Ramsons Cheese Scones

I have got to be the worst blogger around, A 15 month gap! Well, I'll just tell you what's happened in that time then.  I worked my arse off last year with 2 jobs and finishing up Danish classes. My liver wasn't in tip-top condition and my body was having a hard time tolerating salicylates. As such I started this year on a very strict low salicylate diet, which when combined with a yeast and sugarfree diet for a vegetarian is like hell on earth! Needless to say, me and food were not bedfellows. Thankfully it's not a serious problem and I'm back to my usual eating patterns, albeit with some supportive supplements for awhile.

Ramsons Cheese Scones
makes approx 28 scones

100g cheddar or emmentaler, grated
12 ramsons leaves, finely chopped
400ml plain flour
1 t bi-carb soda
40g butter, cold & cubed
100-125ml +/- milk or soymilk
2 t mustard powder

Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Mix together flour, bi-carb soda & mustard powder in a large bowl.
Work through butter with hands until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add ramsons & cheese (reserve a little for later).
Add milk little by little, using a butterknife, mix with cutting motions.
Using your hands, make a ball.
Knead very gently for 3 mins on a floured surface.
Roll out to approx 1cm/0.4" thick.
Cut into rounds with a 6.5cm/2.5" cutter.
Place on baking tray.
Sprinkle tops with the remaining cheese.
Bake 15-20 mins, or until tops are golden brown.

Kongjang & A Vegemite Substitute

Aye, what a gap between posts!

Mina, Denmark's own Korean food queen, hosted another Kimchi Factory last night, and we all brought along a dish for the obligatory dinner afterwards. So, I made kongjang/kongjorim - a soybean side dish from Maangchi's recipe. Although I made it without sugar and with a Stevia sweetener instead. Kongjang has become a huge hit around my place, and you can usually find it in my fridge.



As you may already be aware, I can't have yeast, so it's hard being an adorer of the substance known as Vegemite, which is literally yeast extract in a jar. I spend a lot of time craving after the salty smack of vegemite, so I did some googling on what I could use as a substitute. A lot of people were saying that they liked to use miso paste instead, I thought that didn't sound quite right. Yesterday, while making the kongjang for dinner, I thought that if I puréed some of the kongjang, that just maybe it'd make a good substitute for vegemite?!



So, here goes with the not really a recipe for 'Vegemite'.

Purée some kongjang, adding a little water, a drizzle of vegetable oil and a little more soy sauce, to taste. Add a pinch of citric acid (optional). Purée until well mixed and a soft paste consistency. Spoon into a sterilised jar, and keep in the fridge. Leave it for a few days to let the flavours intensify.

Cloudberry Jam - without sugar

Cloudberries (D:multebær S:hjortron N:multe/molte) are very popular in the Nordic countries, not so much in Denmark however. Back in Australia I used to buy Swedish cloudberry jam at a Nordic store (NO, NOT IKEA). Cloudberries have a lovely tartness, and as such make a great alternative to marmalade. While citric acid is optional, it means that your jam will last longer, so I recommend using it.



Cloudberry Jam - without sugar
makes approx 200ml

250g cloudberries, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp agar flakes
50ml/2 1/2 tbsp xylitol
100ml water
1 t citric acid (optional)
1/2 tbsp rosewater essence (optional)

In a small pot,
lightly mash up berries.
Add water, xylitol, agar flakes.
Stir very well.
Heat very gently over med-low, stirring often,
15- 20 mins or until a runny jam consistency.
Turn off heat.
Add rosewater essence & citric acid.
Stir well.
Spoon into sterilised jar/s.
Refrigerate without lid/s until cool & set like jelly.
Put lid/s on.
Keep refrigerated.
Keeps for at least 6 weeks.

Warm Romanesco & Lentil Salad

I was hoping to be able to get a better picture in natural light, but I've had no such luck :(

My aim was to create a side dish that shows off the Romanesco. It seems a shame to hide such an amazing vegetable in something like a gratin.



