Maitake Pie!

    Wheat, dairy free pizza pie... puffball powder in the crust, black trumpet liquid in the sauce and maitake on top....also has sun-dried tomatoes, chard, red hot peppers , onion, garlic, basil with balsamic reduction drizzled on top.
     I'll fess up. I don't remember the exact recipe for this. I will say this though...It was good. Really darn good. If you're doing the wheat free thing, I recommend trying different brand of premade gf flour mixes. Some are better than others and if you don't like the taste or texture of one, try another. Personally, I like the Namaste brand, Perfect Flour Blend.
    I did throw some dehydrated puffball powder in the crust which worked out well. I used a standard pizza dough recipe, otherwise.
    As for the sauce, I used the liquid from rehydrate black trumpets, sundried tomatoes, and tomato paste. There may have been some wine in there and probably rosemary, basil and oregeno. Kinda fuzzy on the details of this one. As far as pizza goes, though, feel free to be creative! If you're not sure about something, put it on half and compare.
   As for toppings, I'm a sucker for caramelized onions, so there's that.  As for the chard, I blanched it in hot water, then ice water, then squeezed any residual moisture out before putting on as a topping. That way it didn't dry out in the intense heat of the oven. The black trumpets I sauteed in with the onions. I had some frozen, previously sauteed Maitake, which I left frozen on the pizza before putting in the oven. Also, had to have my red hot peppers in the mix. It all worked together nicely.
   The crust baked nicely in a cast iron skillet. I loaded the bottom up with oil and pressed the pizza dough in and up the sides. Make sure you put the rack as low as you can so the bottom crisps up nicely.
   Another one of my standbys is balsamic reduction. Easy and elegant, this in achieved by reducing down balsamic vinegar until it becomes a thick syrup consistency. I drizzled this on top after removing it from the oven.
   These are just some ideas. Have fun, make it a group project. Enjoy some wine and use up some of that stuff hanging out in the fridge :)

Golden Chantie Tuna Goodness

   I Love Chanterelles. Their elegance, golden shimmer in the late afternoon summer sun,  subtle apricot scent and flavor...what's not to love, really? They pair especially well with eggs and cream sauces, both delicate flavors that compliment their floral nature well. I've even infused them in vodka which can be used in sauces or cocktails. Being mycorrhizal, chanterelles can be quite prolific when you find a patch in the woods. Little dots of gold everywhere you look. Such a thrill!
     This recipe is a slight adaptation of a basic, from scratch tuna casserole recipe from Epicurious.com. I prefer to stay away from wheat and dairy and found that brown rice pasta and flax seed milk did just fine as substitutes. I used Wild Planet, sustainably caught wild Albacore tuna in oil which had a nice tuna flavor without being overly fishy. The sherry in this recipe gives it a nice elegance without being fussy.
 
Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
Chanterelles (as many as you can find or want)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Sherry
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (regular or gluten free)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk (or alternative milk such as almond or flax seed)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 (6-oz) can tuna in olive oil, drained
6 oz dried noodles (I prefer gluten free fusilli)
Crushed Potato Chips

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Cook onion in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with a pinch of salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to moderately high and add chanterelle mushrooms, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to give off liquid, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and continue to sauté mushrooms, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Sherry and boil, stirring occasionally, until evaporated. Remove from heat.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and whisk in flour, then cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add broth in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Whisk in milk and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in mushroom mixture, lemon juice, and salt. Flake tuna into sauce and stir gently. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Cook noodles in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain noodles in a colander and return to pot. Add sauce and stir gently to combine. Transfer mixture to baking dish, spreading evenly.

Sprinkle potato chips over casserole. Bake until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Morels and Bomba

    When putting together a dish, a large part of the decision making is dictated by what is available on hand. Especially when it comes to foraging, eating seasonally is uber important. However, saving mushrooms is a big part of the equation as well. It's a very good idea to invest in a dehydrator if you plan on saving your bounty. Morels dry very well and take on a different flavor when rehydrated vs. fresh. This is a great comfort food meal to make in the dead of winter when you're waiting for the spring flush of morels to begin.

         This dish is a take on traditional cabbage rolls, replacing red pepper instead of tomato and rich spanish bomba rice instead of the fluffier long grain variety. And, of course there are mushrooms. Always mushrooms!

Morel Bomba Stuffed Cabbage with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serves 4

Recipe Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup Arborio (same as bomba and easier to find)Rice

1 Shallot diced

5 oz. Dried Morels (approximately)

1 1/2 cup diced Button Mushrooms

1/3 cup oil (grapeseed, olive or coconut)

1 cup Chicken Stock

Large spring of fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried Thyme

1 medium -large onion sliced very fine

I tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

pinch of sugar

pinch of salt

Sauce:

Two Red Peppers halved

5 cloves
garlic

2 tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt (approximately)

etc:

One large Cabbage leaves separated from head

I cup Chicken Stock

I tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Recipe Directions:

Rehydrate morels in warm salt water. Brush peppers with oil and sprinkle with salt. 

