Baby Beet Tarte Tatin from River Cottage Veg, authored by Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall, an October Cottage Cooking Club recipe choice.
By no stretch of the imagination would you call me a Vegetarian. My granddaughter, yes. Close friends, you bet. But, me, absolutely not. That’s why it’s surprising that lately Deborah Madison, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Yotam Ottolenghi and I have become best buddies. I’m in awe of these three cookbook authors whose recently published cookbooks make vegetables sexy.
River Cottage Veg, 200 inspired vegetable recipes, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
For the past 6 months, since joining Cottage Cooking Club, I’ve been exploring Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg, 200 inspired vegetable recipes. This month I baked his scrumptious Pumpkin & Raisin Tea Loaf (no butter, no oil) and Baby Beet Tarte Tatin. Both recipes were unique, compelling, flavorful and dinner guest-worthy. Visit my October 7th Post, devoted to his Tea Loaf here. Find the recipe here.
Pumpkin & Raisin Tea Loaf
Tarte Tatin is a classic, of course, if you use apples. With beets? Not so classic. “But,” as HF-W writes, “the principle of caramelizing some delicious round sweet things, topping them with puff pastry, then flipping upside down, works equally well in the savory interpretation.”
Baby Beet Tarte Tatin
I simplified the preparation by purchasing vacuum-packed, ready-to-eat baby beets. My puff pastry of choice is DuFour Pastry Kitchens, available in grocery stores. Basically, halve the beets, caramelizing them and then fitting snugly into an 8-inch ovenproof container. Having already cut out a puff pastry disk to fit the dish, place it over the beets, patting firmly and tucking its edges down the pan’s side. After 20 minutes in the oven, the pastry should be a puffy, golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before inverting it carefully onto the serving plate. Top with the vinaigrette (recipe included) or crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.
Spicy Chickpea & Bulgar Soup from Plenty More, a cookbook authored by Yotam Ottolenghi
Baby Beet Tarte Tatin is an excellent appetizer, first course, entrée side or, as I found, delicious lunch. I enjoyed this with a bowl of Ottolenghi’s Spicy Chickpea & Bulgar Soup, a recipe from Plenty More, his latest cookbook published this month. What I love about Ottolenghi is his no-holds-barred attitude regarding ingredients. There’s a whole vegetable world out there with its accompanying flavorings and spices that I’ve never met.
Plenty More, Yotam Ottolenghi’s latest cookbook
For this soup I did have the spices on hand, cumin, coriander and caraway seeds. Garlic, onions, carrots and celery added flavor and crunch. Bulgar wheat was a first time-ingredient for me but Bob’s Red Mill brand carries all kinds of Natural Foods, Mixes and Flours in our grocery stores. Harissa Paste, I knew about but had never used. My advice? Perhaps, less heat? Use 1 TBSP instead of 2 TBSP. For stock, vegetable, chicken or water work equally well. Instead of the Creamed Feta Paste garnish, I cut calories and just sprinkled feta chunks on the top. This soup is goodness.
Spicy Chickpea & Bulgar Soup topped with Feta Chunks
Deborah Madison waded deeply into the veggie business in 1997 with the publication of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, a James Beard Foundation Book Award winner, and, now, a classic. But it’s her recently published Vegetable Literacy, a celebration of the plant kingdom’s diversity, which has been captivating. Nostalgic moment, my mother often cooked with rutabagas. When the Indian Summer fades and our snow falls turn serious, I’m all over her Rutabaga and Apple Bisque and Winter Stew of Braised Rutabagas with Carrots, Potatoes and Parsley Sauce.
Vegetable Literacy, Deborah Madison’s Latest Cookbook
Quite often, when I finish a three or four-hour hike, my reward is to stop by the Woody Creek Tavern, an old Hunter Thompson hangout, and have a burger, fries and beer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. However, a journey down the veggie highway created by these three masterful chefs is well worth my time and effort also. Having it all is a good thing.
The Cottage Cooking Club is a virtual international group cooking its way through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s excellent River Cottage VEG cookbook. Please join us in our adventure if you wish. To see what delicious fare my colleagues created this month, go here.
Looks like you are deep into delectable veggie dishes and inspired cookbooks. My mouth is watering. And your blog format looks sensational!
Yum, I love beets and can’t wait to try them in a tarte
Hi Mary, Oh I just love all 3 of those books, you almost do not realize that you are not eating meat the recipes are so good. The beet tarte tatin is gorgeous, wish that I would of made that one as well.
