Veggie and Parmesan Cake

Update: This cake is being a big hit around my family. I was asked to do it last Thanksgiving and a few more times and everybody keeps asking me for the recipe. I think you really should try this soon! Here one of the latest pictures.

It has been sometime since my last post. We moved to a new beach house and now things are finally settling down again. The ocean to which we wake up every day is still beautiful and freshly blue and life is rolling. The baby is walking and exploring the new big space. And I’m trying this post with pictures taken with the iPhone. Oh well, go ahead and roll your eyes.

Yesterday I found this recipe here, followed the link to the original one in the Guardian and decided to make my own. I love the ingredients and would like to do it with the cauliflower itself, but today I couldn’t wait to go to the grocery and instead paid a visit to my fridge and picked all the fresh veggies I had in there.

So it ended to be with savoy cabbage, broccoli and, as good Portuguese, lots of carrots.

I followed the instructions of the original recipe but instead of saute the chopped onion (in which I add an elephant clove of garlic) and rosemary only in olive oil, I added two tablespoons of roasted almond oil for taste.

I also used white whole wheat flour, although they didn’t mention in the recipe I presumed it was with regular all-purpose flour.

When my 13 month old daughter taste the result of this at the table she kept asking for more.

I ate two big slices myself for lunch today. But I secretly hope it would be some leftovers, as this would make a ready-made dish perfect for the weekend.

Veggie and Parmesan Cake

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 6

Half savoy cabbage

1 big broccoli flower head

8 carrots

1 large red onion, peeled

Garlic

5 tablespoons of olive oil plus 2 tablespoons of roasted almond oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary

8 large eggs

Handful of basil, chopped

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese

Salt and black pepper

Butter, for greasing pan

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Cut the vegetables into big chunks and boil it 15 minutes (5 for the broccoli) in a covered pan with a teaspoon of salt, until soft. Strain and let drip in the colander for a few minutes so they dry and cool.

In the meantime, prepare the batter. Cut a few thin rings off the red onion to use on top of the cake after and chop the remainder of the onion. Chop the garlic. Saute the chopped red onion, garlic and rosemary together with the olive oil and roasted almond oil in a saucepan about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk eggs and olive oil and onion mixture together. Stir in basil.

Sift the flour, baking powder and turmeric into a large bowl, and add the parmesan, one and a half teaspoons of salt and pepper. Add the egg mix and whisk to eliminate lumps. Add the veggie mix and stir very gently, just to incorporate.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the sides. Put the sesame seeds in the pan and toss them around so that they stick to the sides. Pour in the mix, arrange the reserved onion rings on top and bake cake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown.