Croutes Aux Champignons, Cauliflower with Herb Sauce, Fava Bean, English Pea, Mint, and Mizuna Salad

Dinner 6/2

Croutes Aux Champignons
(see below)

Fava Bean, English Pea, Mint, and Mizuna Salad
(adapted from Jamie Oliver)

Cauliflower with Herb Sauce
(blanched, then baked cauliflower with pureed tarragon, basil, parsley, nutritional yeast, pepper and olive oil)




A 162-year-old Victorian-era recipe just blew my mind...

The "mushroom-toast" (a.k.a. Croutes Aux Champignons) comes from Eliza Acton's 1845 "Modern Cookery for Private Families" (anyone with a non-facsimile copy they want to sell?).

We had a leftover 1" thick crust of bread, which was hollowed out and fried on top and bottom in soy margarine.

The mushrooms are cooked for 10-15 minutes in 2 tbs. of soy margarine along with a 1/4 tsp. of ground mace and a pinch of cayenne. Add a "dessert spoon" full of flour (about 1/2 tbs.) until lightly browned. Then, add 1 cup of veg broth. Scrape the pan, getting as much of the fond off the bottom of the pan as possible. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Spoon the mushrooms over the toast and serve.

Tags: eliza acton, victorian, mushrooms, cauliflower, basil, tarragon, mizuna, salad, bread, recipe, vegan, food, dinner, tofu666