Mad about Mushrooms . . .

February, 2020's Recipe of the Month: Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Lamb

Whoa, can there be any finer recipe for February (or any other month, for that matter) than this one, where the exotic spice, garam masala, brings out the best in the other ingredients - nope, there surely is none. 

If you had the good fortune to have attended the Durant Olive Mill pressing this November and purchased a trio of their oils, be sure to stir one of the oils into this yogurt sauce, thereby pleasing your taste buds to no end.  In my kitchen, there simply is no substitute for Durant's 2019 unfiltered Koroneiki Olio Nuovo evvo, expensive, yes, but simply the ingredient high point of 2019 for me.

Just as 2020 appears to be a magical year, so does this recipe.  It's a magnificent choice for any occasion, turning a seemingly simple meal into a preeminent dining experience.  Trust me, I know, and so does Dona who was my last guest to find Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Lamb as the star of our luncheon menu!  She's still praising my culinary skills, thanks to this recipe!

January, 2020's Recipe of the Month: Lidiya Jurczenko's Marinated Mushrooms (Marinovannye Griby)

Don't panic!  There's still time to prepare a unique and delicious hostess gift for the inevitable New Year's parties that keep coming your way!

We lifted this Ukrainian family recipe from the newly published Wild Rivers Mushroom Club Cookbook, knowing full well that jars of these bet-you-can't-eat-just-one mushrooms will be well-received.  The recipe indicates that they will keep for 3-4 weeks, but we know full well that you shouldn't count on them sticking around that long ... they are just that addictive!

December, 2019's Recipe of the Month: Renee Erickson's Pickled Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme

Ah, a fresh layer of powdery snow blankets the landscape, and holiday decorations are brightening our lives.  Yes, the year is coming to a close with gatherings of friends and family dotting the calendar.  It's time to share gifts from the kitchen!

You may want to consider sharing jars of Chef Erickson's pickled mushrooms.  We're confident that you'll find them to be an attractive and welcome hostess gift during this festive season.

Remembering these delicious mushrooms,
brings a smile to Steven's face.

November, 2019's Recipe of the Month: Shelburne Inn's Chicken Stew with Wild Mushroom Dumplings

Once again the Long Beach Peninsula is hosting their Wild Mushroom Celebration, and you're invited.  As their website announces:

The annual celebration is a culinary and cultural event honoring the Pacific Northwest’s delectable, edible wild mushrooms. The six-week celebration features expert-led hikes through an Oregon state park, chef-inspired menus at some of the Long Beach Peninsula’s finest restaurants and lodging specials at acclaimed inns and vacation rentals.

We're joining in the celebration in our own special way.  We're preparing a satisfying Chicken Stew with Wild Mushroom Dumplings, created by Laurie Andersen of The Shelburne Inn (the longest continuously operating hotel in Washington State) and China Beach Retreat. 

If you don't find yourself in the Long Beach area before November 15 when the festivities wind down, consider this recipe the next best thing to everything mushroom on the Peninsula.

These freshly cleaned white chanterelles
would be a great choice for the dumplings.

October, 2019's Recipe of the Month: www.FungusAmongUs.com, Jack Daniel's Spectacular Sauce

It's always comforting to have a "go to" recipe in your back pocket for those occasions when you need to upgrade a weeknight meal for unexpected company.  This month's recipe is just such a treasure.

Why this recipe?  It brightens up boring grilled chicken, turning an ordinary meal into something extraordinary.  Many thanks to FungusAmongUs.com for this delectable contribution to our recipe file!

 

Don't overlook oyster mushrooms - they make
a great dried product.

September 2019's Recipe of the Month: Milk Street's Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

An entree doesn't have to be elaborate or bursting with exotic flavors to be simply divine, as this month's recipe proves.  Sometimes, the simple, straightforward recipe is the way to go to ensure the delicious factor in your presentation.

Milk Street's Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach clearly illustrates this message.  Give this dish a try, and we guarantee that it will quickly become a family favorite.

OK, we will admit that there are times when we sneak a little protein into an otherwise meatless pasta dish.  Here we found that the addition of shrimp was indeed welcome.

August 2019's Recipe of the Month: Cook's Country Beef, Shiitake, and Carrot Stir-Fry

When it's the middle of summer and the early evening heat is turned on high, it's usually time for us to forage for mushrooms at the green grocers, picking over the several varieties of fresh mushrooms so beautifully displayed on the store's shelves, rather than fruitlessly wandering the woodlands in search of high country boletes (or even less likely early chanterelles).

Please don't get us wrong.  We do enjoy the experience of mushroom hunting, however, when we're thinking of mushrooms for the cooking pot in August, we are practical enough to think that it's high time to be considering store-bought mushrooms.

The weather here on the mountain is at last heating up, and we wanted to spend our time recreating rather than preparing an elaborate dinner.  That's probably why we were smitten by the simplicity of this recipe.  It called for several of the Asian ingredients that we love so much, and the remainder of the ingredients were either pantry items or convenient to acquire, such as the shiitake (which seem to be everywhere these days!).

Thus, we're sharing this recipe with you, and suggesting that it may best be served leisurely to family and friends on the deck, with the sounds of summer and laughter providing the backdrop for a perfect evening.  No fussing, just relaxing and an emphasis on those with whom we're sharing this meal.

 

The only mushrooms that we've been finding in the woodlands
are of the inedible LBM (little brown mushrooms) variety!

July 2019's Recipe of the Month: David Tanis' Mushrooms on Toast

Hats off to David Tanis for embracing simplicity and creating a straight-forward recipe for mushrooms which allows the true flavor of the fungi to take center stage. 

Mr. Tanis is not unfamiliar with applause. and accolades.  His publication, Market Cooking, was named a Best Cookbook to Give and Get by Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Eater.  His A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes was chosen as one of the 50 best cookbooks ever by the Guardian/Observer (U.K.).  Pretty impressive for a chef who prides himself on simple, seasonal home cooking.

We particularly love this Mushrooms on Toast recipe, which welcomes and makes more exceptional the wild mushrooms that we collect, thanks to its delicate seasonings and addition of the richly flavored crème fraîche.

 

 

In case you are unfamiliar with creme fraiche, it can best be described as quite similar to plain sour cream but slightly less sour.  If you can't find it at your local market and if you are feeling rather patient, make your own crème fraîche by stirring 1 tablespoon cultured buttermilk into 1 cup heavy cream.  Pour the mixture into a glass container and cover with cheesecloth.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 12-24 hours.  Remove cheesecloth and either use the crème fraîche or refrigerate for future use.

June 2019's Recipe of the Month: Celebration Peking Meat Sauce Noodles

We're celebrating the recent visit of our Asian "daughter" and her new husband with this month's recipe, Celebration Peking Meat Sauce Noodles.   Yes, the long-awaited visit of the duo last month was and is certainly a cause for jubilation. 

Theirs was a whirlwind journey starting in China, then leap-frogging to Los Angeles, then over to Las Vegas, then North to Brightwood and concluding in Seattle where the couple began their long journey back home to Nanning.  The visit was a time filled with touring and festive occasions, most noteworthy of which was their marriage at Mt. Hood's historic Timberline Lodge, with its new beginnings and promises made memorable by their commitment and affection for each other.

So, it is that we offer a recipe in tribute to our Chinese loved ones, and to all those who love and have loved others.

The culinary finale of the wedding at Timberline was
a tiered wedding cake festooned with fresh roses.

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.