Good Veg – Alice Hart

Good Veg: Ebullient Vegetables, Global Flavors–A Modern Vegetarian Cookbook by Alice Hart is a reissue of Alice’s The New Vegetarian. It is a beautiful book full of vibrant photographs and recipes that are packed with flavor and completely satisfying.

This book is organized by chapters with a few fun titles – Mornings, Grazing, Quick, Thrifty, Gatherings, Grains, Raw-ish, Afters (Desserts) and Pantry. There is a warm, comforting feeling to the pages and dishes shared here. The Parsnip-Millet Pancakes with Bramble Compote transports you right to Sunday mornings and the Caramelized Fennel Tagliatelle to dinner and a movie on the couch on Friday night. 

So many exciting recipes such as Squash Bao, Sweet Potato Cakes with Lime and Avocado, Ziti with Broccoli and Toasted Pine Nuts and Slow-Baked Artichoke Frittata to add some excitement to your meal planning. The pantry chapters in cookbooks are always my favorite with the assortment of relishes and condiments that add pizzazz to any meal – this one is no exception – Thai-Style Roasted Chili Paste, Sweet-Sour Tamarind Sauce and even Vegetarian “Fish” Sauce. 

From the Afters chapter, we are sharing a beautiful Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake with Almonds – and even though blood orange season is over – I would try it with oranges, grapefruit or even lemon. Be sure to head over to our contest page to enter our giveaway

 

Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake with Almonds

Serves 6 to 8

This is definitely a pudding cake, mousse-like and free of both dairy and gluten. Don’t be put off if you’re not a marmalade fan, for the citrus here is full-bodied rather than bitter, and also tempered by grassy olive oil. Later in the year, use regular oranges, add a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary leaves and serve the cake with raspberries.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium or 3 small unwaxed blood oranges, plus more sliced blood oranges to serve
  • ½ cup (100 ml) fruity extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
  • ¾ cup (175 g) raw cane sugar
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ⅓ cups (175 g) almond meal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free if needed)

Instructions

Wash the oranges and put them in a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until completely soft. Remove the oranges from the water with a slotted spoon and leave to cool.

Cut the oranges in half through their middles, discard any seeds and put the peel and pulp in a food processor. Blend to a purée and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (100° C). Lightly oil an 8-inch (20 cm) springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Whisk the ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil, the sugar and eggs together for 3 to 4 minutes, using electric beaters, until light and fluffy. Fold in the almond meal and baking powder with a large metal spoon. Fold through the puréed oranges until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until golden, well risen and no longer wobbly when the pan is jiggled.

Leave to cool in the pan until completely cold. Turn out and serve slices with more blood orange slices or segments.

Recipe from Good Veg: Ebullient Vegetables, Global Flavors-A Modern Vegetarian Cookbook ©Alice Hart 2016, 2017. Photographs copyright © Emma Lee, 2016, 2017. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment.

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20 Comments

  • lebarron2001  on  June 14, 2017

    My favorite vegetable… hard to pick just one but I would say onion.

  • lgroom  on  June 14, 2017

    That's hard to say — usually whatever is in season. Tomatoes and corn are amazing but I guess I look forward to asparagus in the spring the most.

  • Marcia1206  on  June 14, 2017

    I'd love to make the sweet potatoes lime and avocado

  • sgump  on  June 14, 2017

    My favorite vegetable? Broccoli rabe (aka rapini).

  • EmilyR  on  June 14, 2017

    Since tomatoes are technically a fruit, I'll say zucchini.

  • kaluzwilliams  on  June 15, 2017

    I would love to try the brown rice bibimbap bowls with smoky peppers.

  • rionafaith  on  June 16, 2017

    Favorite veggie? Brussels sprouts!

  • PennyG  on  June 16, 2017

    My favorite vegetable? Hmmmmm … wow that's hard … I'll say Asparagus. Or Broccoli …

  • Nancith  on  June 17, 2017

    that's a tough question-too many to choose, but some of my faves are broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, collards.

  • RSW  on  June 18, 2017

    Nothing beats a fresh picked Tomato

  • vinochic  on  June 18, 2017

    i love them all. but… asparagus!

  • JenJoLa  on  June 19, 2017

    Green beans!

  • lindaeatsherbooks  on  June 20, 2017

    My favourite vegetable is garlic.

  • cocecitycook  on  June 26, 2017

    Asparagus, yum!

  • Uhmandanicole  on  June 27, 2017

    Onion. All kinds of onions are my favorite vegetable. And corn.

  • abihamm  on  June 27, 2017

    Beets! Yum!

  • bonita7878  on  July 7, 2017

    I can only choose one vegetable?! Ouch, tough one. I guess zucchini ~ versatile 🙂 P.S. Love blood oranges!

  • annieski  on  July 9, 2017

    So hard to choose: chard (at the moment)

  • tarae1204  on  July 9, 2017

    I like the roots – parsnip, turnip, beet, etc.

  • meggan  on  July 13, 2017

    corn. no, wait – cauliflower.no, wait -onions.no, wait -tomatoes…

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