A Vegetarian Christmas

Vegetarian Christmas

Many allotment gardeners walk away from their plots in the winter as they see gardening as a spring and summer or autumn occupation when harvesting vast amounts of fruit and other produce for preserves or just enjoying. Of course, as long as our plots and gardens are well maintained it is very much the choice of each individual how he/she chooses to garden.

I guess I must have a peasant mentality as I find that, while I certainly grow produce for eating and enjoying during the kinder months [when the living is easy] I plan and work towards the winter months and for the real ‘lean’ months of spring time. Of course, all our planning can come to nothing in very harsh winters when our carefully nurtured brassicas collapse under very harsh winters and it is impossible to hack root vegetables out of deeply frozen ground. For the last two winters my brassicas have been most disappointing and I been forced to resort to my freezer for vegetables stored in the good times or even - whisper it – the vegetable shop or supermarket.

So far, this autumn has been disappointingly wet and stormy and I have not carried out or completed chores which should have been done a month ago. At least I managed to get most of my autumn digging done.

I’m not a vegetarian but, over many years have catered for many friend and family with different dietary needs and choices. My grandson, now aged 13 months is seriously allergic to all dairy and all eggs and egg products, which require a bit of thought and preparation. This Christmas, I will have all of my family at home with me and while I plan to have the traditional roast turkey and spicy roasted gammon, I will also make an ever popular dish in my family – a Nut Roast.

Nut Roast

The time in making of this dish is in the preparation of the ingredients. Once everything is prepared, it takes only a couple of minutes to combine them put the ‘roast’ in the oven. It does take a little effort but I have found this dish to be very popular for Christmas either as the main course or cold with salads and pickles. It has also been very popular at dinner parties when I have been entertaining vegetarians – I have found that given a choice, even some of the meat eaters will opt for the nut roast [perhaps that has something to say about my meat dishes rather than the nut roast but, I’d prefer to think not!]

Replacing the butter with margarine or olive/rapeseed oil and leaving out the egg will also make this dish suitable for vegans however, the roast may break up more easily without the egg to bind it.

Ingredients

400gm [12oz ] mixed nuts chopped finely -  I use a mini chopper which is just brilliant for small quantities of all sorts of stuff from herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, baby food and, of course, nuts. Don’t chop too finely.

[You can use most types of nuts from hazelnuts, peanuts (not salted), Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, pecans but, be sparing with walnuts as they have a very dominant flavour]

1 large onion – peeled and chopped very finely

4 – 5 plump garlic cloves – peeled and chopped

1 good sized leek – trimmed, washed and cut into small pieces

100gm [ 4oz ] butter

1 medium potato – peeled, cooked and mashed

1 small parsnip or part of a larger parsnip – peeled, cooked and mashed

75 gm [3oz] – fine breadcrumbs – from a loaf of fresh or slightly stale bread [not commercial breadcrumbs from a supermarket]

1 lemon [or lime] – grated zest and juice

2 dsp. mixed herbs – preferably fresh [if using dried herbs reduce the quantity – if using frozen increase the quantity] – thyme, sage, marjoram, tarragon, rosemary (use sage and rosemary sparingly as they have a stronger flavour which can swamp your dish.

Lots of chopped parsley – 2 – 3 Tblsp.

Salt and freshly crushed black pepper.

2 tsp – cumin seeds – lightly toasted and crushed

2 medium eggs – beaten

A little vegetable stock – as needed

Method

·         Melt the butter in a pan and ‘sweat’ the chopped onion. Add the chopped garlic, leek and cumin, sweat for another couple of minutes, being careful to not singe the garlic and leek.

·         Add the chopped nuts and mix in well.

·         Add the cooked and mashed potato and parsnip.

·         Add the breadcrumbs lemon zest and juice and thoroughly mix.

·         As the mixture cools down a bit add the salt and pepper, herbs and chopped parsley and the beaten egg.

·         Mix well then add a little stock to the mixture to ensure it is binding together.

·         Put the mixture into a well greased and lined loaf tin [900gm /2lb size]

·         Bake  in oven 180ºC, Mark 5 gas for approximately 1 hour or until brown on top – take care to not burn the top.

·         Turn out. Allow to cool slightly before slicing. Serve with apple or cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly, gravy made form vegetable stock and roast root vegetables and potatoes.

 While I have been known to buy goose fat to make ‘excellent’ roast potatoes and I have even tried Nigella’s semolina coated roast potatoes, I am conscious of the high ‘animal fat’ content of these recipes and I’ve found my own almost as good – with all the other flavours around in Christmas dinner I believe it is the texture which is paramount:

Roast potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut into even sized pieces. Par-boil in salted water until the outsides of the potatoes are starting to soften. Drain the potatoes and put them into a colander or large sieve and shake them around to ‘roughen’ the outsides. Put into a roasting pan where oil [ my choice is rapeseed oil – I have used olive oil successfully but olive oil has a much lower ‘smoke point’ and this can impart a burnt flavour has been pre-heated to sizzling hot in a hot oven. Coat the potatoes in the oil and return the pan to the oven.  Turn the potatoes occasionally to ensure they are brown and crisp on all sides.

