The Times Magazine 37rowing up in Denmark, Trine
Hahnemann stood out from her friends.
While they were all tucking into
traditional Scandinavian food, her
family were making ratatouille, hummus
or roast lamb with lots of garlic. “And my
father made the best spaghetti bolognese
I have ever tasted,” the food writer remembers.
“Food was not as exciting when I was growing
up as it is now, but I did not know that, so
I was excited about what we had.”
She now runs a café in Copenhagen and
what gets her most excited are the possibilities
offered by a largely meat-free diet. She tries to
live by the 80:20 rule, with 80 per cent of what
she eats coming from fruit, vegetables, grains
and legumes. It’s no hardship: “Waiting for
a new vegetable or fruit to come into season
encapsulates the joy and variety of cooking.”
Whether it’s turning a couple of cauliflowers
into a substantial meal or giving roast potatoes
a fresh twist by introducing cumin and
preserved lemon, she knows that while food is
about heritage and tradition, your cooking can
always evolve from there. Tony TurnbullROAST CAULIFLOWER
WITH PARSLEY PESTO
Serves 4For the cauliflower domes- 2 cauliflowers • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive
oil • Sea salt flakes and freshly ground
black pepper
For the pesto- 50g curly parsley • 50g lovage, or more
parsley • 50g almonds • 1 garlic clove - 100ml extra virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon
juice, or to taste
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Line
a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 For the cauliflower domes, cut the
cauliflowers in half through their stalks and
place on the prepared tray. Brush with 6 tbsp
olive oil, being sure to brush around all the
little hills and valleys, then sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, blend all the pesto ingredients
in a food processor to a smooth paste. Season
to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if
you like.
4 Serve the roast cauliflower with the pesto.REALLY WARMING CARROT SOUP
Serves 4- 3 tbsp sunflower oil, or other flavourless
vegetable oil • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1-2 tsp
chilli flakes, to taste • 1 tsp coriander seeds - 1 onion, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, finely
chopped • 1 celery stick, chopped • 750g
carrots, chopped • 300g red lentils- 3 bay leaves • 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- Juice of 2 oranges • Juice of 1 lemon
To serve- Sumac • Coriander • Bread
1 Set a large saucepan over a medium heat
and pour in the oil. Add the cumin, chilli
flakes, coriander seeds, onion, garlic and celery
and sauté for 5 minutes. Now tip in the
carrots, pour in 2.5 litres water and bring to
the boil. Add the lentils and bay leaves, reduce
the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
2 Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves
and blend until smooth. Stir in the salt, then
the orange and lemon juices. Taste and add
more chilli, if you like.
3 Serve warm and offer sumac and coriander
at the table, as well as lots of bread.G
Eat!
SCANDI VEGGIE
PHOTOGRAPHS Columbus Leth