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.

Autumn and Winter Vegetables 3 - Root Vegetables

Winter vegetables – 3 – Root Vegetables

Most of the recipes in this blog are not my own but, are ones I have used successfully – do try them

Root vegetables  - the mainstay of winter vegetables which, of course, can span several and all seasons if one thinks of carrots and I’m not thinking of shop bought carrots.

Having said that, I have failed, totally, to provide all year round carrots for my household and in some years have failed to provide them for any season.

My ground, being heavy clay, is not the best type for carrots. It isn’t stony, which is a bonus but, nonetheless, I really need to till the ground to a fairly fine tilth to a good depth (10 -12 inches or 25-30cms) to give a suitable ground for carrots to grow in. I have had some success with certain varieties but, carrot root fly is a serious problem.

Carrot resistant varieties like Resistafly and Flyaway have been quite successful, as have some of the less fragrant types like the white or cream varieties – Créme de Lite and Blanc á colet vert. These grow satisfyingly large carrots which are tender, delicious and reasonably unattractive to carrot root fly, possibly because they don’t have a dramatic carroty aroma or flavour. They will sit quite well in the ground, even into late autumn though, I have found that the longer I leave them in the ground the worse the carrotfly damage has become. Not really surprising. I don’t have facilities for storing carrots successfully so, at the moment I have no option. As I have said in previous blogs, it doesn’t seem to matter that I sow them into raised beds or even in metre high ‘carrot boxes’, the carrot fly have still invaded my crops. Inter-planting with marigolds has made little or no difference to the carrot fly although, I find, that the aroma from those plants makes me nauseous! In 2012 I intend to use environmesh to keep the flies out. I will report back on that in the new season – onwards and upwards!
To add extra vegetables to yours and your children's menu so that they won't notice( well, not really) - add sliced carrot, parsnip, turnip to potatoes when you are cooking for mash - then mash up together with freshly crushed pepper and seasalt - a knob of butter is good! Try also adding broccoli or sliced cabbage to boiling potatoes 3 - 4 minutes from the end. Add pepper and sea salt and chop up well before serving - delicious!

Parsnips are, of course, a must and have a long harvesting season, once you can get them established. I have found that sowing them too early (in February as suggested on some seed packets) can lead to a very low or zero germination rate. They can be harvested from July – wonderful young tender roots until late spring, when you might find that the centres of the roots become a bit ‘woody’ and need to be cut out. But, aren’t they a wonderful, flavoursome and useful vegetable.

 Parsnips Recipes

Roasted parsnips – from ‘British and Irish Recipes’

The much maligned parsnip comes into its own when roasted in the oven. In this roast parsnip recipe the oven roasting brings out the sweetness of the parsnip and creates a slightly caramelized outside. Delicious.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb/500g parsnips, peeled
• 2 tbsp goose fat, lard, dripping or vegetable oil
• Salt

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 425F/220C/Gas 7
• Cut the parsnips into even bite-sized chunks. Place them in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat an simmer for 5 mins.
• Heat the fat in a roasting tin until very hot but not burning. Carefully tip the parsnips into the hot fat. Using a tablespoon coat each piece with hot fat, this will prevent the parsnips from sticking.
• Return the roasting tin to the oven and roast for 20 mins. Turn all the parsnips over and roast for a further 20 mins or until the parsnips are golden brown.
• Serve immediately.

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.

Beetroots are one of my favourites, especially as a pickle or chutney. They are easy to germinate and establish and will sit a long time into the winter as a useable root. This year, I have learned to appreciate them as a vegetable (not pickled). They are best steamed and when cooked thoroughly, the skin just slides off, when the roots can be sliced and served straight or in a variety of ways. Next year, I hope to grow some of the more unusual varieties (as well as Boltardy which is a superb, reliable variety at a low cost)– just for interest!

Beetroot Soup ( or Borsch, Borscht  - even Barscht)

There are many recipes, some more complicated than others – do Google for recipes, but choose one that is simple and quick to make:- try this one:

1 lb/ ½ kiko beetroot ( 500 gms)                                      

1 onion – finely chopped

1 leek – finely chopped                                                        

1 stick celery – finely chopped

1 large carrot – finely chopped                                         

 1 large potato – diced or finely chopped

1 Tblsp olive oil                                                                    Salt and pepper to taste

2/3 cloves garlic – finely chopped                                    1 tsp caraway seeds

1Ltr vegetable stock ( or enough to cover the veg. in the pan)

Method

1.       Instead of chopping the vegetables, you might like to put them through a food processor.

2.       In a large pan, gently fry the onion, garlic, caraway seed and leek without colour in the olive oil.

3.       Add  the vegetables ( potato, beetroot, celery and carrot).

4.       Add the stock , season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

5.       Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender.

6.       Pass the soup through a sieve or a liquidiser and check the seasoning. Add more if necessary.

7.       Reheat, and serve with dollops of cream or soured cream and chives on top.

Of the more unusual root vegetables, Salsify and Scorzonora are worth trying. They need to be cooked before removing the very tough skin which will then easily slough off. Their flavour is very delicate so don’t drown it with other much stronger flavours – try with a cheese sauce which is then gratinated – excellent!  

Salsify or Scorzonera  with cheese sauce

Scorzonera and salsify are very similar root vegetables. Both are considered a winter vegetable, best from November ‘til February. They are deep rooted 25 to 40 cm( 12 inches or more).The roots are quite delicate, easily broken and will discolour if the root is broken. They are often called the vegetable oyster as the flavour is delicate (though not at all fishy!) and it is important to not ‘drown’ the flavour with stronger ones.

The skin is quite tough and it is helpful t get rid of this beforehand – scald, steam or lightly boil the roots for a few minutes, then peel the tough skin from the roots. This should come off easily but , if not, use a peeler or sharp knife. Apart from cooking, you can stop the roots from discolouring by sprinkling with acid ( lemon juice or a mild vinegar – eg  tarragon, cider)

When the skins have been removed, cut the roots into lengths approx. 8 – 10 cm and place in a shallow oven-proof dish.

Make a cheese sauce:

30gm margarine ( 1oz)                                 ¼ litre milk ( ½ pint ) or veg stock

25 gm ( 1 oz) breadcrumbs- brown or white       Salt and pepper – to taste

30gm plain flour ( 1oz)

60gm ( 30gm ) cheese – cheddar is good though a more flavoursome one, like Stilton or other blue cheese is excellent – but don’t overpower the flavour of the vegetable.

Method 

1.      Melt the margarine in a saucepan and add the seasoning and flour. 

2.      Cook gently until the flour is cooked out – do NOT allow it to ‘catch’ or to brown.

3.      Add the liquid gently – little by little – stirring frequently until all the liquid has been added.

4.      Bring to the boil briefly then turn off the heat and add the cheese, allowing it to melt into the sauce.

5.      Pour the sauce over the salsify ( scorzonera) and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top. If you wish, some extra grated cheese can be added to the breadcrumbs.

6.      Bake in a hot oven 180c for 15mins or grill until golden.

7.      Serve as a starter or side dish.   Yummy!