I do like some mash potatoes with Christmas dinner as well as roast but, as a more flavoursome version try this Mustard Mash:

Mustard Mash Potatoes

1 kg [2lb] potatoes – floury potatoes are best

3 good sized tsp whole grain mustard

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

75gm [3oz] grated cheddar cheese

50 gm [2oz] butter

250ml [ ½pt] milk

Method

·         Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into even sized pieces. If you are using floury potatoes, it is best to steam them or they will break apart. Cook until the potatoes are soft all the way through.

·         Mash or put through a potato ricer.

·         While still hot, add the cheese and butter and mix in until well melted.

·         Add the milk, mustard and seasoning and stir in well. Reheat over a low flame to ensure the potato is hot without overcooking the cheese.

·         Serve with a topping of finely chopped parsley.

I think roast parsnips are also an excellent addition to any roast but, they don’t take as long to cook as roast potatoes so add them to the roasting pan a little later, although they do respond well to the same parboiling and ‘roughing’ the outsides as the potatoes. However, my favourite parsnip recipe:

Parsnip Croquettes ( recipe from ‘Gourmet Britain’) - this is a wonderful for all roasted meat dishes. While this is not my recipe it is exactly as I would have made these croquettes when I was at college. Totally delicious!

·         900g/2 lbs Parsnips, peeled and with any hard core removed - cut into pieces

·         225g/8 oz Potato (floury-type), peeled and cut into pieces the same side as the parsnips

·         1 teaspoon (5ml) Salt

• 60g/2 oz Butter
• plenty of freshly-ground Black Pepper
• 1 scant teaspoon (3ml) freshly-grated Nutmeg
• Dried Breadcrumbs
• 2 Eggs, beaten with a little salt
• Oil for deep frying or oil and butter

Method:

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the parsnip and potato pieces.
2. Simmer them for about 20 minutes or until they're tender.
3. Drain the vegetables and pass through a mouli-légume - or mash carefully to remove all lumps.
4. Mix in the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Allow to cool until they"re cool enough to handle then shape them into croquettes a little bigger than a cork.
6. Dip each in the egg wash, then roll them in the breadcrumbs until they are fully covered.
7. Deep-fry at 200°C/400°F until they're golden brown or shallow fry in a mixture of oil and butter.

Squashes and pumpkins have been brilliant this season. I have had over 80 to use or give away [although many of these have been the small ‘hand-full’ varieties like Baby Bear. I still have, after inundating friends and family about 40 to use before they start to go off in the spring [I think a few more recipes for using them would be a good idea! But for Christmas Dinner try this:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Roasted Potatoes

1 – 2 medium onions - red onions for preference – peeled and cut into chunks

½ kilo suitable roasting potatoes – washed, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 medium butternut squash – sliced, peeled and deseeded then cut into chunks

1 garlic bulb – separate the cloves and skin them

A good dollop of top quality olive oil

A good sprinkle of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Some sprigs of rosemary

Method

·         Prepare the vegetables.

·         Heat the oil in a roasting pan until hot - 200ºC, No 6 gas

·         Toss the prepared squash, onions and potatoes in the hot oil.

·         Add the seasoning, herbs and garlic and return to the oven.

·         Cook for a further 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown and crunchy ( this will depend on the size you have cut them.

·         Serve immediately with any roast meat or with a nut roast.

Note – an excellent choice for Christmas dinner

Roasted Baby Pumpkins

Allow 1 small pumpkin per person

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 plump garlic clove per pumpkin [more if liked] – peeled and crushed or chopped

1 small sprig or a few leaves of rosemary for each half pumpkin

Olive oil

Method

·         Remove the stalk and wash the outside of the pumpkin carefully.

·         Slice the pumpkin in half through the middle, horizontally and scoop out the seeds.

·         Place the half pumpkins on an oven-proof tray or dish. Add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a small sprig of rosemary and a spray or a teaspoonful of olive oil.

·         Bake in a moderate oven No5 Gas or 180ºC for approx 30 – 40 minutes. Check with a skewer that the flesh of the pumpkin is properly cooked.

·         Serve immediately.

An Alternative Sweet Mincemeat

Of course you can also add sultanas and raisins to this recipe but, one member of my family does not like those fruits. I have found that she really likes this alternative.

Ingredients

100gms [4oz] chopped dried apricots

100gms [4oz] chopped dates

100gms [4oz] chopped crystallised or glace ginger

100gms [4oz] chopped pistachio nuts
100gms [4oz] chopped glace cherries

2 apples [eating or cooking] – washed and grated off the core

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

50gm soft brown sugar

2 - 3 Tblsp sherry, cointreau or cognac [optional]

Spices can be added or left out, as you wish - ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves.

Method

·         Combine the ingredients in a bowl adding more sherry/cognac/etc if you wish for a more alcohol flavoured mincemeat [the alcohol will dissipate as the mince pies are cooked].

·         This mixture will store successfully in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

·         Use as for commercial sweet mince.

Growing Rhubarb - the winter division

Of course, at this time of year, we feel we don't have to do anything much on our allotment and this is the time to be laid back and plan for the future.... or not!

