Marcel Pagnol was a French novelist, playwright and film maker. It is as a novelist, that Zelda would like to celebrate him today and invite him for dinner. 
L'eau des Collines (The Water of the Hills) is the collective name for two brilliant novels set in Provence: Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources. They are best known now as the inspiration for two French language films of the same name, made in the 1980s. The films are beautiful, but the novels are sublime. Zelda likes to re-read them at least every few years. The cassoulet is a famous French 'peasant dish'. It must be made with white beans but then whatever meat is available is traditionally added. Why not, therefore, add vegetarian alternatives, if the finished dish tastes great?
VEGETARIAN CASSOULET
2tbsp olive oil
2 slices vegetarian bacon, defrosted if frozen
2 vegetarian sausages
1 quorn fillet or 50g chicken-style pieces
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300ml vegetable stock
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1tsp dried thyme
2tbsp tomato puree
½tsp smoked paprika
100g coarse breadcrumbs
2 bay leaves
Serves 2
In a large ovenproof pan,
heat 1tbsp of the oil and fry the bacon. Remove from the pan and cut into
pieces.
Add the rest of the oil
and cook the pepper and onion until it starts to soften.
Cut the sausages and quorn
fillet into chunks and add to the pan as well. Stir together until all are
slightly browned but not burnt.
Return the bacon to the pan.
Add the tomatoes and butter beans.
Top up with the stock, add
the tomato puree, thyme, paprika and bay leaves and mix all together well, over
a low heat.
Put the breadcrumbs over
the top.
Cook at Gas 7/ 220°C/
420°F for
about 40 minutes until the breadcrumbs form a golden brown crust.
Lovely served with mashed potato
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