Nita's (vegetarian) Night Out

This was my second all veggie evening and another all female event. Why don't men eat in groups, apart from curry houses? I served French gnocchi again, using the fry and refresh in oven technique which worked well. Here's the whole menu:

Ceci n'est pas un éclair au chocolat!

With apologies to René Magritte

Warm spiced nuts, treacle soda bread
and butter
Mushroom and truffle velouté
Fennel tarte tatin with beetroot purée
Cheese and onion eclairs (see right)
French gnocchi with green vegetable vinaigrette
Iced Tea Ice
Sticky apple sponges with rhubarb sorbet, 
apple crisps and crystallised pistachios
Cointreau chocolate truffles

I've made the savoury eclairs before but this is the first time I've managed a decent photo. This is normal pate a choux but with no sugar and added mustard, cheese and black pepper. The filling is a cheese mousse. This is made by scalding double cream then adding grated cheese, salt and white pepper. Chill in the fridge and then whip up as with normal cream. The topping's made of my slow roasted onion purée rendered darker and glossy by adding butter (of course), sticky balsamic reduction and dark soy. They look pretty convincing I think.