STARTER Serves 2 Asparagus & Baby Sweetcorn with a Watercress Sauce The name Pithiviers refers to the town in France where this kind of tart originated. Traditionally it is all cooked together, but here you can pre cook the puff pastry cases. Ingredients: PITHIVIERS: 225g/8oz pkt ready rolled puff pastry sheet 15ml/1tbsp soya milk (for the glaze) 25g/1oz sesame seeds WATERCRESS SAUCE: 25g/1oz soya margarine 3 spring onions 300ml/˝ pt vegetable stock 2 bunches watercress Salt and freshly ground pepper FILLING: 1 garlic, whole and unpeeled 100/4oz bunch asparagus, chopped into 5cm/2in pieces 4 baby sweetcorn, chopped into 5cm/2in pieces 25g/1oz soya margarine 25g/1oz unbleached flour 180g /6floz soya milk 45ml/ 1,1/2floz vegetarian white wine 50g/2oz ground pine nuts, roasted 2.5ml/1tsp mustard 1 handful fresh, flat leaf parsley, chopped. (reserve a few parsley leaves for garnish) Method: Watercress sauce: Heat the margarine, fry the spring onions until soft. Add stock and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes. Add watercress, boil for 15 seconds, then remove from heat. Season. Cool, then blend. To assemble pithiviers: Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4/ 180C/ 350F. Place the ready rolled pastry, folded on a lightly floured board and cut out 4 rounds with a 13cm/5inch plain cutter. Place the pastry rounds on a greased baking sheet, brush with soya milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place in the oven for 15 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Filling: Roast the garlic in the oven for about 10 minutes, then remove them from their skins. Set aside. Steam the asparagus and the sweetcorn. Set aside. In a saucepan heat the margarine, sprinkle with the flour and cook the roux for 2 minutes stirring continually. Remove from the heat and add the soya milk. Continue stirring. Place back on the heat and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Stir in the wine, cook for a 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Mix together the pine nuts, mustard and roasted garlic and add to the sauce, beating constantly. Add the parsley and the vegetables. Cut the pastry cases horizontally in half and remove the pastry inside. Spoon the vegetable mixture into the pastry base and top with the pastry lids. Serve the pithivier on an individual serving plate with the heated watercress sauce Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately. MAIN COURSE (Vegan) Serves 2 Thai Vegetable Curry with Fragrant Rice Lemon grass, coriander, chillies, coconut milk - all these flavours belong to the wonderful food of Thailand. This curry is based on the traditional Thai Green Curry found in many restaurants. Ingredients: 100g/4oz Thai fragrant rice 1 lime (zest of) 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon grass 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/4 bunch Thai basil 1/4 bunch fresh coriander, chopped 1 small (hot) red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2-4 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon groundnut oil 50g/2oz shallots or red onions, halved and sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/2 small aubergine, cut into 1 cm/˝ inch cubes 1/2 courgette, cut into 1 cm/˝ inch cubes 50g/2oz green beans, cut into 2.5cm/1" slices 50g/2oz mange tout, topped and tailed 150ml/1/4 pint coconut milk juice of ˝ lime or lemon salt and freshly ground black pepper Thai basil and fresh coriander to garnish Method: Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Drain well, stir in the lime zest and keep warm. Meanwhile, blend the lemon grass, garlic, basil, coriander, chillies, water and black peppercorns to a paste. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the shallots or onion, garlic and aubergine for 5 minutes. Add the aromatic paste and cook over a gentle heat for 2 minutes. Add the other vegetables and coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Add the lime or lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve the curry with the Thai fragrant rice, garnished with sprigs of Thai basil and fresh coriander. Alternative MAIN COURSE (can be Vegan) Serves 2 Artichoke, Green Bean and Pine Nut Risotto The availability of canned artichokes makes this delicious risotto simple to prepare. Ingredients: 600ml/ 1pt vegetable stock 50g/2oz fine green beans 15 ml/ 1tbsp olive oil 1/2 onion, diced 1 cloves garlic, crushed 175g/6oz arborio rice 100-200ml bottle dry white wine 2.5ml/ 1/2tsp dried oregano 40g/ 1,1/2oz pine nut kernels, toasted 200g/7oz canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped handful fresh basil, torn 50g/2oz vegetarian Parmesan cheese, optional salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: Heat the stock to a bare simmer and keep simmering over a very low heat. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the green beans for three minutes. Remove from the water drain and set aside. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook for 2 minutes then add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Begin adding the stock a ladle at a time, allowing the rice to absorb all the stock before adding more. Continue stirring. When half the stock has been used, add the wine and oregano, stirring constantly. Continue adding the remaining stock, total cooking time will be about 20 minutes. When the last ladle of stock has been added, add the beans, pine nuts, artichoke hearts and herbs. Cook for an additional few minutes, the rice should be al dente, with a bit of a bite in the centre. When cooked, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan if using and season to taste. Serve immediately. DESSERT (Vegan) Fig & Banana Pudding An old Italian proverb urges us to peel a fig for a friend and a peach for an enemy- this dessert is certainly a wonderful way to end a meal with your loved one. Ingredients: 400g/ 14oz ready-to-eat figs 1 banana, sliced 50g/2oz brown sugar 100g/ 4oz breadcrumbs 1 orange, juice and rind 50g/2oz vegan margarine, melted 5-10ml/ 1-2tsp brandy 25g/1oz pecan nuts, chopped finely Method: Pre-heat the oven to 190C, 375F or gas mark 5 Place the figs in a small amount of water, cover and simmer until they have softened. Drain and put on one side. In an ovenproof dish, layer the figs, banana, sugar and breadcrumbs, orange rind, melted margarine, orange juice and brandy, finishing with a layer of breadcrumbs and sugar. Sprinkle with the nuts. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for about 30-35minutes until the topping is golden and crunchy.