Thursday 5 January 2017

A Vegetarian Supper Dish

The halls are now undecked, the 'thank you' letters written - the festivities are over, and I want simpler food on my plate.  
Take a handful of fresh basil leaves, two fat cloves of garlic, two tbspns extra virgin olive oil and blend together, add more oil if necessary
Place on prepared vegetables and roast - fresh herbs and garlic elevate the flavours of the vegetables to another level
I served mine with some homemade macaroni cheese, dressed salad leaves and runner beans. To make the cheese sauce really tasty add proper English mustard, freshly ground nutmeg and use a mature grated vintage cheddar cheese.

59 comments:

  1. That looks delicious....macaroni, my mother used to use..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think macaroni has perhaps got a little lost these days with so many other pasta dishes being available now.

      Delete
  2. That looks wonderful and so simple. Putting that on my menu this week. :) B

    ReplyDelete
  3. A healthy, delicious looking meal.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Rosemary, Your creation looks appetizing, indeed. I just bought here in Taiwan two British cheeses--Double Gloucester and Wensleydale. The brand is Coombe Castle, which I imagine is a kind of supermarket quality, but it is rare to see British imports here of any kind.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jim - if it is the Coombe Castle cheese from Corsham then you have purchased a top quality product. They sell cheeses from all over the country internationally. Double Gloucester is made just down the road from me.

      Delete
    2. Hello again, I just opened the Double Gloucester, and it is delicious--well aged and firm. It is getting harder these days to find cheese that is not characterless and waxy, so I hope they do keep importing it. --Jim

      Delete
    3. Good - sounds as if it is the real McCoy.

      Delete
  5. Hello Rosemary,
    This looks and I am sure tastes delicious. I am ready for this type of eating.
    Fond wishes for a wonderful weekend
    Helenx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Helen - you can have too much of a good thing over the festive period - rich fruit cakes, lots of charcuterie - it's back to more simple eating for me.

      Delete
  6. Mjammm... these are really colorful meals. Looks good.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Definitely my kind eating Rosemary! I do a lot of roast veggies - so easy and delicious - love the idea of adding pesto for more flavor. Mac 'n Cheese always a plus and I make mine from scratch too - favorite is with sharp cheddar, Gruyere and parmesan, and I use penne rigate rather than macaroni. Any way this dish is made is a hit though - just don't use those pre-made boxes of the gluey orange version!!! We love eating out of bowls too - your offering here is making me want to get in the kitchen today.

    Still dealing with the England's gift of a raging cold - but hope to get energized soon. Snow possible this weekend - that could put a new spin on life.
    Happiest of New Years my dear - looking forward to reading and viewing your always fab posts in 2017.
    Hugs - Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mary - Sorry that you are still suffering with a raging cold - whenever I take a flight these days I seem to end up with the exact same problem. I caught a cold when we went to Paris in November and the cough lasted for a month, which I then sadly passed it on to my DiL and my husband too.
      We have a lovely bright, frosty day today, but no snow on the horizon at the moment.
      Good New Year to you and Bob and happy travels during 2017.

      Delete
  8. We used to have a tiny garden and grew Basil. It was fun when the summer was ending and I had more basil than I needed, to make jars of pesto. Some garlic, oil , basil and a processor and there you have it. Everything we ate had pesto on it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I didn't make true pesto as I left the pipenuts and the parmesan out of the mix - I just wanted to keep it very quick and simple - pinenuts are very expensive at the moment too.

      Delete
    2. I rarely use pine nuts anyway and never really feel it loses anything. But I do like lots of Parmesan. It is a lovely light taste on just about everything :)

      Delete
  9. Dear Rosemary, I love your recipe of putting pesto on top of roasted vegetables. Don't know why I didn't think of that. We have lots of pesto frozen from last summer's garden. In fact, we had it last night with Spaghetti and meat balls.
    You made me feel guilty because I have been remiss in getting thank you notes to my friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Gina - isn't basil just a wonderful herb? - I don't know how I would manage without it.
      There is just so much to do at this time of year - the house needs a good going over and then plans can be made for the coming months.

      Delete
  10. looks wonderful, we're craving simpler meals too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am always concerned that I will not have sufficient food in for everyone over Christmas and tend to get too much - it is nice to get back to normal again.

      Delete
  11. That is a dish that really allures me now - something as fresh as the New Year! Will try it tomorrow, thank you, Rosemary!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Such delicious and simple meals are what's appealing to me lately, too. Basil is one of my favourite herbs with its peppery taste.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Years ago I remember that only dried herbs were available during the winter, now it is so lovely to have pots of fresh ones growing all year round.

      Delete
  13. It looks very delicious Rosemary. A great recipe.
    Have a wonderful evening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marijke - hope that all is well with you and your lovely little dog.

      Delete
  14. I am amazed at how good those ingredients look for mid winter. Recipe sound great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These days fresh products are available all year round, especially now nurseries have the large heated polytunnels.

      Delete
  15. That looks delicious Rosemary and just what we need after the richness of Christmas food. Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christmas in the food department is just too much after a week - isn't?

      Delete
  16. You really eat this with the eyes first, looks delicious !

    ReplyDelete
  17. it looks very delicious and healthy..

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and your kind comment

      Delete
  18. I met an American child recently who only like macaroni cheese made from a packet - so sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't even realise that macaroni cheese was available in a packet but I do recall some awful stuff from a tin.

      Delete
  19. Looks wonderful. I am tempted to invite myself over to yours for supper! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome Jenny but tonight it is truffle pasta with garlic mushrooms in cream.

      Delete
  20. Such delicious looking food and a perfect change from some of the 'heavy' meals of Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am happy to get back into the old routine again Wendy.

      Delete
  21. Lovely pictures Rosemary! Looks so tasty :)
    Have a happy weekend...
    Titti

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello, Rosemary! I like basil dressing. Your dish looks delicious and wholesome. We customarily eat simple “nanakusa (seven fresh young herbs) gayu (rice porridge)” on January 7 to ease our stomach after eating all the rich or salty foods from the New Year’s celebration. Eating fresh young sprouts is said to purge you of noxious things.

    Yoko

    ReplyDelete
  23. Not only are you a great cook...but an artist as well. that first picture is pretty enough to frame!
    We were at daughter number two's for New Year's Day and they always have "comfort food" the first day of the year. She and her hubby cooked together:macaroni cheese, sucatash, spinach agrautin, fried okra and black eyed peas...dessert was bread pudding. Sure was good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds very yummy at your daughter's New Years Day lunch.

      Delete
  24. This reminds me to try the vegetarian option more as I might get a nice surprise.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dearest Rosemary,
    That sounds very healthy and looks also appealing!
    Simple food works most of the time and is best for the body.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh my heavens, Rosemary. I just read this post. This LOOKS DELICIOUS!!! I will definitely be making this soon. It also reminds me that I haven't made mac and cheese in ages! :)

    ReplyDelete

❖PLEASE NOTE❖ Comments made by those who hide their identity will be deleted


“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you - you have to go to them sometimes”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh