This
next recipe used to be the Café “Teaching Stew”,
both because it was considered easy to make and was one of the few
legible recipes we possessed at the time. All new workers made it
as their first attempt and were only allowed to progress when they
had mastered Mediterranean Stew. This proved to be a mixed blessing
as, although it is a simple recipe and when made properly both looks
and tastes wonderful, some of the heroic failures turned out by learners
ruined its reputation and it fell out of favour and off the menu.
Recently it has been rehabilitated and is just as satisfying as ever
it was in its heyday.
Long standing customers may remember the following witty repartee:
Customer of sober mien, consulting menu:
“What's in the Mediterranean?”
Eighth Day worker:
“Salty water with a slick of suntan oil”
Oh happy days!
Ingredients - Serves 4 to 6
250g Black Eye Beans
250g Black Olives
50g Mushrooms
1 Small Aubergine
3 Medium Carrots
2 Courgettes
4 Sticks Celery
½ Spring Cabbage
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
125g Tomato Pureé
2 Teaspoons Basil
2 Teaspoons Mint
1 Tin (400g) Tomatoes
250ml Tomato juice
250ml Red Grape Juice
3 Tablespoons Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Method
- Soak
the beans overnight in cold water, rinse, cover with water in
a pan and bring to the boil, leave to simmer until cooked. Black
Eyed Beans are among the quickest to cook so there is no need
to panic if you have not soaked them, just wash well and cook,
they will be ready in under an hour.
- Peel
the onion and chop or slice into medium pieces. Peel, crush or
chop the garlic, or blend it in a little olive oil. Put a large
pan on a medium light, add the olive oil garlic and onion and
allow to cook gently. If you are using dried herbs add them now
and allow to cook for five minutes. If you are lucky enough to
have fresh herbs wash and chop them and add to the onions after
five minutes.
- Meanwhile
wash and peel your vegetables as necessary, make sure to peel
the carrots if they are not organic. Slice the celery and courgette,
not too thinly, and add to the onions.
- Cut
the aubergine into four lengthways and then chop into bite size
pieces, add to the pan and stir the contents round to help cook
evenly. Leave to cook for a further five minutes.
- Chop
the carrot into small sections or julienne and add to pan, stirring
occasionally to prevent burning.
- Blend
or chop the tinned tomatoes and add to the pan along with the
tomato puree, fruit juice, vinegar and seasoning. Mix well together,
cover and allow to cook on slowly until the beans are cooked.
- Whilst
the beans finish cooking wash and shred the spring cabbage.
- When
the beans are cooked drain them, rinse and add to the pan with
the cabbage and olives, mixing everything together. If you do
not stone the olives please warn your guests, unless you are on
commission from a dentist. If necessary thin with water and adjust
the seasoning.
- Allow
to simmer for a further 20 to 30 minutes until all the flavours
are blended.
- This
is another dish that benefits from a nice glass of red wine, half
in the stew and half in the cook of course!
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