Mad about Mushrooms . . .

May 2019's Recipe of the Month: Lamb Tumble Salad with Shiitake Mushrooms

Sometimes I think that I may be a little obsessive about retaining information. For example, I have a tendency to spreadsheet anything and everything. Nothing escapes the spreadsheet: the contents of my upright freezer, the Asian condiments in my cupboards and refrigerator, what foods I've served our house guests ... yes, I’m sure you’d agree that no proper hostess would ever want to serve friends and family the same dish on subsequent visits.

When I examine my “Dinner for Guests” spreadsheet, one thing that jumps out is how often Lamb Tumble Salad with Shiitake Mushrooms is the featured entree. "Countless" would not be an exaggeration. Why this entrée? The layering of rice, lettuce/cabbage, and ground lamb enriched by simple seasonings and the flavor of earthy, slightly smoky shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) produces a unique and memorable dish that draws applauds. 

Please allow me to share it with you, dear reader!

This recipe may just inspire you to start your own
herb garden, anchored by mint, a popular
and easy to grow plant in the family Lamiaceae.

 

April 2019's Recipe of the Month: New York Times Longevity Noodles with Chicken, Ginger and Mushrooms

Steven is hooked on the New York Times Digital Edition.  How wonderful!  For he has found it to be a great source of unbiased information and thought-provoking articles. 

It appears that their motto ("All the News That's Fit to Print") also applies to food related articles as well.  For me, the NYT has revealed itself as a splendid source for new and innovative mushroom - and other - recipes.  For example, this month's Incredible Edible features their Chinese noodle dish that's as appropriate for New Years celebrations as other momentous occasions, such as birthdays, or simply the arrival of Spring!

Be aware that tradition dictates that when preparing a dish with longevity noodles that it's best for the cook not to break or cut the noodles - for if the noodles are left intact and eaten without biting through the strands, the celebration becomes even more auspicious!

 

For the ultimate shiitake experience, grow your own.
They first appear as little nobs as shown in this photo!

March 2019's Recipe of the Month: Our 2019 Recipe Contest Winner - Chef Yoshiharu Sogi's Cedar Planked Orange Mahi-Mahi & Mushroom Spring Roll with Sweet Chili Soy Dipping Sauce

This is the 12th year of our annual recipe contest, and every year we wonder and worry about how the creativity of recipe submissions to our annual contest can possibly top those of previous years.  Can there really be a recipe that hasn't arrived in our e-mailbox before?  Well, there was certainly a new approach this year, thanks to Chef Yoshiharu Sogi, who presented us with his gustatory delight, Cedar Planked Orange Mahi-Mahi & Mushroom Spring Roll with Sweet Chili Soy Dipping Sauce. 

 

The judges were smitten by the lightly smoked slices of orange marinated mahi-mahi, edamame and mushrooms - we chose shiitakes for their meaty, already slightly smoky flavor - all of which was folded into egg roll wrappers, fried and then smoked again for an even more exotic presentation.  The somewhat sweet and spicy dipping sauce further enhanced these cylindrical, savory rolls of perfection.

 

Perhaps like you, at first the judges were a little anxious about the time that would be required to put these rolls together.  Yet, they quickly found there was no need to be concerned, much to their relief.  For, understandably, they wanted to spend their time eating - not preparing - the egg rolls!

Kudos to Chef Sogi for his
innovative and scrumptious spring rolls!

February 2019's Recipe of the Month: Puff Pastry Triangles with Ground Lamb and Shiitakes

We find that these lovely pastries are delightful both as an appetizer and as a light entree.  Frankly, whatever the occasion, we're convinced that they're sure to be appreciated by all, thanks to their ease of preparation and their noteworthy flavorings of not only the earthy shiitake but also the sweet blending of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.

Bundled up, reclining on our deck near snowy Mt. Hood,
nibbling on puff pastries - nirvana!

January 2019's Recipe of the Month: Sara Moulton's Asian Grain Bowl

We're often amazed at Sara Moulton's kitchen creativity, and never more so than with this yummy bowl.  After a mere 45 minutes of active prep time, you are rewarded with a scrumptious meal that is bursting with a kaleidoscope of colors and flavors and chock-full of healthy, straight forward ingredients.  Who could ask for anything more after the excesses of the holiday!

 

Mushrooms delight us
with a rainbow of colors.
 

December 2018's Recipe of the Month: Michael Kraus' Chicken Paprikash

Since Steven started his subscription to the The New York Times, I've been the recipient of a host of recipes with little notes like:  "sounds yummy," or "let's try this!"  I have to agree that most of the time he's spot on; they're delicious sounding recipes.  Occasionally, when prepared, the dish will miss the mark, but that's quite rare.  

This month's recipe, Chicken Paprikash, hit the mark.  The resulting dish is a festival of colors, and is easily prepared with pantry staples.  

Of course, being fond of mushrooms, we had to add a handful of dehydrated oyster mushrooms which we'd collected and processed last year.  What made the seemingly mundane oyster our choice?  We tend to favor oysters in a recipe like this because of their ability to pick up surrounding flavors.  As far as the paprika is concerned, we selected smoked paprika, believing that its distinctly smokey notes would compliment the earthy tones of the oysters. 

Oysters are a frequent guest, enjoying the
downed logs and moist environment that
characterizes our landscape.
 

November 2018's Recipe of the Month: Lu Bartosiak's Stuffed Mushrooms

It seems that every winning recipe has a secret ingredient and Lu Bartosiak's must be the milk in which she cooks the stuffed mushrooms.  Or, maybe it's just the love with which she prepares this dish. 

Never mind the reason, the fact is that Ms. Bartosiask's entry was selected the winning recipe in the "Fun Food" category of the Enlivant Resident Recipe Contest, and she walked away with a $250 William Sonoma gift card and an award plaque.  Nice, hum!  Plus, Cherryvale Place, the Envilant retirement community in Rockford, Illinois in which she lives, will be the recipient of a special awards dinner.  Really nice, hum!

The Envilant website had these comments about the recipe and its author:  "If you like mushrooms, you are going to LOVE this winning recipe from the Enlivant Resident Recipe Contest. These stuffed mushrooms are overflowing with creamy goodness. Resident Lu Bartosiak of Cherryvale Place in Rockford, IL first discovered this delicious recipe in an article in 1997 after it won a blue ribbon at the Arizona State Fair. The recipe sounded wonderful, but Lu put her own spin on it by cooking the mushrooms in milk. She’s been making this dish ever since for all types of family gatherings, parties, or just simple dinners. We can see why, we couldn’t get enough of this savory snack!"

 

Stuffed mushrooms are a wonderful and versatile treat.
Allen Witzel submitted a recipe for "Surf and Turf
Stuffed Mushrooms" in last year's recipe contest.
 

October 2018's Recipe of the Month: Our Own "Everything" Seasoning for Everything

Don't you just love Everything Bagels with their generous sprinkling of various seeds and seasonings!  Well, we do, too, and we've developed our own "Everything + Mushroom Powder" seasoning.   We love it as a topping on scrambled eggs and on cooked vegetables, folded into butter and into dips, and ... gosh, almost everything!

 

Our original flavored butter combined mushroom powder.
 cilantro and lemon peel with butter.  Our new version of flavored
butter is enhanced by replacing the original ingredients
with the "Everything + Mushroom Powder."

September 2018's Recipe of the Month: Chile Corn Beef Soup with Homemade Tortilla Chips

I'll bet you have tried-and-true recipes like me.  They turn up on the dining table on a consistent basis, maybe 3-4 times a year, and are always much appreciated.  They've lost their origins - where did I find this recipe? - but it really doesn't matter where the recipe came from.  What matters is that you can always count on them to please.

Such is this month's Incredible Edible recipe.  Its origins are long lost but it is persistently resurrected from the recipe file when we arrive home after a wet (but wonderful!) mushroom foray.  It's quick to prepare, filling and satisfying.  And, as an added bonus, the soup freezes well, sitting in your freezer until the mood is right for such hearty fare.

Winter rains tend to swell and overwhelm streams near
our mushrooming territory on Mt. Hood!

August 2018's Recipe of the Month: Chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales's Braised Chanterelles and Potatoes

Here in Brightwood, on the western slope of Mt. Hood, the days have been hot and dry.  Consequently, the edible mushroom season is suspended until the generous rains of autumn anoint the landscape with life-generating moisture.  Only then will our beloved chanterelles be coaxed into action, fruiting suddenly and abundantly, carpeting the forest floor in celebration of yet another mushroom festival. 

Oh, the wait seems so long ... can we be patient for the next month or so?  And how will we be patient?  Personally, my only relief comes from searching for new recipes to try with the upcoming fungal abundance.  I've found that there's a certain amount of solace that is derived from daydreaming, from seeking alternative preparations to enhance our fungal table.   

Chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales's Braised Chanterelles and Potatoes recipe is high on our list of recipes to try with the initial chanterelle foray.  And, it's one that we'd like to share with you even though it's not yet gone through our "official taste testing" process.  Why?  Perhaps because it seems to us that this simple preparation just has to compliment the delicate flavors of the chanterelles.  Or, perhaps because Chef Morales' recipe, as published in her debut cookbook KACHKA, would appear to allow the flavors of the fresh chanterelles to blend so divinely with the other ingredients. 

If you too are impatiently awaiting the first edibles of fall, tuck this selection into your Recipes-To-Try file and relax.  The revitalizing rains will be here soon enough, and we'll be ready for what happens next!

 

 Memories of these first chants of 2017 heighten
our anticipation of the upcoming fall mushroom season.