So for our SIFF finale we returned to Single Origin for the fourth and last in their series of Origin Breakfasts. This time it was the Dominican Republic's turn for a two-course breakfast served with coffee prepared three ways: siphon, cold drip and espresso.
For savouries, we had mangu (plantain) with tomato and egg. Plantain was a new and pleasant surprise to us all - very tasty and filling.
Followed up by a delicious honey flan with coffee granita and blood orange. (Y'know, I always thought flans came inside pastries. Wrong!)
The Dominican coffee blend was heavier and more bitter than the Yemenese and Nicaraguan blends we'd tried before, but I will never turn my nose up at a good coffee well made. In other words, :9
I really enjoyed all three of the Origin breakfasts, despite having to rise at an ungodly hour. By the end of the month, we pretty much felt like Single Origin regulars (though the staff failed to recognise us every single time, ha!).
And then it was national pony-racing day - I mean, Melbourne Cup. As usual everyone in our office had to bring in a plate of food or similar contribution. Just as usual, I chose food. In the end we assembled a massive spread, with lots of tasty dips, antipasto, roast chicken, several salads, and a ridiculously awesome berry-topped pavlova. And did I mention the champagne? Really, I enjoy the food and drink of Melbourne Cup day more than the race itself...
This vegetarian and gluten-free recipe is adapted from the Ottolenghi cookbook. The original uses couscous, for which I've subbed in quinoa, which is gluten-free. The quantities shown below are meant to serve 4; I doubled all of the ingredients and wound up with almost a kilo of food! Most of it was eaten, thank goodness, but there is still a bit of leftover quinoa in my fridge.
Quinoa with dried apricots and butternut pumpkin
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 tbsp olive oil
50g dried apricots
450g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-2cm dice
250g quinoa (or couscous, if you prefer)
400ml gluten-free vegetable stock (or chicken)
pinch of saffron strands
3 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon
3 tbsp roughly chopped mint (or more, to taste)
3 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
grated zest of 1 lemon
sea salt and black pepper
Prep first: chop the pumpkin and onion. Preheat oven to 180C.
Place the onion in a frying pan with 2 tbsp oil and some salt. Saute over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Set aside.
Pour hot water from the tap over the apricots, just enough to cover them. Soak for 5 minutes then drain and cut into 5mm dice.
Mixed the diced pumpkin with 1 tbsp oil and some salt and pepper. Spread on a baking tray and place in oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, until quite soft.
While pumpkin is baking, cook the quinoa. Bring the stock to the boil with saffron. Place the quinoa in a large pot and pour the boiling stock over it. Cover the pot and leave for 10 minutes.
Hopefully, the quinoa will have absorbed all the moisture and gone slightly translucent, so you can see the germ in each grain. If not, then put the pot on a low heat and steam off the excess moisture, stirring regularly so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Add a little oil and use a fork or whisk to fluff up the quinoa. Then add the onion, pumpkin, apricots, herbs, cinnamon and lemon zest. Mix well, season as necessary, and serve warmish or cold.
If you're making it the night before, as I did, leave the herbs for the next day - chop and stir through just before serving.
Adapted from 'Ottolenghi: The Cookbook' by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
