This year for Vegan MoFo, I am going to explore recipes from old vegan or vegetarian cookbooks. I will write more about some of the books and authors as the month progresses. I am out of town for the first few days of November, so I am going to start by throwing up some recipes - which is what it is all about, anyway.
The oldest vegetarian cookbook I own is Countess Constance Wachtmeister's Practical Vegetarian Cookery, from 1897. The good countess was an early member and ardent supporter of the Theosophical Society, which promoted ethical vegetarianism.
Her asparagus pie recipe, in its original form, is little more than a description and required some light-handed veganization, but we thoroughly enjoyed the results.
Make enough pie crust for a top and bottom layer. I always use my mother's recipe: 2 c flour, 1 1/2 t salt, 1/2 c oil, 1/4 c nondairy milk. Stir together with a fork and roll out between sheets of wax paper.
Remove tough ends from 2 lbs of asparagus (perhaps minding this guidance), steam for about 5 minutes, and place inside the bottom crust. Make a simple white sauce by cooking together 2 T vegan margarine and 2 T flour, and then adding 2 c milk and continuing to cook, whisking regularly, until thick. Flavor the sauce with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Pour over the asparagus, and seal with the top crust. Bake until done. I baked mine for about 30 minutes at 400 F.
Make enough pie crust for a top and bottom layer. I always use my mother's recipe: 2 c flour, 1 1/2 t salt, 1/2 c oil, 1/4 c nondairy milk. Stir together with a fork and roll out between sheets of wax paper.
Remove tough ends from 2 lbs of asparagus (perhaps minding this guidance), steam for about 5 minutes, and place inside the bottom crust. Make a simple white sauce by cooking together 2 T vegan margarine and 2 T flour, and then adding 2 c milk and continuing to cook, whisking regularly, until thick. Flavor the sauce with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Pour over the asparagus, and seal with the top crust. Bake until done. I baked mine for about 30 minutes at 400 F.
11 comments:
This is such an awesome MoFo idea, I can't wait to keep reading. That pie looks pretty delicious too!
Wow, where did you find that book? It looks pretty awesome! Happy MoFo :)
That book is AMAZING! I'm excited to see you blogging again. I always love to follow your foodie adventures.
Perhaps next year I will go as a Practical Vegetarian for Halloween and dress as the countess. I am so looking forward to your mofo.
What an incredible theme. This is so exciting!
I'm really looking forward to this. Vegetarianism has such an interesting history.
this post is creepier to me than half of the halloween posts i've seen so far. i dunno. what do you think she'd think of vegan mofo?
xo
kittee
Kittee, she was known for collecting all sorts of odd friends and - while her book uses eggs and dairy, the ethical positions expressed therein would logically lead to veganism. So I think she'd be all up in the mofo if she was presently incarnate!
I was looking forward to this ever since you mentioned it on the PPK, I'm so excited to read more.
I'm making this as soon as I can get my mitts on some decent-looking asparagus!
I feel like the Countess wants to eat my soul.
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