Vegetables | Wrightfood

Indian sweet and sour chickpeas, spinach roti

August 24 th 2010

16 Comments

Being British I am genetically disposed to Indian food. I am also ridiculously snooty about Indian food. Outside of India, I reckon that England could quite possibly be the best place to pick up some fantastic authentic Indian nosh.

Being this snooty about it doesn’t make eating out in Seattle for Indian food fun. Not that much. Not for my incredibly patient wife, who has to listen to my food rants, and not for my taste buds either. The first time I went to an Indian restaurant here in Seattle, I got the worst food poisoning I have ever had, and spent three days in the smallest room in the house, kneeling, cursing the seafood mixed grill.

Posted in vegetables | 16 Comments »

The garden with a mix of fire

July 27 th 2010

9 Comments

I thought I might just pop in a photography post this week - a few shots of our little vegetable garden, which I reckon is coming along nicely. Course, that all seems a little too nice, polite and pretty.. so lets through in some fire too (grilled gluten free pizza). Jolly good show.

Happy summer everyone!

Click to see more of our vegetable garden photos!

Posted in vegetables | 9 Comments »

Savoy Cabbage and Caper Salad

March 22 nd 2010

22 Comments

Savoy Cabbage Salad recipe

Cabbage is not the sexiest thing to blog about. The whole group of vegetables that fall under the cabbage genus (is it a genus? I am guessing so) just conjure up images that are rather unappealing and the best of times.

My memories of cabbage really aren’t that good to be honest. The British have quite a history assaulting this group of plants, and quite honestly a lot of it could quite easily fall under the “war crimes” category, for it is that bad. I remember going over for Sunday lunch at my Grandparents a few times a year. Generally my grandmother was a great cook, she could knock a roast dinner like nobodies business. Cabbage however was another thing. The cabbage got boiled. Boiled for a very, very long time. “Fall apart tender” would be one polite description that could be used.

Click to see this cabbage salad recipe

Posted in lunch, raw food, vegetables | 22 Comments »

Roast Potatoes & sauce Gribiche

January 29 th 2010

23 Comments

Roast Potato Recipe

There is, in my opinion, only one way to roast a potato, and that is this one.

I can make such a statement without sounding like an arrogant berk simply because this particular method of roasting potatoes is far from something I have conjured up in that odd British brain of mine. Instead it is something that almost everyone growing up in England (who has an interest in cooking) has learned to prepare. Variations exist, of course they do, and they are often hotly debated - the same way people get all heated over the most “authentic” bouliabaise or cassoulet.

Arguments erupt over potato choice. Fat choice. Cooking temperature. Cooking method. Roasting pan type and even basting method. I have probably cooked this style of potato close to 200 times, using all the variables above, and settled on one method - and almost regimental method at that.

Click to see this roast potato recipe

Posted in lunch, vegetables | 23 Comments »

Lake Erie Yellow Perch, Mussels, leeks and tomato stew

December 8 th 2009

9 Comments

It is winter here in Seattle. I have no idea if I can “technically” call it that yet, but when it gets down to 34F in the day time this not-so-hardy Englishman calls winter well and truly. Trees are bare, frost is on the ground, and I can now use my deck as as second fridge if I really need to. Yep. Winter is here.

Winter for me means hearty warm soups, stews, braises. Often enough this means meat, but in my mind fish should certainly not get relegated during these cold months. Take mussels for instance. Our local Penn Cove mussels are pretty great all year round, but even better during the winter. The colder water makes for a better tasting, sweeter mussel. I have to say, it is pretty hard to top a steaming hot bowl of mussels mariniere and some crusty bread on a cold day. Of course, if this is too light for your tastes, put some creme fraiche into the deal if you must.

Click to see this fish stew recipe

Posted in Seafood Recipes, vegetables | 9 Comments »

Brussel Sprout Gratin

November 24 th 2009

17 Comments

When you ask most cooks what their favorite season is, most will almost certainly say summer. It is easy to see why. The bounty of light, clean tasting vegetables and fruit really is truly inspiring. Joy is also had at crafting light simple dishes to highlight these amazingly fresh ingredients.

For me though, fall coming into winter is my favorite time as a cook. Vegetables are more hearty. Root vegetables get roasted at least 3 times a week. I don’t think I go a day without eating a parsnip. The carrots growing in our yard, that I forgot about for a lot of summer are now being turned and glazed almost faster than I can pull them. Then of course we have braising. Through the summer I hardly cook any meat, but the fall/winter is the time I break into braising and roasting much, much more.

Click to see this brussel sprout gratin recipe

Posted in lunch, vegetables | 17 Comments »

Roast beets, sage gelée, hazelnut & bay foam

November 2 nd 2009

18 Comments

roasted beets with sage gelee and hazelnut foam

There was two things I promised myself I would never make in the kitchen. The first was plate skids. You know, saucing a plate with a brown sauce, but using a paint-brush to brush it on in a stripe.

The second was making a foam. Somehow the idea just seems kind of silly, boarder line pretentious, and certainly overdone.

Looks like I have broken rule #2. I can safely say however that rule #1 will never, under any circumstances be broken.

EVER.

