No meat meals from Purple Pear
Forward
by Mark Brown
The same credo applies to cooking as everything else at Purple Pear:
INTENT---OBSERVATION---INTUITION.
Applied to cooking it means to me that we need to be present in the process of preparing food.
The intent in the process should preclude ponderings of diverse problems and focus on the job at hand---with special
thoughts towards to end product and the people who will consume the fare.
The observation should focus your thoughts on the cooking process, help you to learn for the next time, and prevent
you from burning the dish being prepared.
The intuition will be a key factor in success. It is this that can tell you the ratio of ingredients as well as a cook book can. Trust your senses but learn from your mistakes, too.
--Mark Brown, Anambah, September 2010
Introduction
by K.D.P.Ross
When leafing through one of the Purple Pear recipe books whilst compiling this volume, I perused a group of loose
recipes following the book's final page; tucked among these, I found the following meal-time blessing:
Earth which gives to us this food,
Sun who makes it ripe and good,
Dear Earth, dear Sun:
Thanks we give to each one;
Blessings on our meal.
Mindfulness and gratitude are the oft-forgotten 'secret ingredients' of good food, for only when we remember that
what we eat is among the most precious things can we truly say that we have enjoyed a meal, a biscuit, or a cup of tea.
However, the above blessing neglects to offer thanks to everyone to whom they are owed:
May we give thanks to
The earth in which this food lived,
The compost that fed it,
The sun and rains which made it grow,
The farmers who tended to it daily,
The cooks who prepared it,
And the company with whom we share it now.
To spend every day in the Mandalas being one of those farmers, to be among others who share the love for honest food, to have found my way here to Purple Pear: These are certainly things for which I am tremendously grateful. When I prepare the recipes in this small volume, I will always think of Kate & Mark and count myself among the truly fortunate for having had the opportunity to study, live, garden, and eat with two people who daily embody the highest spirit of gratitude and mindfulness in producing, preparing, and enjoying really good food.
--K.D.P.Ross, Anambah, July 2010
Something Savoury
Chickpea Patties
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, chopped roughly
- 300 g / 11 oz can chickpeas, drained
- 1 egg
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- frying oil
Method
- Combine all ingredients in food processor or liquidiser. Process until chickpeas are chopped coarsely.
- Form into round patties 1 cm / 1/2 in thick and 5 cm / 2 in in diameter and fry in hot oil.
Chilli Pie (From: 'Vegetarian Main Meals' by K.Hawkins.)
Ingredients
- Filling
- Topping
- 1 tbsp corn oil
- 125 g / 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp wholemeal flour
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp hot chilli powder
- 90 g / 6 tbsp milk
- 400 g / 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp corn oil
- 325 g / 11 oz can sweetcorn, drained
- 125 g / 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
- 215 g / 71/2 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
Method
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the garlic, peppers, and celery for 5--6 minutes until just
softened.
- Stir in the chilli powder, tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans, and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the coriander and spoon into an ovenproof dish.
- To make the topping, mix together the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the centre, add the egg, milk, and oil, and beat until a smooth batter is formed.
- Spoon over the pepper-and-sweetcorn mixture and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 220deg C 425deg F for 25--30 minutes until golden and firm.
Cream of Zucchini Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 onion, chopped roughly
- 1 kg courgette, sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano
- 600 ml / 21/2 cups vegetable stock
- 115 g Cheddar cheese
- 300 ml / 11/4 cups single cream
Method
- Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming.
- Add courgette and oregano; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Lower the heat, half-cover the pan, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted.
- Process the soup until smooth.
- Add 2/3 of the cream and stir over low heat until hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add remaining cream.
Gardener's Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped finely
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 21/2 cups mashed potato
- 1 stick celery, sliced
- 1 carrot, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp soya sauce
- 3/4 cup mixed herbs
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
Method
- Soak the lentils overnight (or for at least 2 hours); drain and rinse.
- Add fresh water and bring to the boil in a large saucepan with the onion powder. Simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.
- Heat oil; sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add lentils, soya sauce, vegetable stock, herbs, and tomato pruée. Stir over heat until combined and simmer 15 minutes. Mixture ought to be fairly thick.
- Turn into a 5 cm / 2 in dish, top with mashed potato. Brown in a hot oven 15 minutes.
Kitchiri
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 11/4 cups basmati rice
- 2 tsp ground coriander seed
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 pods cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 950 ml / 4 cups vegetable stock
- parsley, chopped
Method
- Cover lentils with boiling water and soak 30 minutes. Drain and boil in fresh water for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Sauté onion and garlic in butter and oil in large saucepan for 5 minutes.
- Add rice, stir well to coat the grains in butter and oil, then stir in the spices. Cook gently for a minute or so.
- Add lentils, stock, tomato purée, and seasonings. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes until stock is absorbed and the lentils and rice are just soft. Stir in parsley. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
Laksa
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- garlic, chopped
- ginger, chopped
- chilli
- 1--11/2 l / 1--11/2 qt vegetable stock
- 1 can coconut milk
- seasonal vegetables, chopped
- tofu, cubed
- rice noodles
- sprouts
Method
- Sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli in a large pot.
- Add stock and coconut milk; bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add hard vegetables; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add noodles and tofu; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add soft vegetables; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add leafy greens; simmer for 2 minutes; remove from heat.
- Serve with a handful of sprouts.
Lentil Bake
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cans tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- sesame seeds
- 2 cups green or brown lentils
- 2 cups cooked vegetables (e.g., potatoes, carrots, broccoli)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- tamari
- grated cheese
- 1 cube vegetable stock
Method
- Bring lentils to the boil in a large pan of water; simmer covered for 35--40 minutes until soft. Drain.
- Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, tomato purée, tamari, and stock cube to garlic and onion.
- Place vegetables in a casserole; pour lentils over; cover with cheese and sesame seeds.
- Bake at 180deg C / 350deg F for 20--30 minutes.
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