HOT MEALS: Going veggie at the Vegetarian Cookery School

I've always been a good girl and eaten up all my vegetables.

It's a different story however for the boyfriend. Peas are OK, and beans. And maybe peppers, but not much else. Unless it's chopped up really, really small and it barely recognisable, then I might just get away with it.

So, even though neither of us are vegetarians I thought learning to cook some really good vegetarian dishes might just convince him that not all vegetables are evil.

And where better to learn than at the Vegetarian Cookery School in Bath which is run by the owner of the award-winning vegetarian restaurant Demuths, Rachel Demuth, along with other vegetarian cookery experts – many of them former chefs at Demuths.

The school offers a range of courses, both evening classes and full day courses, in all sorts of different styles of cookery, from meals that can be prepared in just 30 minutes, to pasta making, and masterclasses with visiting experts.

Having visited both Spain and Morocco in the past year, and fallen in love with the food there, the Spanish and Moroccan course seemed like the perfect choice.

Helping Rachel lead the class was Jo Ingleby, who was head chef at Demuths for three years and has also spent time living in Spain where she developed a real passion for the local cuisine.

I was excited to learn how to make some authentic tapas dishes, and a fragrant Moroccan tagine that would hopefully show how delicious fresh, seasonal vegetables can taste, and convert the boyfriend.

I wasn't disappointed. What we managed to squeeze into six hours was amazing.

At no point did I feel rushed or pressured, and there was even time for Jo to show us some knife skills so now I can chop away like the best of the television chefs!

Salmorejo and Moorish bread stick

Harissa - made from plenty of fresh chillies

Broad bean and pumpkin seed bissara

Somehow, we managed to make almendras con sal picante (spiced almonds), salmorejo (gazpacho style dip), tortilla de patatas (traditional potato tortilla), Piementos de padron (fried green peppers), patatas bravas y alioli (potatoes with garlic mayonnaise), Moorish semolina bread, broad bean and pumpkin seed bissara, Moroccan tagine with harissa, toasted almond and mint cous cous and Moroccan orange and sultana salad, almond and orange cake and almond and rose water fruit pastries – and find plenty of time to eat as well!

Moorish bread

Jo turns out the Spanish tortilla

Some dishes we made from start to finish, others we contributed certain elements to, and a couple we just watched, but thanks to the great tuition I feel completely confident in making them at home. Even those that were made while we were busy cooking or eating we were made to feel involved with, with Rachel and Jo constantly keeping us informed about what they were doing, and showing us the progress of each dish every step of the way.

The class had been well thought out, and just about all the equipment we used was the sort of thing that most people would have in their kitchen, and Jo and Rachel's enthusiasm for what they were doing was infectious, and the enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge with people really shone through.

My spicy Moroccan tagine

The tagine was where we were given an almost free hand to make our own version of the traditional Moroccan dish.

Working in pairs we were given the recipe and a set of instructions. And while Jo and Rachel were on hand to offer advice if we needed it, we were left to interpret the dish in our own way.

Fortunately my partner and I both shared a love of spicy food, and the result was a wonderfully fragrant and spicy dish that I was very proud of.

Not being a vegetarian I thought that I might miss the meat element, but I can say hand-on-heart that I really didn't.

The tagine was as flavourful as any I had tried in Marrakech and all the tapas dishes tasted so fresh and were so colourful and vibrant looking that I believe that even the most hardened carnivore would have loved them.

Ornage and almond cake

Fortunately there were plenty of breaks timetabled into the day for us to enjoy what we were making, and the whole day ended with the whole group sitting round a table and enjoying the fruits of our labours along with some excellent Spanish wine (all vegetarian of course!).

There seemed to be a range of different cooking abilities on the course, but it was pitched so well that no-one seemed to be left behind, or getting bored, and Jo and Ruth seemed to be able to read exactly the right level to pitch the lessons at, and instinctively knew when someone might need some help, but without ever being patronising.

Toasting our efforts!

It was such a fun day, and I came away feeling inspired.

While I can't say I'm a complete convert to the vegetarian way of life the day did leave me feeling inspired and I shall definitely be trying not only to recreate the dishes that I learned on that day, but other vegetarian dishes.

And as for the boyfriend, I think there will always be a certain amount of vegetable suspicion, but I'll keep you posted!

For more information on the Vegetarian Cookery School visit http://www.vegetariancookeryschool.com/ or to find out more about Demuths restaurant visit http://www.demuths.co.uk/.