Farmers Markets

[vagreys]

...I have been trying a few veggie pasties, they are:

Cheese, potato and red onion: Difficult to get a good strong cheee flavour and to keep bulk. Tried it with mashed potato but it turns out very gloopy.

There is a common stuffing for chiles rellenos that is Mexican Queso Blanco and cubed potato. You could easily blend a stout base cheese like queso blanco with cheddar or some other assertive cheese/blend and use cubed potato, which would hold up better in a pasty. Let the volume be cubed potato and the cheese be the medium.

Quornish pasty - my version of a Cornish pasty but swapping the beef mince for quorn. Again difficult to get a good flavour but I have used a veg bullion this week which has much improved the flavour. So testing will happen tomorrow.

Cheers WW

Rapunzel makes a very good bouillon that I use to round out soups, sauces and gravies. It is a German company, so should be no problem to get. They add a little mace, among other things to their veggie bouillons, and it really adds depth of flavor without being particularly identifiable. Lightly salted, too, so not overwhelming in that regard, either. Great with chicken, so I expect it would be good with a mycoprotein like Quorn. Just a thought.

Regarding Quorn, be aware that it contains cow dairy. Being allergic, I found out the hard way that Quorn was an occult source of dairy protein.

[welsh wizard]

Hi RL

True true but hopefully Quornish isn't. But hey if they feel threatened by me I'd be delighted

Cheers WW

[vagreys]

...Does anyone have any combination ideas or even better any recipes?...

Consider Moroccan Chicken B'stilla - chicken and eggs mixed with almonds, onions, apricots, mixed vegetables and a sweet/savory blend of Moroccan spices. You could do a vegetarian version with tofu. You could go upscale with pheasant or squab (traditional fancy version). B'stilla is a Moroccan pot pie, so it would translate well, and the filler is mixed veg.

Consider a curried ground lamb and bulgar filling with currants.

I've got a medieval English chicken pie recipe that would translate well to a pasty, if you'd be interested.

ETA: I've got a reduced-sodium, reduced-fat sloppy joe mixture that I use in empanadas. Made with ground turkey instead of beef. I wouldn't offer it if it didn't stand on its own.

I can provide recipes if any of these seem worth exploring.

[saucisson]

Hi RL

True true but hopefully Quornish isn't. But hey if they feel threatened by me I'd be delighted

Cheers WW

If you are using Quorn in the pasty then that should be OK shouldn't it? If you were making a mushroom pasty and calling it Quornish then you'd be in trouble.

If you sell a Guinness and Steak Pie you are allowed to call it such aren't you?
Or a cheese and marmite sandwich... etc etc

But it's a worthwhile discussion point on Trademarks

[welsh wizard]

Hi one and all - again - yep Im on the knowledge scrounge..

Firstly I am supplying the following pub http://www.suninn-leintwardine.co.uk/ with pork pies and I would like to add a pork pie which is made with their local ale to make it unique to them. I know this will have to involve a rusk to soak up the nectar and I also know it cant really taste of beer. But again I wondered if anyone has had a go at this before?

ALSO


This week I want to smoke about 10 gallons of olive oil and wondered if anyone has smoked olive oil before? I know through my cookery that olive oil takes on flavours very quickly so I would not expect it to take an age to smoke, but if you have any experience please let me know.

Cheers WW

PS Veggie pasties are really going well........Quornish top, Veg curry with fresh ginger next and cheese and red onion bringing up the rear. I cured the problem of "getting taste" into the cheese pasties by using a Shropshie Blue cheese.

[captain wassname]

Maybe make the pastry with ale.
Ive made beer sausage with what I consider good results these used pea protien (For max beer absorbtion) or soy protien for good absorbtion.
Soy will absorb 5 times its own weight and pea up to 10 times.Either would probably give a pie a nicer texture than rusk.

Jim

[wheels]

...along those lines, how about a pie with a 'beerified sausage' as a force-meat, with a layer (or two) of solid pork, venison or chicken in the middle - like a cased terrine? Obviously, use an appropriate sausage for each different meat.

