January 2013 - Rhubarb and Ginger "cheese"cake

I have an allotment where I grow quite a lot of fruit which I freeze, and I especially like to use it over the winter when it feels like I am serving up some of the sunshine from last summer (although with the summer we had last year that is a bit of a dream.... it would be more like pouring some of the rain and cold that we had!).

vegetables more than fruit.... but you get the idea

Last year I was able to freeze blackberries, raspberries, black currants, red currants, rhubarb and and gooseberries. I also grow apples (Bramley and Crab) and Japonica quince (which seem to be edible), and last year I picked a few teeny tiny bunches of grapes - my first harvest! I probably should have left them for longer, but I wanted to get the first crop before any birds found them.

So the Proper Pudding this month was Rhubarb and Ginger "cheese"cake - Rhubarb can be colourful and goes so well with ginger, and on a cold winter's day the combination is quite warming, even on when served chilled. I used a combination of adapted recipes and experimentation. The result was tasty and had good comments from people who tried it.

This is all that was left of it!

Next time I make it I'll use a smaller pan, less polenta base and more rhubarb, so this recipe is what I think it should be, so if you'd like to try this recipe please be aware that this particular experiment continues!

Ingredients
For the base
A cup of polenta (corn meal)
A cup of water
3 teaspoons dried ginger powder

For the "cheese"cake
250g tofu block, or silken tofu (usually found in the vegetarian chiller cabinet in the supermarket)
4 pieces of preserved ginger, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of agave nectar
1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
1 to 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder (to give it a bit of colour)

For the topping
6 sticks of rhubarb - the redder the better
4 pieces of preserved ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
1 dessert spoon of cornflour

Method

1. Line and grease an 8 inch loose-bottomed spring-sided pan (or use a baking sheet and a flan ring)
2. Set the oven to 180C (350F) or about 170C if fan assisted
3. In a small saucepan, heat up the polenta and water, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time. You might need to add a bit more water. Or a bit more polenta.
4. When it is thick enough to form a soft ball, take it off the heat and leave it to cool.
5. Drain the water off the tofu, and mix it with the other "cheese"cake ingredients in a food processor (or with a whizzer)
6. Spread the polenta mix evenly over the base of the pan and press it down - about 50mm is probably deep enough
7. Spread the "cheese"cake mix evenly over the polenta base
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until it is solid and slightly brown
9. While it is baking, make the topping: gently heat up the rhubarb until it is soft. Add the preserved ginger and the ginger powder.
10. Mix the cornflour with a little water and gradually stir it into the rhubarb mix, and gently cook for a few minutes to let it thicken. 
11. When the cheesecake is cooked, take it out and let it cool before spreading the topping evenly over it.

I based the "cheese"cake part of this recipe on this one which I have made before, and will try again soon:
http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/vegan-essentials/vegan-lemon-tofu-cheesecake-recipe

December 2012 - chocolate ganache

This recipe was introduced to me in 2011 by Madeleine, who is so thoughtful when she provides a dessert and makes sure it is one that I can eat. I made it for a Christmas meal shared with my vegan cousin Pam and her family, and it was definitely given the thumbs up.

It is fantabulosus..... absolutely wonderful..... and you'd never know it has avocados in it.

The recipe is here on the C4 River Cottage website, where Hugh Fearlessly-Eatsitall was shown how to make it by raw food expert Laura Coxeter. Although the recipe says it's for 6, it easily serves 12 people.

The ingredients can mean that it's fairly pricey but is great for a special occasion. I found coconut oil in an Indian supermarket in Southampton, and used cocoa powder rather than cacao... but then maybe it's the same thing by a different spelling. The avocados (and you'd never guess they were in it!) need to be soft and ripe.

When you make it, you need to melt the coconut oil (I nuked it briefly in the microwave), and take your time blending all the ingredients.

Ingredients
For the base

• 300g macadamia nuts, pecans or almonds (if possible, soak them for around 6 hours and then dehydrate them first. The soaking releases the enzyme inhibitors and makes them easier to digest.)
• 1 tsp good-quality salt
• 200g medjool dates (the nice squidgy ones)

For the filling

• 4 medium sized soft, ripe avocados
• 150g virgin coconut oil, melted
• 2 vanilla pods, seeds only
• 200g raw cacao powder (I used cocoa powder... but maybe its the same thing)
• Pinch of salt
• 300g coconut blossom sugar or agave nectar to taste

Line and grease a 9 inch loose-bottomed spring-sided pan, or a silicon mold.... basically anything you can get it out of easily.

Method 

1. In a food processor or with a whizzer, blend the nuts. 
2. Add the salt and medjool dates and blend until you have a ‘dough’, or until the mix forms a ball.  
3. Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan or mold. Cover in cling film and leave to harden in the freezer until you are ready to pour on the filling 
4. For the filling, blend everything together until smooth, then pour onto the base. 
5. Set in the freezer for 1 hour, then it should be firm enough to slice up. 
6. Top with fresh berries, edible flowers, a dusting of cacao powder - whatever takes your fancy and looks pretty!

Recipe source: http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/raw-chocolate-ganache-tart-recipe