Click to see more of this roasted beet recipe

Posted in vegetables | 18 Comments »

Roasted Squash and Apple Fritters and going Gluten Free

October 21 st 2009

16 Comments

apple_squash_fritter

Being British, deep fried food has a long history with me. Fish and chips was a weekly event for me when I was back in Blightly - actually often more frequent than that. When my jeans started feeling a bit tight, and my t-shirts started fitting far too trendily (er.. tight too), I decided it was time to cut that practice out.

Course, it really wasn’t just the fish and chips. It was the onion bhaji’s too. We should also not forget the fact that most British chippies (fish and chip shops) will also fry just about anything that you bring in to them. Including candy bars.

I should make it public knowledge that I have never, ever eaten a fried candy bar.

Oh, I guess tempura counts as deep fried too.

So, I have eaten my own weight five times over in fried food. Since moving to the states 7 years ago the taste left me. Rather strange since the yanks seem to have just the same love of fried food that us Brit’s do. I lost the taste for it. Lost the taste for it till last weekend that was.

Click to see this squash and apple fritter recipe

Posted in lunch, vegetables | 16 Comments »

English pea, fava bean & mint soup

July 21 st 2009

27 Comments

If there are two things I never can wait patiently for at my local farmers market, it would have to be English peas and Fava beans (broad beans to us Brits). I swear the season for them gets later and later each year, or perhaps I get more impatient every year.

You see, I love the clean crisp, bright flavor of both. I love the vivid green color of both (the image on this post hasn’t had the saturation boosted). I actually really enjoy just standing there and podding peas and beans for 30 minutes, with a glass of wine and some music going. There is something very calming about it, and it just ramps up my excitement for them even more.

Continue reading for this pea soup recipe

Posted in vegetables | 27 Comments »

Seared Halibut, Mussels & onions in a cider broth - VIDEO post!!

July 13 th 2009

16 Comments

That’s right folks. Against all better judgement I have gone and done another video post. You may remember that last year I did a post on trussing a chicken assaulting a chicken, and after that got sent around my work (I should have seen that coming..) I promised to myself I would never do another video post.

Well, that promise has been broken. Put it down to a new camera that takes video as well as stills.. put it down to me getting itchy feet with my blog and wanting to try out something a bit different. Put it down to stupidity if you will, but this post features not one, but TWO videos! Excuse me whilst I take the next two months off work to avoid the ridicule!

Click to see this halibut recipe and the how to video

Posted in Seafood Recipes, vegetables | 16 Comments »

Wrightfood green salad & garden

June 5 th 2009

23 Comments

You know what is funny? My original plan was to do this post because I needed something fast to blog about this week. I know, I know, phoning it in… Times have been rather busy in the Wrightfood household - work is a bit nuts right now, so I wanted something fast.

This post has quite possibly taken longer than almost any other to photograph and write! Almost as long as the food photography post I did a week or two ago.

So yeah… a week and a half with no post, and all I give you is some green stuff on a plate and dressing. No fish. No cured meat. Just rabbit food.

Continue reading to see the Wrightfood garden and salad recipe

Posted in lunch, raw food, vegetables | 23 Comments »

Spring Onion Soup, wild sorrel and sherry

May 12 th 2009

26 Comments

spring onion soup

I know what you are thinking… “Matt on Twitter you promised a blog post about food photography, and then you go and show up with some lousy onion soup….”.

Well, time is in short supply in the Wrightfood household, we have work deadlines, a small party to cook for this weekend, so the big long blog post about food photography is going to have to wait till next week. Go on, go cry into your onion soup…

Continue to see this Onion Soup recipe

Posted in lunch, vegetables | 26 Comments »

Beet salad - olive oil, sherry vinegar, garlic and parsley

April 14 th 2009

25 Comments

“WHAT! you haven’t done a post in 13 days, and all you give us is lousy sliced beets? shame on you Matt, shame - especially after that April Fools post you did last time.” I can hear you say.

Ohhh, but wait. These are the best beets I have ever eaten. EVER. I love beets too, so this isn’t exactly the first time I have cooked them.

Wrightfood has been on vacation. On vacation to the wonderful, sunny, some say almost tropical destination of…

Seattle.

Continue reading to see this beet salad recipe

Posted in lunch, vegetables | 25 Comments »

My new favorite lunch, and my new favorite pan

December 23 rd 2008

17 Comments

(collard greens, mushrooms, proscuitto, apple brandy and sage on toast.. and a great DeBuyer carbon steel pan)

So much to say.

This has been a shitter of a week. WOW. I swore in the second sentence on this post. That is a first I think, even for me. I normally wait till at least the fifth paragraph!

Drake has been sick. Really sick. 104.5F fever and chest X-Ray sick. The most nerve-racking week of my life for sure. Thankfully we have the most amazing pediatrician that ever was, and Drake is now feeling much better.

(more…)

Posted in vegetables | 17 Comments »

Pan Roasted Halibut, French cut Romano Beans with Lardons, Salsa Verde

August 29 th 2008

18 Comments

I am still on cloud nine to be honest. The party hosted by WhiteonRice is still in my darn head, and I cannot get it out. Dani and I finally met the awesome couple, and can now call them friends. I am honored. The only bugger is they are in California, and we are in Seattle, so I cannot invite them over for dinner every weekend!! They managed to assemble such a fabulous range of bloggers, that are truly inspirational – it is no wonder I cannot stop thinking about that wonderful sunny afternoon in California.

(more…)

Posted in Seafood Recipes, vegetables | 18 Comments »

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