then spread half the filling on top. Cover with 6 more sheets of filo, again brushing with margarine as you layer.

Score and cut the baklava into diamond shapes in the tin (if you try and cut the pastry when cold it will just shatter). Then bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 30 minutes until golden. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes.

To make the syrup, place the juice of the orange and the sugar in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the molasses. Simmer for a few minutes and let cool slightly before pouring over the baklava – it should sink in pretty quickly! (Use orange zest for garnish).

Warm Fennel Salad

It’s been a very hectic couple of weeks, the best bit of which was a long weekend in Antibes…..my absolute favourite part of the South of France. Chic of course but also a proper French town, which inevitably means a wonderful market. So although dining out can be tough for vegetarians, cooking in is always a pleasure, with a huge variety of fresh produce, dried pulses, olives and oils.  I was also delighted to show off my new culinary knowledge .... yes… baby spinach is called ‘pousse’!

The stacks of fennel reminded me of a beautiful spring salad that Mo and I adapted when running workshops for Riverford Organic Vegetables. A greatly under-used vegetable in this country, partially I suspect because we have no idea how to take it apart. (I always start by taking off the chunky stem and lopsided feathery bits – do not be fooled into thinking they are useful for garnish – stock maybe…)

Fennel, French Bean and Leek Salad

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Ingredients

300g French beans trimmed

500g leeks, trimmed and halved.

Small bulb fennel, thickly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted

Dressing

1 tbsp black olive paste (not tapenade!)

1 tsp grain mustard

Pinch sugar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp chopped herbs (parsley, dill, basil)

Makes enough for 6.

First of all cook the beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until al dente, drain and refresh with cold water to keep the lovely green colour.

Then blanch the leeks briefly for 2 minutes. Take these out with a slotted spoon and add the fennel slices and continue to simmer for 5 minutes before draining. When cooking fennel it’s always useful to blanch first otherwise it can take an age to soften. Once blanched cut the leeks into 6cm lengths.

Now heat up a nice solid griddle pan, “paint” the fennel slices and leeks with olive oil and griddle until tender and slightly charred. Meanwhile make the dead easy dressing so it’s ready to pour over the warm vegetables. To serve scatter over the pine nuts and maybe add some oven roasted tomatoes for colour and sweetness.