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

 ____________________________________________

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

_____________________________________

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

_________________________________________

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.

Aubergine Polenta Terrine

Possibly my favourite UK city is Edinburgh, not just for the food but also the wonderful art gallerys - and of course shops! As usual there was a 'lazy' wind (it goes through not around you) but we had a wonderful evening out at Nonna's in Morningside with the best B & B owner we know - Clarissa - and as a fellow American ex-pat we got to discussing the pros and cons of cornmeal (aka polenta).  She's a big fan, but I have to say I really need that strong maize taste knocked back, so here is my compromise, which I have to say is rather tasty. As with all terrines read the recipe all the way through to the end to make sure you get the layers in the right order.

Aubergine Polenta Terrine
___________________________________________

Ingredients

100ml  olive oil

1 medium  aubergine
3 medium red onions
60g quick cook polenta

250ml light stock

125g baking potato (cooked)

125g soft goats cheese

2 tbsp semi-skimmedmilk

½ tsp thyme, dried

100g spinach, wilted, drained and chopped

2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1-1 ½ tsp sun dried tomato paste

1 large tomato, thickly sliced

5-6 black olives

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

First of all heat your oven up to Gas 5/190C.  Then cut the aubergine into thin slices (about 5mm) preferably lengthwise. This is the hardest part of the recipe - best tip is to use a really sharp knife. Then place the slices on an oiled baking sheet, brush with oil (you will probably need 75ml) and bake for 10 minutes until soft and golden, turning once.

Then peel and slice the red onion into thick rings (you should get 4 out of each onion). Place flat on a baking tray, drizzle with the remaining oil and roast for 15 minutes until soft.

At the same time cook the polenta with the stock according to packet instructions (usually 5 minutes). Do not worry it will take on the consistency of wallpaper paste!

Mash the potato, three quarters of the cheese and all the milk together and season with thyme, salt and black pepper. Then combine well with the polenta. I know it is faster just to boil the potato but it does need to be dry so baking is a more fail-safe method.

To assemble the terrine: take a long 1lb loaf tin and strip line with baking parchment so you will be able to life out the terrine. Then divide the polenta mix into three. Spread one third on the bottom with a plastic spatula. Brush a little sun-dried tomato paste over this then cover with half the aubergine slices. Spread another third of polenta on top and place the onion over this followed by the spinach and nuts. Then spread the final layer of polenta on top, followed by the tomato paste and aubergine. Dot over pieces of the remaining cheese, cover with sliced tomatoes, add the olives and drizzle with a little oil and balsamic vinegar.

Finally bake for 20 minutes.  You'll find the terrine will be quite soft when hot, but becomes firmer as it cools (very nice for lunch the next day!)

Update
Having just featured this dish on a course at LucyCooks in the Lake District, we have come up with an even better terrine with roasted red peppers on the bottom layer and thin strips of courgette (using a potato peeler) on the top. This version is called Fern's Terrine (thank you Fern for being allergic to aubergine!)