Oven Roasted Ratatouille

We are continuing to enjoy homegrown fruit and vegetables, because we know it won't last.

So with our homegrown courgettes and homegrown tomatoes, I made an Oven Roasted Ratatouille, and before some of you get all uppity and say its not made this way, blah blah blah...well this recipe comes from a  French woman, author of - if its good enough for her, well who am I to argue.

So who is this French woman, well she is Parisian and it is Clotilde Dusoulier author of the best food blog Chocolate and Zucchini.  She started her blog in 2003.  I can't remember how I stumbled across her originally but I did buy her cookbook also of the same name and from which the recipe comes from.  

For those of you who read my blog regular, will know that I am not that keen on ratatouille, so I am always willing to try different recipes that will encourage me to change my mind, well I think I am onto a winner here. 

Savoury Vegetable Cake

After enjoying the vegetarian chorizo, sun-dried tomato and pistachio savoury cake a couple of weeks back. I followed it with another version, but this time with everyday steamed vegetables: cauliflower, carrots and green beans.  

I think they turned out pretty good.  Unlike the previous version that had a bit of crunch and twang, this variation is plainer and perhaps would be more agreeable to those who do not have such an adventurous palette.  I'm not naming any names here, or pointing fingers - but you know the kind of people I mean.

Vegetarian Chorizo, Sundried Tomato and Pistachio Savoury Cake

I am looking forward to getting my mitts on Clotilde Dusoulier French Market Cookbook via the library, unless it is bestowed upon me as  Birthday or Christmas gift. Anyway, I was happy to flick through her first cookbook Chocolate and Zucchini with renewed energy and decided to cook a recipe I've had bookmarked a long long while. 

 I made her Cake Tomate, Pistache et Chorizo translated as Sun dried Tomato, Pistachio and Savoury Loaf a couple of weeks ago, if I am honest.  I made it for D's lunch box, he had three times in one week.  And I snacked on it, every time I went to the fridge.  It made for easy eating.

Savoury cake is certainly an acquired taste and one I have to say that I was acceptable to me. 
It has a twang from the yogurt and the sun-dried tomatoes, a little spicy kick from the chorizo and crunch from the pistachio nuts, that D loves. 

Surprise Cabbage Pies

Be patient, you’ll see why in a moment
In an attempt to use up the remaining cabbage in the fridge, this recipe began as a version of the Russian kulibiaka (pronounced koo-leeb-yah-ka). Kulibiaka is a pastry pie traditionally made with cabbage, however this quickly morphed into the French adaptation of the coulibiac (pronounced koo-leeb-yahk) which includes rice, mushrooms, hard boiled eggs and salmon, but of course I wanted to make a relatively quick vegetarian alternative. So this is what we ended up with. I know, absolutely nothing like the real thing, but we enjoyed them. The subtle flavour of the cabbage came through with the parsley, and the surprise: simply a hard boiled egg.

These cabbage pastry pies were quite large, so I actually though that you don’t need very much else with it, but D my husband, demi-vegetarian by association had other ideas. Today he insisted that he wanted his served with some salmon. He had decided that he wanted his cabbage pie to be as close to a coulibiac as it could be. I let him be. I think it is good of him to be eating what I cook for him and without fuss I hasten to add, so I wasn’t going to make an issue of the accompaniment on his plate.

Surprise Cabbage Pies
Serves 2 greedy people or 4 with accompaniments
Ingredients
250g cabbage, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, kept whole or cut in half if making 4 portions
3 - 4 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
375g ready rolled puff pastry

Method
Heat oven to gas mark 6.Cook cabbage in boiling water until tender, drain and set aside. Heat the oil and cook the onion until soft, add the cabbage, stir well and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the parsley. Season well. Either cut out 2 round circles with the puff pastry, you may need to re-roll the pastry or use the ready rolled pastry as it is and spread the cooked cabbage, leaving about ½ inch for sealing. Then put in the egg, either half or whole, and then gently pull the pastry ends to pinch together to seal (look at image below), gently transfer onto a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake in oven for 20 - 30 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Serve immediately. Please note these pies can be made either into individuals portions, or in a long loaf style.

Jerusalem Artichoke and Mushroom Pithivier

I remember watching a repeat episode with the seafood chef Rick Stein on his travels in France and he made a Pithivier. It really did look temptingly good. Pithivier pronounced [pee-tee-VYAY] are large round, enclosed pies normally made with puff pastry which is then traditionally filled with frangipane, also known as almond cream. Then pastry top is then finished off with a glaze, either by egg-wash or by the caramelising a thin layer of sugar at the end of the cooking process.
You will also find savoury versions of this pithivier, sometimes filled with meat or cheese. I decided to make a savoury one with a seasonal vegetable: the Jerusalem artichoke. Oh and one more thing about pithiviers, the tops are traditionally and skilfully decorated in the style of scallop shells, well as you can see mine is not at all elegantly presented but it sure was flavourful and nutty.

Unfortunately, Jerusalem artichokes are not appreciated by everyone, one of the reason for this is its after effects on the human body: flatulence, but my attitude it, if you only eat it a couple of times during its season, it’s a small price to pay.

