Recipe of the Month

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

"New Vegetarian" is one of those titles that makes you wince, because it's such an infernal, lazy cliché and such a meaningless phrase. But, though Celia Brooks Brown's first book, "New Vegetarian" may have an awful title, it has seriously good and accessible food right throughout its bright and well-designed pages.

First thing we cooked was the lemon potato latkes, which Celia serves with a gingered avocado crème, and they are pure demon, the sort of crisp, light, zesty food that makes you shout out: "Lemon potato latkes, where have you been all my life!?"

But Celia masters this sort of smart, finger lickin' food on page after page, and apart from a lapse when she uses vegetarian 'sausages' (ugh!) the absence of meat simply isn't a consideration. The production is a typically accomplished job from Ryland, Peters and Small, and here is a book to be savoured by all who love food (£16.99 stg)

Lemon Potato Latkes with a Gingered Avocado Crème

Latkes

2 large potatoes, about 750g
1 small onion grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons plain flour quarter teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt olive oil, for frying

Gingered Avocado Crème

1 large ripe avocado, halved and pitted juice of 1 lime
1-2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
half teaspoon crushed garlic 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, or 1 tablespoon chilli sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons thick plain yoghurt

To make the latkes, peel the potatoes, then grate on the coarse side of a box grater or in a food processor. Transfer to a sieve and let drain. Press excess moisture out of the potatoes (or they will 'spit' when fried) and put them in a bowl. Finely chop the onion and add to the bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Return to the sieve - liquid will continue to drain out of the mixture while you prepare to cook the latkes.

Heat about 5mm depth of olive oil in a frying pan. Add rounded tablespoons of the mixture and flatten slightly; don't overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on crumpled kitchen paper. Keep the latkes warm in the oven while you cook the rest.

To make the avocado crème, scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth, then serve with the latkes.

Note: Latkes make excellent canapés. Fry teaspoons of the mixture as described above, then serve topped with the avocado crème and coriander leaves. Makes about 50.