Gavin - Mediterranean Vegetarian Cooking

Let us share a sweet dish. Let us indulge in sweet talk.

Turkish saying

I n most Mediterranean countries, meals usually end with fresh fruit, or, in winter, dried fruit and nuts. The variety of Mediterranean fruit is enormous: figs, apricots, peaches, nectarines, table grapes, plums, cherries, apples, pears, loquats, quinces, pomegranates, and all kinds of melons and citrus fruit, to name a few. Fruits are also made into compotes, baked dishes, pastries and strudels, and jams and preserves. Cakes and pastries are seldom served for dessert. Instead they are usually bought at pastry shops and eaten with a cup of coffee or lemon tea. However, I have included a few traditional cakes and pastries in this chapter that can easily be made at home.

All kinds of custards, creams, and ice creamsmade with eggs, milk, cream, creme fraiche, yoghurt, ricotta, or mascarponeare made throughout the Mediterranean. They are much enjoyed by children and adults alike and make very good light endings to both family meals and dinner parties.

Pallb aux Amandes

This cake is often served in Moroccan Jewish households to break the fast of Yom Kippur. An amazingly elaborate version called a paille is often served for weddings and special occasions. It consists of layers of almond sponge cake filled with chocolate mousse and a mixture of strawberry preserves, ground almonds, and egg yolks, topped with royal icing, and decorated with sugared almonds and marzipan flowers.

butter

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs, separated

cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

grated rind of 1 organic lemon

1 cup unblanched almonds, finely ground in a blender or food processor

Butter an eight-inch spring-form pan and dust it with flour. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until they are pale and creamy. Stir in the lemon rind. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture.

Lastly fold in the ground almonds and flour. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the cake. Remove from the oven. Unclip the pan and allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire wrack and set aside to cool completely. Serves 6 to 8.

Torta od Jabuka

This delicious apple cake is also very good served hot as a pudding. It is very light and moist as it contains just enough batter to hold the cake together.

3 pounds cooking apples

3 tablespoons butter

cup sunflower seed oil or melted butter

cup sugar

1 egg

grated rind of organic lemon

cup flour

cup milk

teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter an 8-inch spring form pan and dust it with flour. Peel and slice the apples fairly thickly. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the apples over moderate heat for 5 minutes or until they are half cooked and still retain their shape. Set aside.

Place the oil, sugar and egg in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the lemon rind and flour. Add the milk and mix well. The batter should be fairly thin. Pour half of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with the apple slices. Pour the remaining batter over the top.

Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Halfway through cooking, place a sheet of tin foil over the cake. This will prevent the cake from browning too much. Serve hot or cold. Serves 6.

Torta di Carote alla Crema di Mascarpone

This light carrot cake makes a very good teatime snack, as well as the ending of a meal. Mascarpone is a delicious creamy cheese made from cows milk that is widely used in Italian desserts (especially in the Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna), the most famous of which is tiramis.

3 eggs, separated

cup sugar

1 cup carrots, finely grated.

grated rind of 1 organic lemon

cup unblanched filberts, finely ground in a blender or food processor

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

TOPPING:

1 cup mascarpone

1 egg yolk

cup sugar

1 or 2 teaspoons brandy or rum

Preheat the oven to 350F oven. Butter a 7-inch spring form pan and dust it with flour.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they are pale and creamy. Add the carrots and lemon rind and mix well. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Lastly, fold in the hazelnuts and flour. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the cake. Remove from the oven. Unclip the pan and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely. To prepare the topping, place the mascarpone, egg yolk, sugar, and brandy in a bowl and blend well. Spread over the cake. Serves 6.

Fiadone

All kinds of cheesecakes are made in Corsica. Some are baked on chestnut leaves. Others are cooked with or without a pastry shell. Fiadone is the lightest and most popular. It originated in Corte in central Corsica, but today it is made throughout the island. Corsican cheesecake is always made with brocciu, a fresh cheese made with ewes or goats milk. If it is unavailable, ricotta may be used instead.

1 pound fresh brocciu or ricotta cheese

4 eggs, separated

cup sugar

grated rind of 2 organic lemons

2 tablespoons flour

Butter a 9-inch spring form pan and dust it with flour. Preheat the oven to 350F oven. Force the cheese through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks and sugar and blend well. Stir in the lemon rind and flour. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the cake. Remove from the oven. Unclip the pan and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely. Serves 6 to 8.

Savijaa od Trenanja

All kinds of strudels are made in Croatiawith apples, pears, apricots, plums, dried fruit and nuts, and pujine (a fresh white cheese similar to ricotta). Cherry strudel is usually made with sour cherries, but if they are unavailable, sweet black cherries may be used instead. Commercial filo pastry makes strudel very quick and easy to prepare.

1 pound sweet or sour black cherries

2 or 3 sheets fresh or thawed filo pastry, approximately 12 16 inches

3-4 tablespoons butter, melted

cup dry bread crumbs

cup shelled walnuts, finely ground in a blender or food processor

cup sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon cinnamon

grated rind of 1 organic lemon

powdered sugar for dusting

Cut the cherries in half and remove the pits. Set aside.

Cover the table or work surface with a clean cloth. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on the cloth and brush lightly with melted butter. Place another sheet over the top and brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumbs along the side of the pastry nearest to you in a strip about 3 inches wide. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top. Arrange the cherries over the top and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon rind.