Warm Romanesco & Lentil Salad
serves 3-4 as a side

800ml+ water
150g dried puy lentils (or other green or brown lentils)
400g romanesco
2 eschallots/shallots, diced
3 L cloves garlic, crushed
60ml/3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Boil lentils in water, 15-20 mins or until tender.
Make sure lentils are always covered by water.
Drain. Set aside.
Meanwhile,
Steam romanesco 10-15 mins.
Gently break into florets (xmas trees!).
Set aside.
In a pan with a little oil,
Cook eschallot/shallot, garlic until soft.
Add tomatoes, rosemary. Stir.
Cook about 3 mins.
Add lentils. Stir.
Cook about 3 mins.
Add vinegar. Stir.
Check for seasoning.
Add romanesco.
Very gently stir as to not break up florets.
Cook med heat 5-10 mins or until heated through.
Serve while hot.

Apologies.

Please accept my apologies for having not posted for some time. I have so many things waiting to be posted, but it's that time of year where there is never enough natural light to take a decent enough photo :'(

Round-Up

I've been meaning to post about a few things, but none of them were enough to warrant their own posts. So here's a round-up of a few bits and pieces.

Firefly Restaurant


(Ratatouille with Mushroom Polenta --- Chole Chaat)

When a new vege or vege friendly place opens up nearby I have to investigate. This place opened about a month ago. It's straight across the road from the new Torvehallerne (Food Markets) near Nørreport Station, so it's got a great location. It apparently turns into a 'night club' after the dinner service. This place seems to be the type of vege eatery that Denmark needs, with a modern, fairly minimalist interior & a menu that can appeal to both veges and non-veges alike. The food wasn't mind-blowing, but it was satisfying. I'll be going back soon to try out more of the menu and see how it's going after being open a little longer. I'm afraid I'm a little worse for wear after a late night so this is a pretty piss-weak review. Sorry.

Firefly - Frederiksborggade 26, 1360 Copenhagen K

International Vegetar Dag, Kbh



October first was International Vegetarian Day. The Danish Vegetarian Society, Aarstiderne, Naturli' and many other businesses and eateries took part. Sadly, I had a job trial to go to in the morning, which ended up lasting most of the day so I was only able to be around for the last hour. That meant that I missed out on a lot of the fun (food tastings). Free apples were to be had, as you can see. From other people's blogs (check Jens Drejer's post here) it seems like it was a charming affair so I'm pretty miffed that I couldn't be there earlier.

Aarstiderne Dogmekassen
While at International Vegetar Dag I (finally) signed up for an aarstiderne box. I went for the dogma box because we are not wusses in this house. I like to be challenged with some less common ingredients. So far I've been enjoying working out what to do with a romanesco from the first box. Aarstiderne (The Seasons) deliver organic produce directly to your door. They also include a recipe pamphlet each delivery.

Ekko Gourmet



I can't have yeast or sugar so that rules out most vege ready-meals for me. Urtekram products are what you most often find here in Denmark, and while I love them for plenty of things, I really hate them for adding yeast and sugars to a lot of their products. I bought these Ekko gourmet frozen vege nuggets & burgers on a trip to Malmö - they are free from yeast & sugar (except the à la Lindström burger), wheat free, soy free & vegan - and they are fantastic! Full of flavour, great texture, fairly cheap... I'm very anxiously awaiting their arrival in stores on the other side of the Øresund, but in the meantime I'm going to Malmö to stock up.

Der kommer en vegetar til middag



(A vegetarian's coming to dinner) ...or maybe not. Scariest cookbook I've ever seen. It sounded so promising from the description at the library. Its aim seems to be making cooking for a vegetarian less daunting for the average 80s Dane. Mission failed.

And who chops their cucumbers without a chopping board anyway?

Vegetarisk Kogebog (1918)



From a really bad vegetarian cookbook to a really amazing one. This is a DANISH vegetarian cookbook from 1918 (a revised edition, even), it even calls for the mind-blowing ingredient 'agar-agar' in several recipes. I promise to share more from this at a later date. Denmark has no history of vegetarianism say you? Sit on it, says I.