"The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook" & Bean

 

     Bean loved her vegetables! She always had a pot of homemade soup bubbling away on the stove top. Every week like clockwork she'd pull out her big soup pot and concoct a soup, usually vegetable, with whatever needed using up or was left over. Nothing would ever go to waste. If she had a quantity of fresh corn it would become corn chowder, creamy and thickened I with potatoes. Rich multi bean, deeply caramelized French Onion, thick potato cheese, just-picked tasting Cream of Asparagus, or velvety butternut squash. Her favorite though had to be a good hearty minestrone filled with beans, zucchini, tomatoes and whatever else she felt inspired to throw in. In fact, I don't remember a day that she didn't have a mug of soup for breakfast, especially in her later years, it was her comfort food. She'd always put in a pat of butter and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper.    

    Raised on a farm she grew up on fresh vegetables and growing up during WWII she knew first hand about rationing, food shortages and the importance of not wasting food. Many cookbooks during the war years concentrated on vegetables and making foods stretch farther. Bean also wanted family and friends in her home to feel welcome, nurtured and nourished so she was well versed on cooking for alternative diets, myself included having been a Vegetarian twice in my life. I believe she truly enjoyed the challenge of learning new methods, new combinations, and substitutions that worked. She loved ethnic cooking, learning about different cultures through food and she was like a little kid one year when my brother gifted her a La Creuset tagine! Bean loved the flavors and technique of Moroccan food and a tagine was actually perfectly suited for the arid environment of the high desert that we lived in at the time. 

     "The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook" by Roz Denny was a source of inspiration for Bean and she made quite a few of the recipes for me and friends over the years. It was published by Smithmark Publishers, Inc. New York, NY in 1994. Chapters include an introduction to keeping a Vegetarian pantry; Soups & Starters; Light Lunches & Suppers; Main Courses; Salads & Vegetable Dishes; Parties & Picnics; and Desserts & Breads. This large cookbook features color pictures of each dish and smaller cooking demo photos. 

     This is a great everyday cookbook that my Mom used irregardless of being vegetarian and its one that I still use frequently. If you love vegetables this book has a broad range of flavors, textures and combinations from the delicious Winter Warmer Soup thick with parsnips, potatoes, turnips, carrots and a hint of ginger to the delectable Curried Parsnip Pie to another great vegetarian pot pie recipe the Festive Jalousie filled with Brussels Sprouts, chestnuts and onions in a cheese sauce flavored with sherry. Aduki Bean Burgers;  the Big Barley Bowl; Imam Bayildi- stuffed eggplant; Pissaladiere- a French tart filled with olives, onions, and herbs; and the lovely pink-tinted Pasta & Beet Salad. 

     As some of you know I choose one recipe to try and share from the highlighted cookbook. It is my way of honoring my Moms adventurous spirit. She had an insatiable need to feed people, her cookie jar was never empty, her door always open and the coffee pot always brewing. All of the cookbooks I share are from her vast collection which I inherited and are part of her legacy. She was much loved by all who met her. So today I chose Ricotta & Borlotti Bean Pate. This is perfect for snacking or for a light lunch, I enjoy it spread on a piece of toast for breakfast. It is a quick recipe to make and all sorts of beans can be substituted for the Borlotti Beans if you can't find them. It is light and fresh tasting, a perfect summer recipe. 

Ricotta & Borlotti Bean Pate

serves 4 (I'd double the recipe for a party)

1- 14 oz can borlotti beans, cannellini beans, Great Northern, Lima Beans, drained

1 garlic clove, crushed

6 ounces ricotta cheese (could substitute cream cheese that has been softened)

4 tbsp butter, melted

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt & ground pepper

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp fresh thyme, or dill, chopped

For serving- reserve some extra whole beans, lettuce/salad greens, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, fresh herbs, chopped

In a food processor blend the beans, garlic, cheese, butter, lemon juice, seasonings until processed smooth. Add the chopped fresh herbs and continue to blend. Oil a large ramekin or serving bowl or 4 small ramekins if making individual servings, line with a disc of parchment paper. Fill with pate and smooth. Cover and chill until firm. I think giving it time in the refrigerator, 4 hours or more, helps to meld the flavors. 

If serving individually, dress a plate with salad greens, extra whole beans, sliced radishes, dill or herb sprigs. Un-mold pate from ramekin, remove parchment paper, and serve with toast points, sliced vegetables or crackers. Enjoy!

My herb of choice is dill for this recipe. Dill and summer just go together for me. 

     The author Roz Denny has written a fair number of cookbooks including but not limited to The Vegetarian Gourmet, Rice & Risotto, Vegetarian Kids' Cookbook, The New Vegetarian Cookbook, Cooking with Cheese, Weight Watchers, Rice, Beans & Pasta, Cooking for Your Vegetarian Kids, Food in a Flash, Taste of India, Microwave, A Taste of France, Rice, Modern German Food, The Epicurean's Good Food Guide, A Taste of Britain, Veggie Kids, Taste of China, The Rice Cookbook, Quick Easy Chinese Dishes, Entertaining, Big Book of Great British Recipes, and Gordon Ramsay's Just Desserts. I found no biography for her though. 

     What I appreciate about this cookbook is the variety, the availability of the ingredients, and the instruction. Just an easy to use cookbook and every recipe I've tried has been very good. Highly recommended.