Get with the beet at Brookes Restaurant

The allergy to peanuts was prominently in the news last week on the very day that I was to demonstrate my tolerance of them during a special meal of vegan food served to a full house of happy eaters at Oxford Brookes University.

A research team lead by Gideon Lack of King’s College, London, was reported in Tuesday’s newspapers to have found that babies who ate the equivalent of four heaped teaspoons of peanut butter each week from age four months to 11 months were about 80 per cent less likely to develop a peanut allergy by the time they were five.

Now this was very important news indeed, as my Brookes meal demonstrated, for anybody intent on becoming a vegan. Nuts are a principal source of protein, as well as vitamins A and E, potassium and protein, for those espousing the lifestyle. They figured in all four of the courses served up in the training restaurant during a special themed evening laid on by a team of students studying International Hospitality Management.

Yin Chiao Lu, Ellie Neill, Eirin Bonnell, Camilla Alsanea and Vita Juneviciute were the quintet of organisers behind Vegans & Violets. They “borrowed” a number of their colleagues to assist in preparing in serving the feast.

Vita is the only practising vegan in the group but all of them — as marketing spokesman Camilla put it — “are passionate about educating people on the benefits of veganism”.

These were outlined by Paul Freestone of the veggie group OxVeg in a speech during the evening. He acknowledged — who wouldn’t? — that it would be unrealistic to suppose that all of us could become vegan, but argued persuasively for the ‘flexitarian’ (semi-vegetarian) approach. A meat-free Monday, for example, would be a good start.

He said: “This evening is certainly a showcase for the range and quality of vegetarian food. Nobody could fail to be impressed.” In this sentiment, I entirely concurred.

Arriving at the restaurant, Rosemarie and I received a cheery welcome at the entrance where glasses of fizz were offered, cava for those wanting alcohol, elderflower for non-drinkers. The ‘violet’ in the evening’s title was reflected in the colour of the drinks. We wondered if the cava had the liqueur Parfait d’Amour in it. In fact, it was food colouring.

Then it was over towards the tables which, again on a floral theme, had names like Sunflower, Snapdragon and Hyacinth. Ours was Isis, like others prettily tricked out with a basket of silver-painted fir cones and crisp starched napery. From the purple ribboned napkin peeked a menu revealing what was coming. Some of our neighbours were clearly wondering about the possible effects on the digestion of so much healthy fare. “We shall find out on the drive home,” said one — to much laughter.

The kitchen hit the ground running with the first dish sent out. This was a little cup of wild mushroom and hazelnut soup with a rich taste of the woods that would have been applauded by that noted fungivore Antonio Carluccio.

The ‘beetroot rawvioli’ was a delight both to the eye and palate. It consisted of four parcels of marinated beetroot, red and yellow, filled with nut cheese (cashews blended with coconut milk and oil). There were tasty fried rounds of beetroot, too, and dressed bucksum leaves.

Now came the main event, a chickpea and peanut curry — its taste very reminiscent of satay sauce — served in a bowl with a topping of roasted sweet potato. Instead of rice (judged too predictable) it came with a cake of quinoa and bulgar wheat enlivened with little chunks of dried apricot. If all this wasn’t enough, we had chargrilled cauliflower and red peppers as well.

The team: From left, Yin Chiao Lu, Ellie Neill, Eirin Bonnell, Camilla Alsanea and Vita Juneviciute ran the event at Brookes

Pudding was lime cheesecake, consisting of a base of crushed date and almonds, with more of that nut cheese, flavoured with lime, and drizzled with agave nectar a sweet syrup made from the Mexican plant also used for tequila.

Though I managed to eat most of it, I was beginning to feel a little bulked out by the meal. I was also starting to find the unrelenting sweetness a bit cloying; so, too, the coating to the mouth from so much coconut oil. I wondered whether a fresh fruit salad wouldn’t have been a better choice at this stage. I certainly welcomed the fresh, crisp contribution from our wine, a tangy blend of Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay (Le Vin de Levin, 2011).

To finish came coffee, with chocolate, peanut and fudge petits fours, and a jug of milk.

“Soya milk?” I inquired. Whoops! It was cow’s, though the other was available. After so much vegan perfection, just one slip at the very last minute. . . .

Vegans & Violets is part of a lengthy programme of themed events at Brookes, all open to the public, as is the restaurant at lunchtimes from Monday to Friday.

Brookes Restaurant 
Headington Campus 
01865 483803 restaurant.business.brookes.ac.uk

Opening times: Monday to Friday, noon to 2pm (last orders 1.45pm).
Parking: Not easy — best by bus or taxi.
The rationale: As part of their final year, students participate in a module where they can enjoy the hands-on experience of applying management concepts and theories within the realistic working environment of the restaurant. They are expected to pull together everything they have learned over their four years of study to deliver a successful event. The themes have been developed to allow the students to engage with contemporary hospitality ideas such as food trends and global food issues, as well as exploring the role of food in cultures. The cost of each evening is £27.50 per head, with a £10 deposit required on booking. 
Coming up: Fresh Farm Food Festival (March 3), Alpine Fusion (March 5), Out of Africa (March 10), A Journey from Darkness into Light (March 12), Eat, Pray, Love (March 17), From Nature to Plate (March 19), Dallas Rib Shack (April 14), All the Fun of the Fair (April 16). A Night in Marrakesh (April 21) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (April 23).