A meet free feast; days when vegetarians considered ' nuts' are gone, says Judi Ashley, of veggie restaurant.

WHEN Judi Ashley, right, opened Crumbs in 1970 there were those who thought a vegetarian was something of a nut case.

But Judi, fired with all the enthusiasm of the pioneer, was determined to go veggie in the centre of Cardiff and, 39 years later Crumbs, her restaurant and takeaway in the Morgan Arcade, is still going strong.

"In the early days vegetarians were considered to be completely off their rollers," Judi recalled.

"People thought what I was doing was mad but within six months I had to expand and open upstairs." Now, it's as commonplace to shun meat as it is to tuck into steak and chips and devotees will be celebrating the delights of the flesh-free table in National Vegetarian Week which starts on Monday.

Cardiff will have its own veggie festival at the Mackintosh Club Hall, Keppoch Street, Roath next Saturdayfrom 7pm until midnight with food, live music and more.

"I was brought up in the country in Pembrokeshire and have a passion for the kind of wholesome food we had at home," Judi explained.

"It's basic, rustic style not fine dining but everything is home-made with lots of salads, soups, chilli and pasta." Judi finds it a lot easier to source the ingredients these days.

"I used to have to get some supplies from London," she says.

"Now, it's wonderful because you can buy all you need in any supermarket which makes it much easier to cook dishes at home.

"People would panic if they had a vegetarian coming to dinner," she added.

"It would be, 'oh my goodness, what are we going to give them?'" Judi's recipes here are typical of the dishes popular with her regulars over the years and simple to prepare at home.

The tangy red cabbage crunch is one of several from her pick and mix salad selection and the tomato soup gets a twist with the addition of potato and apple..

Tomato, apple and basil soup Serves six Ingredients 1.5kg (3lbs) very ripe tomatoes Three onions, chopped Two bunches basil, chopped One bunch oregano, chopped Two potatoes, peeled and grated Two eating apples, grated One tablespoon millet flakes to thicken (optional) One tablespoon garlic powder or puree Two tablespoons oil 570mls (1pt) vegetable stock 150ml (5fl oz) soya milk Salt and pepper to taste One tablespoon sugar or as required at the end of cooking Method Heat oil in a large saucepan and sweat onions, garlic powder and herbs for five minutes.

Add whole tomatoes, grated potato and apple, stock, millet flakes and salt and pepper and cook uncovered, on a low heat, for 45 minutes adding the soya milk when soup is nearly ready.

Cool, blend until smooth, adjust acidity by adding sugar if needed, garnish with basil and serve with crusty bread..

Tangy red cabbage crunch

Serves six Ingredients One large red cabbage, chopped into medium sized pieces One cauliflower broken into florets Four carrots, grated Eight tablespoons mustard dressing made from: One tablespoon English mustard powder Two tablespoons sugar Eight tablespoons oil Eight tablespoons vinegar

Method Put vegetables into large bowl.

Mix mustard to a paste with a little boiling water.

Add other dressing ingredients and mix well.

Pour eight tablespoons of the dressing on to the salad, toss well and chill before serving.

This salad should keep well in the fridge for a couple of days and remaining dressing can be used for other salads..

Courgette and mushroom pasta Serves six Ingredients Two onions, finely chopped Three courgettes, sliced One red pepper, de-seeded and sliced One green pepper, de-seeded and sliced 450g (1lb) mushrooms, thickly sliced One dessertspoon garlic powder or puree A bunch each of fresh basil and oregano Two tablespoons oil Two medium tins chopped tomatoes Three tablespoons tomato puree One teaspoon sugar Salt and pepper to taste 150ml (5fl oz) vegetable stock 500g (1lb) penne Method Heat oil in a pan, add onion, garlic powder and half of the herbs and sweat for five minutes.

Add peppers, mushrooms, courgettes tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, seasoning and stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened.

Add remaining herbs at the end of cooking time and adjust taste with sugar if needed.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions on packet.

Drain and serve topped with the sauce..