Jay was here for dinner tonight, and he requested “something vegetarian, not pasta”. After consulting with Amy and coming up with a really yummy menu, I completely changed course and decided to cook out of a cookbook I got for Christmas, “Fresh Food Fast”. I like how the cookbook is laid out – vegetarian menus, arranged by seasons. The menus can be prepared in less than an hour, and each menu lists a game plan, equipment needed and a market list.
– The lentil soup was very good. Kind of earthy, and easy to make.
– The risotto gave me some problems because I didn’t really read the recipe before I started. The recipe calls for cooking the risotto in a pressure cooker – whoops, I don’t have a pressure cooker. I contemplated how to cook it: like regular risotto, stirring constantly and adding water as it’s absorbed until the barley is cooked, or by adding the boiling water all at once, covering it, and only stirring and adding water as it’s absorbed. I decided to use the second method, and the barley took about an hour to cook this way. Both Jay and Larry really liked this dish, although Larry though it would be fine without the goat cheese (which turned the risotto pink-ish due to the red veins in the chard).
– The slaw was just okay, a bit bland. I didn’t have raisins so I used currants instead. I probably won’t make it again.
– The pie was difficult to make. The method for blind baking the crust was awkward and resulted in it shrinking considerably. There was so much topping (half would have sufficed), that it completely covered the crust anyway – it was pretty much like a regular crisp. At any rate it was pretty tasty. Larry and Jay both really liked it.

• Hearty Lentil Soup (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Deborah Madison, p. 224)
• Barley Risotto with Golden Beets, Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese (Fresh Food Fast, Peter Berley, p. 174)
• Fennel-Cabbage Slaw with Raisins and Apple (Fresh Food Fast, Peter Berley, p. 175)
• Blueberry Crumble Pie (Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie, Rebecca Charles, p. 108)