FOODLOVER resident Chef Peter Gorton is an award winning Master Chef of Great Britain and has been cooking since the age of 16. Peter now runs his own restaurant, Gorton’s, in Tavistock.
There are many different types of diets within the scope of vegetarianism, some of those main types are vegan, ovo-vegetarian and lacto-vegetarian.
A vegan diet excludes meat, poultry, fish and their by-products such as gelatine and stock bases. In addition the vegan diet excludes eggs and dairy products and their by-products such as lactose, casein and dried egg whites or yolks used in baking.
Ovo-vegetarian diet
Ovo refers to eggs, therefore an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs. The use of eggs but not milk in the diet is characteristic of vegetarian cooking styles of China, Japan and their surrounding countries.
Lacto-vegetarian diet
Lacto refers to milk and dairy products.
Cooking with vegetables
It is generally best to use vegetables when they are in their peak season. It is important to be aware that produce can change in flavour and texture from batch to batch and season to season.
Mushrooms
Avoid those that are bruised or discoloured, have black wet gills, those that are slimy on the outside or give off any unpleasant odours.Mushrooms spoil faster if wrapped in an airtight container. Store mushrooms in brown paper bags or in a perforated box that they have arrived in to allow air to circulate. Washing mushrooms can speed up their deteriation, so never soak them but wash them as close to cooking as possible. Alternatively you can brush the dirt off with a clean small brush.
Asparagus
Only the thickest woodiest asparagus spears need peeling and even then it isn’t necessary to remove the whole stem.
Simple lemon asparagus
Grate the zest from 1 lemon then squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, add zest and whisk in quarter cup of olive oil. Toss with about 680g trimmed and roasted or poached asparagus, sprinkle with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
Beetroot
If you plan to cook beetroot leave the skins on – they are much easier to remove when cooked. Leaving the skins on during cooking also helps preserve colour and retain nutrients.
Some of my favourite vegetables in season for May and June:
- Asparagus
- Beetroot
- Peas
- Wild rocket
- Radishes
- Globe artichokes
- Cucumber
- Samphire
Happy Eating!
Peter Gorton
For more information about Peter visit www.petergortonmasterchef.co.uk or to find out more about Gorton’s restaurant see www.gortons-tavistock.co.uk