Well I'm not sure how happy the pecans are, but they have a fascinating history, especially if you are interested in the food industry. But I know the animals on Matthew Evan's farm, and on Sharon Gibson's Mullumbimby block, are very happy. And they finish their life in the gentlest possible way.
For the first recipe though, here is a carrot pudding chosen from Matthew's new book, The Dirty Chef. Originally his partner Sadie's recipe. Make it the main event for a vegetarian meal, or serve it as a side dish. But make sure you get very good carrots! As I heard a farmer say once, if there is ever a time to go organic, it's with carrots. Or grow your own on a kitchen bench, as one of Matthew's fans did.
CARROT PUDDING
![9781743316962[1]](http://www.belly.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/97817433169621.jpg)
Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side dish
This naturally sweet, rich carrot dish is perfect for vegetarians
and meat eaters alike. You could flavour the béchamel sauce
with cardamom or other spices as you see fit, but I like the true
taste of the carrot coming through unadorned.
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) carrots, roughly chopped
400 ml (14 fl oz/12 3 cups) milk
1 fresh bay leaf
50 g (1¾ oz) butter
1 large brown onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
1 egg
salt and freshly milled black pepper
100 g (3½ oz/about 1¼ cups) coarse fresh breadcrumbs
Steam the carrot until quite soft and mash to a rough paste
using a potato masher.
While the carrot cooks, make a white sauce by heating
the milk with the bay leaf in a saucepan until nearly boiling.
Turn off the heat and let it steep while you make the roux
(a butter and flour mixture used for thickening). Melt the
butter in a 1-litre (35-fl oz/4-cup) saucepan over a low heat and
fry the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour
and stir quickly with a wooden spoon so it combines well with
no lumps. Keep stirring for a minute while this flour mixture
fries a bit. Reheat the milk and add it a ladleful at a time to the
flour mixture, stirring the whole time and reboiling between
additions (discard the bay leaf rather than add it to the sauce).
When this white sauce has had all the milk added, make sure it
simmers one last time, then remove from the heat. It should be
the consistency of reasonably thick custard.
Cool the white sauce slightly, then stir into the carrot
mixture with the egg and salt and pepper. Spoon into a 2-litre
(70-fl oz/8-cup) baking dish or casserole dish and sprinkle
with the breadcrumbs (you can toss the crumbs in oil or butter
if you like, but the pudding is already rich). Bake at 170°C
(325°F/Gas 3) for about 30–40 minutes, or until the crumbs
are browned and the pudding is hot right through.
Serve with roasted meats, or as the meal with a light salad
on the side.
[This is an edited extract from THE DIRTY CHEF by Matthew Evans, published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $29.99, out now.]