Fresh Veggies

Fresh Veggies
great produce=Great eating

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A de-constructed pizza and a Sweet Potato pie from scratch..Tomorrow's menu Prep with Photos

It is 2.30pm and already it is 93F in the shade in my back garden!!
I have had to put beach umbrellas over my spinach and lettuce plants and my broccoli plants have no idea what is going on!
Hopefully it will cool down in time for Halloween...:)

I would like to say thank you to all my readers world wide, I had no idea when I began this blog this year, that vegetarian-vegan dishes, and tales of a long, International working life, in "private service",  would be so popular.
I am very grateful for your support and encouraging comments.
Apart from Africa, this blog is read by people on every continent in the world and since Monday alone, it  has been avidly read in 12 countries apart from USA.

The menu my client's have chosen for tomorrow is:

Split pea soup with broccoli..light delicious and great no matter the weather..this does not contain any added grains nor potatoes. ( in place of broccoli fresh mint is also a good addition) I it is finished with chopped fresh parsley ( gives it a great earthy flavor)

A celery and potato blended soup made with vegetable stock, milk and unsalted butter, a milder version of vichsoisse



The a de-constructed pizza..a  yeasted whole wheat, free- form "rustic " pie containing roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, black olives ( I am curing my own now in olive oil, herbs and spices for December) and cheese.
Baked here tomorrow and delivered so client can eat for lunch

Artichoke and Carrot ragout, with oregano, tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and finished with extra virgin olive oil...to be delivered with cook at client's home dry pasta..another light addition, great for this hot weather, and de-glazed with red wine.

Tuscan Bean stew...this is a great dish..perfect for lunch or supper with either fresh bread, quinoa (as I am serving it), or a green salad.
A blend of vegetable stock, rosemary, potatoes, cooked canneli beans ( white kidney beans), carrots, celery, kale, garlic, green beans, chopped fresh parsley and some diced tomato, also finished with torn basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil.


Desserts:
a popular item in the Fall..Sweet Potato pie with a whole wheat & oatmeal crust..very nice and filling pie not too sweet and very very delicious, a Southern America favorite and I use a recipe that is over 60yrs old ( featured in yesterday's blog about pies).
The photographs of the baked sweet potato pies before and after are on the previous blog entitled "all the world loves pies", check them out.

Also making the ever popular strawberry-apple Eve's pudding ( this hot weather over past few weeks has produced some of the sweetest strawberries we have had in years), these along with caramelized apples go well with a vanilla sponge cake  topping ; this is a traditional British dessert usually made only with fresh apples.

The following photographs map my progress so far, today.


 organic sweet potatoes, plum tomatoes and purple onions, with washed parsley all apart from onions air drying


carrots, celery, Russet potatoes and button white mushrooms also air drying

dried split green peas

the vegetables  about to be roasted for the "rustic pie"

the Tuscan Stew, with the liquid removed to allow it to "boil down" and reduce

The baked sweet potatoes for the pies

The roasted vegetables for the rustic pie finished with torn basil leaves

Blended leek and celery soups

Artichoke & carrot ragout for the pasta side view

Tuscan Stew completed with added reduced liquid

peeled, baked sweet potatoes for pies..they are easier to peel when still warm but not hot

the mashed sweet potatoes, when they are cool, I am going to make the filling ( recipe on previous pies blog) with the eggs and milk and ground spices then allow to marinate overnight before baking the pies in the morning

Tuscan Stew packed

Artichoke-carrot ragout packed and finished with torn basil leaves and extra virgin olive oil


Whole wheat and oatmeal dough for the sweet potato pies..to rest overnight in fridge will be baked tomorrow


The poppy seed, whole wheat yeasted dough for the rustic pie, will rise for 1 hour, "knock back" and store in fridge until tomorrow morning, allow to rise for further 30 mins then roll and bake into rustic pies

Quinoa...soak in cold fresh water for 30 mins then drain well and cook..soaking removes the toxins present in the dried grain







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