Roast peppers and garlic (with skin on) at 325 for about an hour for the peppers, half hour for the garlic. 

While Peppers are in the oven, Sauté shallot and both types of mushrooms in a deep pan or shallow pot. Make sure mushrooms have a nice sear on them and all liquid has been reabsorbed. Remove mushrooms and shallot from pan. 

Add 1/3 cup of oil to same hot pan/pot that mushrooms were sautéed in. Add arborio rice and let cook in oil for a minute or so. Add liquid from morels, chicken stock, thyme and bring to boil, stir once, reduce heat to barelya simmer, add mushrooms back in. Let cook uncovered until liquid is absorbed and rice is soft. Don't stir until done. (This is a method for cooking Bomba Rice). 

Put cabbage leaves in boiling water for 5-10 minutes or until pliable. 

Caramelize the onion by cooking in a little oil at a medium low heat, sprinkle a little salt, sugar and vinegar during cooking. Stir occasionally. This should take 15 minutes or so to caramelize . When rice is done, gently mix in the caramelized onion. 

Stuff mixture into the softened cabbage leaves by folding a spoonful into center and folding sides in first, then bottom rib side (you may want to remove rib or score rib so it bends easier), then top leaf side. Place roll, seam side down, in a pyrex or casserole baking dish. Repeat until dish is full and tightly packed. Pour chicken stock mixed with a little vinegar over rolls until liquid reaches just over the top. Place any leftover cabbage leaves on top of rolls. Remove Peppers from oven. 

Increase oven temperature to 350. Bake rolls covered for 40 minutes. Peel skin off of peppers and garlic. Puree roasted peppers and garlic with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt to taste. Pour sauce into a sauce pan and keep on low heat until rolls are done. Arrange rolls on plate and pour sauce on top. Serve.

Wild Mushrooms and Contests=Cooking Love

     So...food. Good food. Healthy, delicious food. Where to Start? I recently rediscovered an interest in cooking through a few different means... Wild foraging mushrooms and plants is one, submitting to cooking contests is the other.

     When it comes to hunting mushrooms, the addictive nature of this hobby is undeniable. Finding your first morel is a heart-skipping moment. But once you bring home your bounty, what's next? A gourmet mushroom is like a fine bottle of wine. It must be given a preparation worthy of it's ephemeral existence. Many mushrooms can only be found for a short time once a year, so enjoying them to their fullest and knowing how to save them is a big part of the hunting hobby.
      As far as the cooking contests go, they are a great opportunity to stretch your creative cooking skills and awaken that competitive spirit. Here's a good site that lists many current contests around the world. Contest Cook

      Recently, I submitted a burger recipe to the Mushroom Channel using shiitake mushrooms in place of meat and placed second! I couldn't believe it!. Swap it or Top it Contest The recipe is the one posted below. While, for this recipe I used shiitake mushrooms, other wild mushrooms such as Puffballs or Maitake could be used as well.
      Life is an adventure, cooking can be too!

Enjoy and Happy Hunting!

Italian Style Shiitake Pecan Burgers

Serving Size: 4 Burger Patties

Recipe Ingredients:

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Toasted Pecans chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan shredded
Spring of Rosemary chopped fine
2 cups on diced Shiitake Mushrooms stems removed
2 tablespoon Diced Sun Dried Tomatoes (oil preserved)
½ tablespoon Tamari Soy Sauce
½ tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon Olive, Walnut or Grapeseed oil
One Onion sliced fine

1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, pinch of Sugar, pinch of Salt

Recipe Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, toasted pecans, Parmesan, and rosemary.
2. Caramelize the onion in a skillet with olive oil, vinegar, salt and sugar on medium/ low heat. Add to bowl with dry ingredients.
3. In
   the same pan the onions were in, cook the shiitake on medium/high heat until
   the mushroom liquid has been reabsorbed. Let cool and add to rest of
   ingredients.
4. Mix until evenly distributed. Stir in sun-dried
   tomatoes, tamari, Worcestershire and oil until consistency is moist
   enough to hold together. Add vegetable broth if additional moisture is
   needed.
5. Let sit for half an hour in the fridge.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Using a metal round, press out 4 equal patties.
8. Bake the patties at 400 Degrees for about 15 minutes or until the edges appear golden but not too dry.
9. Pepper after baked. Salt shouldn't be needed due to the tamari.
10. Serve on bun with ½ cup of arugula, mayonnaise, a few sun-dried tomatoes and/or more caramelized onions.