I have also found Jerusalem artichokes to be such a versatile ingredient. I only became aware of this when I started growing my own. Upon digging my first batch early last year, I wondered what on earth was I going to do with so many of these knobbly tubers. Since then I’ve made Jerusalem artichoke and walnut parcel, Jerusalem artichoke crisps, Jerusalem artichoke gratin, Jerusalem artichoke soup and stoved Jerusalem artichokes. If you are thinking of growing them, be warned that once you’ve got them in the ground, you have got them pretty much for life. So do think carefully about planting them and where.

Jerusalem Artichoke and Mushroom Pithivier
Serves 4

Ingredients
260g peeled Jerusalem artichokes, thinly sliced (2-3mm)

3 - 4 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Sprig of rosemary

100ml red wine

250g tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

60g puy lentils, cooked

375g ready rolled puff pastry

Optional: 1 medium free range egg or 1 tbsp soya flour mixed with a little water to glaze
Method
Heat Oven to Gas 4/200C/400F
Saute the artichokes and shallots in the olive oil in a large frying pan until softened and slightly golden. Add the mushrooms and rosemary and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes before adding the red wine, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove the rosemary sprig and add the cooked lentils.
Roll the pastry sheets into two thin circles, but make one slightly bigger than the other. Place the smaller on a baking sheet and top with the filling, leaving enough of a border. Cover with the larger circle, pressing the edges neatly together and crimping with your fingers or a fork. Make a hole in the centre and brush the pastry with the egg or soya glaze and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until puffed and golden. If you wish you can make 4 individual pithiviers. Adapted from the Vegetarian Society. Original recipe can be found here.

Rosemary infused Vegetable Bourguignonne

Many of you will know that Beef Bourguignon is a traditional and popular French dish. Beef Bourguignon is a flavourful stew prepared with beef that is slowly simmered red wine with garlic, onions, carrots, a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions and mushrooms. I learned that it was originally a peasant dishes, but over the past few years has been refined and now appears on menus at Michelin star restaurants.

I have also seen various vegetarian and vegan versions of the Bourguignonne in magazines and cookbooks. I must admit as someone who has never eaten beef, the colour of the ‘muddy brown’ gravy just did not appeal to me, so I had never bothered making it, until yesterday of course.

I had some fresh chestnuts left over from Christmas that were starting to look like polished decorative pebbles. Plus a recipe of vegetable based Bourguignonne gave me another opportunity to cook from one of my Christmas presents: Rachel Demuths Green World Cookbook.
This Bourguignonne contains home grown garlic, baby onions and rosemary. This is also my entry for this weeks Weekend Herb Blogging, which celebrated its fourth Birthday last year. WHB was started by Kalyn of Kalyns Kitchen. It is now and organized by Haalo of Cook Almost Anything Once, I think this is a great way to get food bloggers to cook with what is in season and growing locally. This weeks WHB No. 216 is being hosted by Maninas: Food Matters. This made me smile. The first time I ever submitted to WHB was last year with a Coriander, cumin and chilli quiche and guess who was hosting then, Maninas. What a splendid surprise for me.
The question is which of the home grown ingredients should I be showcasing. I decided upon the rosemary.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean. I think it is such a reliable herb especially during the winter, when the softer herbs such as basil, mint and coriander are in short supply. It is also so easy to grow not requiring much maintenance. I love brushing my hand on the rosemary bush for its heady scent. I think it is a very good both fresh and dried for cooking, but have you ever wondered where it got its name from. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary spread her cloak over a rosemary bush while she rested and as a result of this the flowers turned blue like her cloak. From then on, the bush was called ‘Rose of Mary.” Rosemary is also known as ‘Sea rose, Herb of Crowns, Mary’s Tree, Guardrobe, Incensier, Elf Leaf, Sea Dew, Dew of the Sea, Polar Plant, Mary’s Cloak, Stella Maria, Star of The Sea and Compass Plant’. Wow, so many beautiful names for one hardy plant.
We had this with mashed potatoes. Wow D gave it two thumbs up declaring it the most delicious meal of the year so far. The mushroom gravy lightly infused with the flavour of the rosemary is quite silky, and the celeriac chunks kept their shape well. I think this dish tastes even better the following day, as the gravy has a chance to penetrate through the exterior of the chestnuts, especially as these were fresh and roasted in the oven and this made them melt in the mouth. Previous to that, they tasted just a tad powdery.

Bourguignonne of chestnuts, mushrooms and roasted garlic
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients

150g cooked whole chestnuts
4 tablespoon olive oil
1 bulb garlic, peeled and cloves left whole
200g small onions or shallots, peeled and halved
1 small celeriac, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
3 - 4 sticks celery, peeled and chopped
300g chestnut and button mushrooms, stalks removed
2 bay leaves
Sprig of fresh rosemary from my garden
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
100ml red wine
1 tablespoon tamari1 tablespoon tomato puree
800ml stock made with 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark 6.
Use a large, deep baking tray, big enough to take all the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in the baking tray. Add the garlic cloves and onions and roast for 15 minutes. Add the celeriac and celery and stir well and road for another 30 minutes. At this point carefully tip all the vegetables into a large ovenproof casserole dish with a lid. Stir in the cooked chestnuts, mushrooms and herbs and season to taste. Add the wine, tamari, tomato puree and stock. Stir well to combine. Now either reduce the heat in the oven to Gas mark 3 and cook for a further 2 hours or simmer gently on the top for 1 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent vegetables sticking. Check for seasoning before serving.

Adapted from Rachel Demuths Green World Cookbook. I think this is going to be one of my most used books of 2010.