HTH

Phil

[welsh wizard]

Thanks CW and Wheels - very interesting both sets of ideas.

The idea for slivers of chicken, pork etc is a nice one but unfortunatly it would push the cost of the pies up too much for the pub to take, but I may use it in other ventures. Last year I cooked a whole peeled & cored apple by poaching it gently in water then put it in a large pork pie whole. I kept the stalk on the apple so it poked through the pie and covered it with foil during oven cooking. I removed the apple leaf before cooking then reattached once cooked - well it looked different...........

This year I am going for a new venture at shows as somthing completly different. I am going to smoke some salmon, take my griddle and open a Cava & Bellini Bar (daughter is doing her Drink Awareness course) - so any ideas on other toppings for bellinis, especially vegaterian options will be gratefully recieved. ah well back to the grind........

Cheers again WW

[wheels]

Are they know as Blinis?

Phil

[welsh wizard]

Yep totally wrong spelling - as usual. Bellini is a cocktail I believe

Cheers WW

[wheels]

No problem

Salmon or caviar are the obvious, but leave it with me , I'll have thunk!

(It's like a think, but harder!)

Phil

[benny]

Hi folks its been a while since my last post so thought i would update!

I have been very busy this past few months, been making sausages, sausage rolls, burgers, marinades, soups, lasanage, pies, salads etc

Started by selling at markets and had a big interest and orders from people, then started outside catering for parties etc, then into a couple of shops which has now got us into supermarkets as well

It hasnt been easy, it took alot of my time to get this far (some weeks putting in over 60 hours) and if i new how hard tbh i dont think i would have done it but looking back ive enjoyed it all!!

It really has snow balled for me thankfully! at the stage now where i can only produce so much, i have 2 part time staff and only a small kitchen to work with, currently looking at upscalling kitchen elsewhere to get the the next level with this, but wont be getting carried away to quick!

If anyne has any questions fire away as it was here i learned a great deal myself

[wheels]

This year I am going for a new venture at shows as somthing completly different. I am going to smoke some salmon, take my griddle and open a Cava & Bellini Bar (daughter is doing her Drink Awareness course) - so any ideas on other toppings for bellinis, especially vegaterian options will be gratefully recieved. ah well back to the grind........

Cheers again WW

My suggestions are a bit 'old hat' I'm afraid. How about smoking some aubergines and then making Baba Ganoush (Aubergine Dip) out of it. Top that with a ribbon of char-grilled aubergine rolled around a thick yogurt or a yogurt/cream cheese sort of mix with chopped (salted for ½ hour then washed) cucumber in it, or chopped gerkin/caper - sort of a set tartare sauce/Tzatziki cross breed!

Houmous, hummus, or however you spell it, topped with ??? Maybe, topped with some form of delicate flattish version of falafel, or pakora (maybe cauliflower or even spinach?) with a further topping of something pickle(y).

I'd love to come up with something that uses this Ginger Confit:

http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2012/03/ginger-confit/

I'm sure it would be great on top of ??? on a blini.

Sorry, they're poor suggestions, but may just spark off some ideas in others.

Phil

[yotmon]

Well, I've travelled the past 5 years in the last three days to get through this post, but it's like reading a book to find the last few pages missing. I think we all need an update of 'The next thrilling installment, coming from a Farmers market near you' ! Seriously though, well done in your adventure, couldn't have been easy, especially during the economic climate that we have all witnessed and suffered over the last few years. So come on, sat here waiting patiently by the fire in my pyjams and slippers for my bedtime read.

[welsh wizard]

Hi Yotmon

I am on hols at the moment trying to catch some salmon and sea trout but the rain is of biblical proportions so apart from one of our party catching a lovely 18lb fresh run salmon we haven't had a lot of luck even our bass fishing trip today going out of Milford Haven has been cancelled due to high winds! However I digress. I am more than happy to update the FM post if people want me to, its just I think it may be a bit boring having me drone on about it !

Cheers WW