From The Very Best of
Vegetarian Cooking, ed Janet Hunt, Thorsons, 1991.
This recipe was listed as a family favourite so should have
been a tasty dish but as I made it I had more and more doubts. These, however,
were dispelled when it was eaten.
A little over 500g of broad beans was placed in a salted
boiling pot of water and cooked until done. The recipe did not call for the
tougher outer skin of the beans to be removed so it was left on. This was my
first concern.
A green capsicum, a couple of celery sticks and two carrots
were chopped finely and sautéed in a pan while the beans were cooking.
The beans and the sautéed vegetables were mixed together and
a little less than 300ml of stock added. This was my second concern as it
seemed far too much liquid. A teaspoon of mixed dried herbs was stirred in with
salt and freshly ground black pepper. About 80g of grated cheddar cheese was
also added. The lot now went into a casserole and into a 200ºC oven for half an
hour. The recipe called for a 20 minute cooking time but when I tasted it the
bean skins needed a bit longer.
It now had about 30g grated cheddar sprinkled on top and
it went back into the oven for anther 10 minutes.
This actually turned out to be quite a tasty dish. It was
still very watery, rather like vegetables in broth. It won’t become a family
favourite but it was pleasant for a change.
The recipe comes from a compilation book. Recipes from The
Best of Vegetarian Cooking series had been culled and brought together in this
book so they come from a variety of chefs. Each recipe, unusually, has the
ingredients list in two columns, one English and the other American. When you
first look at the recipe you think it has a large list of ingredients until you
realise you have two lists. I have not used it much before but must investigate
further. Flipping through the pages I came across what appears to be a recipe
of cultural clash: Chow Mein with Ratatouille Sauce. That could be more
confusion than fusion.
Taste: ✔✔✔
Ease of
cooking: ✔✔✔✔
These were a pleasant accompaniment to the
salad. They had a little crispness on the outside while the inside was creamy
soft. Easy to make and easy eating.
