on the grass being greener.

ok, wow. so of all the rash and ill-thought out decisions i've made in life, turning vegetarian and then starting a food blog with somebody talented enough to make me really, really wish i hadn't is right up there near the top. i had the luxury of seeing process-pictures throughout the day yesterday and they were so good i ended up showing them round at work, as and when i received them.

is anyone else surprised that the first ethics post came from the meat eater? you shouldn't be. realistically speaking, i am aware of the already massive count of preachy veggies in the world, and don't plan on joining their ranks. i am completely and totally with ed on the fact that if you will eat meat you should be responsible about it, and i agree with absolutely every point he makes in his thoughts on it. my own departure from the flesh was fuelled in part by disingenous friends and associates who were economical with the truth of the provenance of what they served, and discussing with my vegetarian friend (who was at the time studying a masters that involved numerous explorations into impacts on marine environments) the omissions and oversights involved in the labelling of seafood. 'responsibly fished, sustainably caught' langoustines are still trawled, which still means bycatch, which to me is very irresponsible indeed. it became something i couldn't think about anymore, and as someone who strives to live their politics it became something i simply couldn't do any more. it's a personal decision, however, and i really don't want to get into all the things i disagree with because i would be here forever, however i will say that if more meat eaters were as responsible as ed (and previously, me; i ate offal in my time), then there probably wouldn't be any need for angsty conscience-guideds like me to go vegetarian and make people feel carnivore's guilt in the first place.

i do, i have to admit, find it highly amusing that the weekend ed was making something so inherently animal-y, i was indulging in the kind of worthy, earthy cooking, that so many people associate with vegetarianism. you know what i mean, the kind that makes everybody think we're all neil from the young ones, not to mention undernourished and not real food fans. i find all those notions laughable. i have not, as yet lost any fierceness since i gave up eating body parts, nor have i declined in health. and as for not being a real food fan? well, really? i think we all know by now that i am almost childishly guided by appetites and within my dietary parameters and environmental beliefs, a total hedonist, it just comes out in different ways.

so, let's talk bean curry shall we? i have to say even when still an omnivore i made dishes like this allllll the time. why? because it's the kind of food i like. it's boldly flavoured and coloured, it fits in with my big-dish approach (you can blame my desire for abundance on my late northern-irish great grandmother's early influence), and it's, on a practical level, enough to keep your average highly strung barmaid going through a friday night shift. so without further ado, from nigel slater's tender vol. I, i present you with (the recipe for, fuck copyright law, i can reproduce seventeen percent of whatever i choose for educational purposes, and the author is correctly credited):

cabbage with beans, coconut, and coriander

enough for 4-6

dried haricot beans, 200g

onions, 2 medium

vegetable or groundnut oil, 2 tablespoons

garlic, 3 cloves

green cardamoms, 8

coriander seeds, 2 teaspoons

yellow mustard seeds, a teaspoon

cumin seeds, a teaspoon

ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons

chillies, 3 small, hot

chopped plum tomatoes, two 400g cans

a pinch of sugar

coconut milk, 250ml

fresh coriander, a large handful

a lime, maybe 2

for the greens

a soft, leafy cabbage, such as spring greens - a good handful or more per person.

soak the dried beans in water overnight. the next day, boil the beans till tender in deep, unsalted water. drain and set aside. (if you are using canned beans, rinse them under cold running water, then set aside.)

peel the onions, cut them in half and slice them thinly. add them to the oil in a large, deep pan and let them soften, colouring lightly over a moderate heat. this often takes longer than you might imagine, a good fifteen minutes at least. peel and chop the garlic and add to the onions.

crack the cardamom pods open and extract the tiny seeds. crush these coarsely, using a pestle and mortar or a very heavy rolling pin, then stir them into the softening onions. crush the coriander seeds and then the mustard, and add them to the onions, with the whole cumin seeds, ground turmeric, a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. cook, stirring regularly, for at least five minutes, so that the spices toast in the heat.

meanwhile, seed and finely chop the chillies, and add, with the chopped tomatoes, 400ml of water and a pinch of sugar, followed by the cooked beans. leave to simmer gently over a low heat, with the occasional stir, partially covered with a lid, for about thirty five to forty minutes.

mix the coconut milk into the sauce, simmer for a further five minutes, then add the coriander leaves and the lime juice. when the curry is almost ready, make a tight fist of the greens and shred them quite finely. steam or blanch briefly, then serve with the curry.

okay, so i'm going to let the colours of this badboy speak for themselves. i am such a visual magpie (note the bright red hair and penchant for chaotic sequinned clothes) that i insist on brightly coloured dishes like this in months like january. this really is the kind of food i love cooking. slowly adding spices to a big pot and filling the house with the smell (anyone who lived with me in university will attest to this; coming home to the smell of indian spices was a regular occurence for them). i think the only changes i made were using canned beans, and using a coffee grinder i devoted to spice-grinding a long time ago. i haven't been serving this with rice, but eating it by the huge bowlful, steaming the greens as and when i need them, as i'm not major on carbs where i don't think they're necessary (pasta with garlic bread, j'accuse). if i was making it for a non vegetarian friend, i might perhaps lazily fry some parathas at the stove, glass of wine in hand, just to stop it seeming so lentil-brigade, but myself i preferred to just appreciate the deep spiciness of the beans with the clean mineral taste of the cabbage. oh, and regarding cabbage; haters to the left. you don't like it because you've had it cooked badly. all kinds of cabbage are a thing of beauty and have their rightful place in cuisine. i mentioned that northern irish great grandmother, right?