T minus two days to C-Day. I write this from the airport with 15 hours of travel separating me from the first sherry and 57th mince pie of the season. Living in the Middle East means the most festive it gets is a gingerbread latte at the Starbucks next to me, so I'm looking forward to getting more in the spirit as we travel West. A Marks & Sparks Christmas sandwich perhaps? One can dream.

I love Christmas. Granted, I probably love a Christmas that only actually exists in Hallmark films but there’s something wonderful about having an event like it to close out the year. It offers up something to be excited for, to gather for and, of course, to feast for. It marks Winter and all the season has to offer (and this year I’m ensuring it’s white by heading to snowy Canada).

It will be no surprise that one of my main sources of excitement and joy comes from the feasting element of Christmas. And not just the eating itself, but spending the day in the kitchen working up a feast for friends and then all gathering together. It’s just a different thing to gather on the dark, chilly nights with hearty, treat-filled indulgence and a few bottles of sparkling/mulled something-or-other.

christmas vegetarian recipe snowy street

This year there has been plenty of that in the run up to everyone flying out to their various Christmas destinations. Consequently, as I packed up my tree yesterday (I am not risking the wrath of having it up past the twelfth night) it felt a little bit like it was over already. How nice that in fact I’ll be stepping off the plane into full force of Christmas magic in a few hours (or London Heathrow - it’s all about perspective).

So, as we gear up for the big feast to end all feasts on the 25th (or the night of the 24th as so many across the world do) I thought I would share one of the recipes that I concocted in one of my run-up celebrations. This mushroom and artichoke galette was my attempt at a vegetarian main course, and it hit the mark - substantial and ‘meaty’ enough to ensure you didn’t feel like you were just being offered up a plate of vegetables, and for once, not a nut roast.

Wishing you all a wonderful, festive, feasting time of the year!

Mushroom and artichoke galette

Ingredients

1 quantity of shortcrust pastry (shop-bought if needed)
25g butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 white onion
2 very large portobello mushrooms, chopped
300g button or brown mushrooms, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
Zest of one lemon
Few sprigs of fresh thyme
Fresh parsley
2 handfuls spinach
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp labnah or cream cheese
25g blue cheese (or gruyere if you’d prefer)
1 egg yolk, beaten

Method

Heat your oven to 400F/200C. Roll out your pastry on a floured surface into a large round, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Chill in the fridge while you make up the filling (I appreciate finding space in a Christmas loaded fridge involves a degree in design engineering).
Add the butter (it’s Christmas, otherwise known as the butter holiday) to a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add in the chopped garlic and onion and sweat until the onion starts to soften. Add in the chopped mushrooms. Add the chopped thyme and parsley, and season well with salt and pepper and cook for about 7 - 10 minutes until they start to take on some colour.
Add in the chopped artichokes and the lemon zest. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for around 15 minutes.
Take out the pastry from the fridge and spoon on the labnah/cream cheese. Smooth into a circle in the middle, leaving about 2 inches around the edge. Add your spinach on top of the cream cheese. Add 1 beaten egg into your mushroom mixture and mix well, then pile the mixture on top of your spinach. Spread it out so that it covers the spinach and cream cheese. Crumble on the blue cheese.
Now fold over the spare 2 inches over the top of the mushroom mixture, all away around the edge (like a cosy pastry blanket). You should have the middle area of the mushrooms exposed.
Brush the pastry with your beaten egg yolk and into the oven it goes.
Bake for approximately 45 - 50 minutes until the pastry is golden.