However, for a few of us who feel that producing vegetables for winter is important [ I do but, still go to the vegetable shop for those vegetables which have not been successful or have failed for me this year or, that I have not produced enough, eg. cauliflower... is always either glut or famine].

Of course, apart from harvesting, there are a few jobs which must be done - see on the last Blog. I did mention there about dividing rhubarb crowns. This is best done now or during January - February. Some varieties will start to sprout in February so, it is best to divide crowns before this.

Growing Rhubarb – rheum hybridum

 Rhubarb, although grown widely as a fruit, is not, in fact, a fruit. This is an important consideration when preserving the uniquely flavoured stems, as it contains no pectin so, will not ‘set’.

Sowing and Growing

It is grown for its stems which can be available – depending on the variety – from as early as March, in milder climates. Of course, commercially it is grown in dark, warmed sheds where the plants can be harvested as ‘sweet’ tender, blanched stems for most of the year.

On the allotment, it is possible to ‘force’ the rhubarb stems by covering with a large chimney pot or more frequently nowadays, with a compost bin or upturned plastic bin. The stems collected by this method are likely to be quite fragile or even limp after a very short time and are best eaten immediately. It is important to remove the covering quite early to allow the plant to put up ‘normal’ growth for the following season.

Rhubarb plants can last for many years so, it is important to create a good bed to ensure the young plants can establish well – make sure all perennial weeds have been removed although, in time the rhubarb will ‘crowd-out’ any intrusive weeds.

It is possible to grow from seed though, it is probably best to buy in young plants from a recommended provider or seed house in winter or early spring. Check what the type of plants available and choose a variety which will suit your taste and ground.

Although rhubarb is fairly tolerant of most sites and types of soil, it does prefer a well drained, sunny and well manured site. Rhubarb is not happy in a site where it is overgrown by trees or in heavy shade.

Although it is recommended to buy in new, young plants every ten years or so, if you have a variety you like, you can create new plants from the stock you already have – dig out the old roots [ they are deep rooted plants and can be difficult to eradicate if this is your intention] in the late autumn or winter and allow them to be exposed to frost. Make sure the plants you are using are healthy and with no obvious defects – an uncle of mine ,who had been a keen gardener for most of his life, said that the roots should be thrown at the back of the manure heap for the winter, then planted on again in the spring.

When I am sharing my favourite, early, sweet plant [I inherited it so I have no idea of the variety although, one rhubarb connoisseur suggested it might be ‘champagne’], I cut through a large section of the root with a sharp spade during the winter and pass it on. I understand all of my roots have transplanted happily. Perhaps, next year I will move my, now enormous, rhubarb plant to a new part of my plot to re-invigorate it.

Rhubarb is a fairly greedy plant and requires a good mulch of well-rotted manure each winter. Also, mulch the plants well to ensure moisture retention in dry years. Although rhubarb will tolerate dry spells, long dry seasons can affect the plant’s production in that season and in a subsequent year.

It is advisable to remove any flower heads as they may appear as they will stop the plant producing the stems which we would harvest although some growers like to grow rhubarb for  the flower heads as a supurb architectural plant for flower arrangements. This is fine though I have noticed that the flower heads can be susceptible to aphid attack.

Varieties

It is always important to see what the plant/seed providers are recommending as new varieties of plants become available each year. If you are planting new plants, it is important to resist harvesting any leaves in the first year to allow the plants to establish.

Try varieties – Livingston, Victoria, Champagne, Stockridge Arrow, Timperley Early [which should produce good stalks from February until October], Giant Grooveless Crimson [repudedly less acidic], Polish Raspberry.

What ever the variety, as the season progresses the stems become tougher and more acidic [sour]. This is a crop best harvested in spring until early summer.

Don’t forget that rhubarb leaves are poisonous. The same toxin, oxalic acid is also present in the stems so, it is not advisable to eat too much or give to young babies.

Harvesting and Storing

When harvesting rhubarb, the plant should be growing vigorously, definitely not in its first season of growing. If it has not established well or has had a difficult year previously then, don’t harvest. Water well and feed the plant until the following season.

Choose strong, thick stems and pull them strongly from above, bringing out the ‘attachment’ tissue to the mother plant. Don’t harvest too many from one plant. Cut off the leaves and the ‘attachments’ area of each stem.

Use the stems within a few days as they will wilt quite quickly, even in a fridge.

Rhubarb is best used in season although it can be used to create a wonderful Rhubarb and Ginger Jam.

Rhubarb leaves are highly toxic – containing oxalic acid and several other toxins. These toxins are also present in the leaves though, in much lower quantities. It is important to not eat too much of this ‘fruit’ and don’t give to babies in any form.

Pests and diseases

Young rhubarb plants can be susceptible to aphids though usually only on the flower heads. IF you wish to use them for flower arrangements it is important to deal with this possible infestation. Otherwise, remove all flower heads before they develop.

Honey fungus – if this is a problem on your allotment, can be a problem with rhubarb. Remove all roots and start on a new site with new, bought-in roots.