Love your veggie highway metaphor. I am so into this too. Veggies are my go-to meal. I have vegetables whenever possible…My breakfast of choice is leftover vegetables in a frittata.
I have Ottolenghi’s and Madison’s books and look forward to expanding my recipes.
BTW, did ya know that sometimes beets can change the color of your urine?
Just sayin’ so don’t panic.
TTR
Wasn’t the beet tarte tatin fabulous?!! What a wonderful way to serve beets. And the bread, it was surprisingly delicious as well. With all these wonderful new vegetable cookbooks, I can see why someone would want to turn vegetarian. Though I am with you, I love a good steak or burger – and a really good cold beer after a long hike is the best!
My comment did not seem to post. Hopefully this won’t be a duplicate. Wasn’t the beet tarte tatin fabulous?!! What a wonderful way to serve beets. And the bread, it was surprisingly delicious as well. With all these wonderful new vegetable cookbooks, I can see why someone would want to turn vegetarian. Though I am with you, I love a good steak or burger – and a really good cold beer after a long hike is the best!
Now, all three of those books are winners and could convert even the staunchest of Iowa beef eaters to take a walk on the veg side. XOXOX
Your beet tarte tatin is gorgeous (and I’m jealous of your precooked beets – I’ve never seen them here!). I have the other cookbooks as well and have been having great fun exploring them.
Veggies ARE sexy! It’s fun to see you embrace them. If you have leftover bulgur, check out our friend Kathy VB’s recipe for taboulli. It’s a winner. That beet tart is on my list of things to try, especially now that I’ve seen what you (and the others) have done with it. I adore beets, and pastry too, so why didn’t I pick it for this month?
No You Cannot ‘Beet This’ Mary, what a superbly written Post and so enjoyable to read with great photos. The beet dish looks sensational, and as I look to prepare this dish today or tomorrow I am relieved to observe the use of little red beets as the golden ones did look so good on some of the other Posts in this months CCC. On Deborah Madison who I, as many hold in high regard, her recent cookbook, vegetable literacy looks lovely. I’ve an old cookbook of Deborah’s written with Edward Espe Brown that I had to pull out to share with you- and going back even a bit farther, this cookbook, called ‘The Greens Cook Book’ was published in May of 1987! I knew it was ages old. The book contains no photos, simply well written and interesting vegetarian recipes from her restaurant. Thought you might be tickled to know this. Thanks for yet another interesting piece.
Peggy, I am a used books and flea market junkie and will try to find Deborah’s book from “87. I knew she had previous published work and should have said that she was a veggie pro from the Eighties. Thanks for the heads up and thank you for enjoying my Post. That’s nice feedback.
Dear Mary, now I just had to look up the Deborah Madison cookbook – it looks wonderful with such elegant photography. so many new books out, so little time. Thomas just got me a Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook and while I adore his recipes, the kids are not always that enthused when I try out recipes with all those spices – but they try to be good sports and I am proud that they are willing to try so many new things – I am working on another book review right now, it is always so hard to decide just how many recipes one should try to give credit to the author for all his/her efforts – but I have the express permission of the author to translate one of the recipes and include it in my post, good, at least there will be a recipe.
So nice that you enjoyed the wonderful Baby Beet Tartin and the Pumpkin and Raisin Loaf looks like such a treat.
I will do my best to cook the FFwD recipe this week – it has been quite the month. It was Gretchen´s birthday yesterday, she turned 12 and chose an old-fashioned apricot cheesecake and a special “roesti” burger from the new book I am reviewing – plus blue potato chips and lambs lettuce with a creamy dressing…I am proud!
Hugs and kisses and thank you for participating in the CCC with these wonderful two recipes!
Andrea
I have to try the beet tatin. It’s so lovely. Everyone’s photos have been tempting me so. And I may make the teacake tomorrow, as I’ve promised to bring baking to a board meeting. You made two great choices.
I love Deborah Madison and Yotam Ottolenghi (and, obviously, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall). Plenty is a favourite for me and Plenty More is on my list (after I somehow make room for the…ahem…four new cookbooks I’ve gotten in the last few months). I’ve been eating vegetarian meals since I moved out of my parents’ house (they were shocked and worried that I only ate meat three to five times a week, instead of every day). I still love my Moosewood cookbooks, but vegetarian cookery has become a lot more sophisticated along the way. Now, I’m tackling Veganomicon, since Kevin’s (nearly completely) vegan these days.
Am so loving getting the recipes again – can’t wait to try the yummy stew with parsnips, and the beets look beautiful. I’m taking several of these recipes to CA to surprise Mom with delicious meals next week! Thanks Mary!