Vegan Roast Masterclass and weekend notes

It almost looks real doesn't it!  We called her Tina Turkey but she was really a tofurky.  She was the star of the Green Renters Vegan Roast Masterclass run by Cate today.  I love making vegetarian roasts and went along to learn some new roast ideas and share some hearty food over the winter solstice weekend.  My photos are not great.  I was too busy chatting to others and enjoying good food to concentrate on photos.

When I told Sylvia that I was doing a cooking class, she said that I already knew how to cook.  And I do.  But I have found that cooking with others is always a good way to learn more.  We started with a quick introduction to the recipes by Cate and a chance for everyone to introduce themselves.  Then we ventured into the large kitchen with a bench full of ingredients.  It was quite overwhelming to work with a dozen or so people in a strange kitchen but we danced around each other gracefully - mostly!

Recipes were allocated to small groups.  The first lot were desserts that needed to set in the fridge.  We made a no-bake chocolate pepppermint tart, a lemon tart, tiramisu and three ice creams.  Of course I chose to be on the chocolate team.  The tart had a nut, date and coconut base and a chocolate avocado filling.  It was joy to see the thick creamy filling in the blender.

Once the desserts were chilling, we chilled too with a cuppa, a slice of sticky baklava and warm doughnuts.  Did I mention that one of my "classmates" was another blogger, Veganopoulous!  It was great to meet her.  She was as warm and friendly and funny as her blog.

Next was the roasts.  Any regular readers will know that I love nut roasts.  However I wanted to make something I hadn't made before.  Like tofurky.  I teamed up with Veganopoulous and Leanne.  It was fairly easy to make but a little time consuming.  Firstly we had to make the stuffing, the tofu casing and the marinade.  Then we rolled the tofu around the stuffing, crafted some drumstick legs and basted her with marinade.  We called her Tina Turkey and made some terrible Tina Turner puns ("simply the best")! 

Meanwhile others made a nut roast covered in blanched cabbage leaves, a stuffed seitan roll and a mushroom wellington.  Cate and her lovely assistant Jen roasted some vegies and made three gravies - mushroom, red wine and miso.  (Or maybe others made the gravy.  Tina kept us a little busy!)

Cate and Jen also had a vegan cheese and crackers platter.  Doesn't it look amazing.  Sadly I barely touched it as I was too excited by all the roasts.  We took some leftovers home and I didn't think to take some cheeses.

Finally we had the roasts and plates of vegies on the table, along with gravies, cheeses, wines and cordials.  It took some time for everyone to serve their meal.  But it was worth all the work that had gone into it.  Scrumdidliumptious!  And very very filling.  One roast is so filling.  Four had us bursting at the seams.  I think my favourite was Tina the Tofurky.  The tofu outside was really tasty and the inside was full of vegies and breadcrumbs.  I'd love to try this at home and maybe add a few nuts to the stuffing.

And then there was dessert.  I didn't take a photo but it all tasted great.  The ice creams and lemon tarts weren't quite set but the chocolate tart was so deliciously creamy and the tiramisu was surprisingly good.  I usually avoid tiramisu because of the coffee but this had no coffee and made me think I need to try making it myself.  I did notice that the vegans were excited by the desserts, but as a vegetarian it was the savoury roasts that most excited me.

Many thanks to Cate for a fun and yummy class.  (Sadly this was her last cooking class in Melbourne before heading overseas to live.)  For further reflections and better photos, head over to check out Veganopoulous' post on the masterclass.

Weekend notes:

A few random notes on my weekend

• My sister in law made an amazing rainbow cake to take along to a pub meal to celebrate some family birthdays on Friday.  See above photo.
• As I left for the class today I found Sylvia chopping a fringe in her hair.  She has been playing at being a hairdresser lately.  I wont let her cut my hair.  E wont let her cut his hair.  I think hers was the only hair left to cut.
• Yesterday I heard a really engaging talk by a researcher on ABC Radio National: Bridie Scott Parker of Southern Cross University discussed a New approach to reducing fatalities amongst young novice drivers.  It was fascinating to hear her talk about how she was translating her research into policy and practice.
• I am reading The Luminaries.  It is fascinating reading but such a doorstopper of a book and so dense I worry I will never get through it.  I have been trying to get to bed early to read more but every time I do I fall asleep.  I don't blame the book.
• I didn't manage to get out to a winter solstice bonfire last night.  Instead I made two of my favourite warm winter dishes.  Mexicale pie followed by Chocolate pudding.  If only I didn't feel too full from the masterclass today to enjoy the leftovers. 
• We have found room for E to put his record player in the loungeroom (after some time Sylvia's bedroom).  As I write I am listening to an EP called This Machine is Made of People by Wild Pumpkins at Midnight.  It must be 20 years since I listened to it on vinyl.  Yet the topics of industries closing down, retrenchment and disappearing skills seems as current today as it did then.  I still feel sad as I hear these lines:

So you see I'm only human

And this machine is made of people

Although I need someone to remind me.

'Cause everyone has a number.