We Should Cocoa: Vegetable Crumble

This month's We Should Cocoa is hosted by JibberJabberUK who has challenged us to create a vegetabley chocolate creation.  Last month's Chocolate Showstopper challenge can be found on Choclette's blog here.  You can read all about We Should Cocoa on the founder's blogs - Chocolate Log Blog and Chocolate Teapot.

Does your fridge ever suffer a case of the Saturdays? You know when you've been too busy to food shop during the week and all you're left with is some questionable carrots and three mushrooms?  There is also a tiny tub of cream that is careering towards not being safe to eat. This is the crumble for you. You can clean out your veg drawer, and shake some pumpkin seeds out of your cupboards too.

Ingredients

Vegetable Bottom

1 munchkin pumpkin

2 medium sized carrots

Splash of cooking oil of your choice (rapeseed is my jam)

3 large chestnut mushrooms

1 small onion

Large splash of white wine

100ml double cream

Salt and pepper

Crumble Topping

30g plain flour

15gr butter

25gr pumpkin seeds

25gr walnuts

10gr roasted cocoa beans (see this recipe for more info on cocoa beans)

Salt and pepper

Method

1, Prep all your veg first.  Cut the tiny pumpkin into 8 slices and remove the inner goop. Peel and cut the carrot into little chunks.  Slice the mushrooms and the onion. Remove the hard stalky part of the cabbage and cut the cabbage into thin strips. 

2, Boil the pumpkin and carrot in a pan of salted water until tender. Drain. Remove the peel from the pumpkin.

3, In a frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and saute the onions until soft. Add in the mushrooms and cook until soft. 

4, Add in the large splash of white wine and simmer until reduced by at least half. Throw in the prepared carrots and pumpkin and the cabbage. Pour over the wine and gently cook until you have a thick, creamy sauce. Season to taste. 

5, Divide this between two little oven proof dishes.  I have two of these little pie dishes. Preheat your oven to 200 o/c

6, Next make the crumble topping by roughly rubbing the butter into the flour until you have a lumpy breadcrumb type consistency. Chop the pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and cocoa beans finely and season with a little salt and black pepper. Combine the whole lot together. Divide and sprinkle over the top of the mini crumbles. 

7, Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until piping hot and the topping is golden.

Father's Day Pickles

Father's Day on the food blogging expanse annoys me. That double chocolate Guinness caramel truffle cake can just go away.

Whilst, I would love a slice of that double chocolate Guinness caramel truffle cake, my dad (well, his diabetes) wouldn't. Which can leave you in a mix when it comes to gifts. Cake and whiskey are pretty much blacklisted.

Pickles aren't. Dads love pickles. I've bookmarked that double chocolate Guinness caramel truffle cake for my birthday anyway

Makes 1 x 500ml jar

Ingredients

Vegetables
2 medium sized carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into long strips.
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 small onion, finely sliced
5 thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut in half
Small handful of fresh cauliflower florets, separated
Couple of sprigs of parsley and dill (optional)

Pickling Liquid
250ml white wine vinegar
200ml water
3tbsp sugar (I used a sugar replacement)
1/2tsp salt
Small pinch of coriander seeds, caraway seeds, fennel seeds and a few peppercorns.
1/2 bay leaf

Method

1, Sterilise a 500ml preserving jar and set to one side.
2, Prepare all your vegetables fully and rinse well.
3, Simmer the pickling liquid ingredients together for a few minutes and then add in all the prepared vegetables except the fresh herbs. Simmer these gently for a couple of minutes.
4, Strain the ingredients, retaking the pickling liquid and blanch in ice cold wage to retain greenness and crunchiness.
5, Return the pickling liquid back to heat and bring up to the boil.
6, Pack the blanched vegetables into the jar as tightly as you can. Snuggle the fresh herbs down in there too.
7, Pour the hot pickling liquid into the jar and full to the brim. Attach the lid.

These will be ready to eat in a couple of hours but best if kept overnight.

Brown Butter Apple & Carrot Cake (With Brown Butter Icing)

The first breaths of autumn caressed me this morning. The air, undoubtedly crisper. How long before the hazy hues of summer disappear into burnt umbers, mellow browns and warm yellows?

The first browning leaves swept under my feet as I hurried through the city. I pulled my pashmina tighter around my neck. Wondered how long it would be before I had to switch to a thicker scarf.

When I could trade in my bare legs for thick back tights. My outdoor lunches of salad to indoor lunches of soup. Cardigans for coats. Ballet pumps for boots. Bronzer for blusher.

Freshly plucked and pulled carrots and apples. Cozy brown butter. Autumn is coming.

Ingredients

Cake

75gr butter
125gr soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
150gr self raising flour
150gr carrots, roughly grated
1 large eating apple, cored and roughly grated

Icing
75gr butter
175gr icing sugar
Couple of tablespoons of water

Method

1, First make the cake by preheating the oven to 170o/c and line (or spray with cake release) an 8 inch square tin.
2, Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat until melted. Gently simmer it until it takes on a golden nutty brown colour and smell. Take off the heat immediately to prevent burning and let it cool slightly.
3, Beat the butter, eggs and sugar together. Fold through the flour until you have a smooth batter.
4, Fold through the grated carrots and apple until well combined.
5, Pour into your prepared tin and bake for 25-30minutes until springy to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool completely before icing.
6, Make the icing by browning the butter in the same way as before, leaving to cool slightly again.
7, Whisk in the icing sugar and slowly add a couple of drops of water until you have a smooth, spreadable icing.
8, Top your cooled cake with the icing and serve.