Cream of Mushroom soup

There are some really beautiful (local) crimini mushrooms at the co-op right now: I was checking out at the Wedge last week, and the check-out person, who was jovial and chatty, joked that they were nearly portobella sized.

Later, as I was packing them up in my bag, I overheard the check-out person greeting the next customer: "Wow. You look just like the person who plays with Bon Iver - do you know Bon Iver?" I did not hear the reply, except that clearly the person behind me WAS indeed that person because then the checker-outer got really excited, saying "Oh wow, I just really love your music. This is really exciting to meet you..." and sort of continued on in a very endearing, fan sort of way. I figured the checker outer must be a pretty big Bon Iver fan, because I would guess that Bon Iver's band members don't usually get recognized in public outside of their home towns.

So. These crimini mushrooms had sighting of fame - not the big lead singer kind, but a behind-the-scenes, less recognized-but-still-so-important fame. So really, that is how I will describe this soup: not flashy, but good and wholesome!

Cream of Mushroom soup (serves 3-4)
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 T butter or ghee
1 t thyme
2 c. chicken bone broth
1/2 c. dry wine
1/2 c. heavy cream (coconut cream/milk would work too)
salt to taste
parsley

1. Heat butter in a large, heavy pot. Add onions and saute 5 minutes, until slightly translucent. Add mushrooms and thyme and continue sauteing another 10 minutes or so, until juices are released from mushrooms. 
2. Add wine and simmer for a few minutes before adding the broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 more minutes.
3. Add cream and salt. Taste to check salt amount until it is to your liking. Top with chopped parsley and serve.
*I am thinking that this soup would also be nice blended up - it might get a bit thicker and be a little more Campbell's-soup-like that way (you know, with all the minced up mushroom bits...)

Roadkill + My last kabocha squash

Well, I've been sort of hoarding my supply of kabocha squash over the past couple of months, but I finally ate the last one this weekend, with lots of steak. Yum.

These steaks are backstrap, from the roadkill deer My Charming Companion named "Nice Guy" after the really nice guy who pulled over when he saw My Charming Companion by the side of the road. (All of the deer get named so as to know what one is eating, and to help remember the circumstances of that specific deer.) Their conversation then went like this:

Nice Guy: (very casual-like) "What are you going to do with that, use the hide?"
MCC: "Oh, no. I am going to eat it."
NG: (smiling now) "Oh, Yeah. I eat them too."
And then Nice Guy helped get the deer into the truck.

I have been along for some deer acquisition, and it seems common for roadkill eaters to sort of wait to reveal that yes, they do indeed eat it. One state trooper who was issuing us a permit asked "Are you bringing that home for your dogs or something?" and when we said, no - it is for us, he said "I eat them too! Sometimes I bring a cooler in my car so if I am working I can at least get the backstrap." And then all kinds of cameraderie ensues. It is quite fun, and definitely a contrast to the response of non-roadkill eaters, who tend to get a sort of confused, avert the gaze look.

Anyway, the backstrap was delicious cooked in a cast iron skillet until medium rare, then eaten with with butter and fleur de sel. I also made my 2012 fave fall winter recipe: Roasted squash with date relish and pumpkin seeds. Though in this case I used a few dried cherries in place of the dates, and just cut up the squash in small bite sized pieces to roast it for ease of prep.

Chicory "coffee"

A couple of weeks ago I discovered chicory root "coffee" - really, it is a root and more of a tea, but this is the most coffee like substance that is not coffee that I have ever had. (I will note that I have only been drinking decaf for the past two years, and not everyday, so maybe that affects things?)

I have been getting roasted chicory root in bulk at either the Seward ($18/lb - it's organic) or the Wedge ($13.30/lb - conventional), and I mix it with another tea of some kind. Straight up chicory is a little strong for me - it's bitter and rich and feels high octane - but I love it as a blend. I've become a bit obsessed lately, and I have a cup with almost every meal.

Apparently chicory is found wild throughout the United States, including Minnesota. The purple flowers and tall height seem easy to spot, so I will keep my eye out. There is a nice post from Hunter Angler Gardner Cook about his experience growing chicory and roasting it to make the coffee/tea. I am intrigued to try to find some root 9or look into growing it?) and roast it because the roasting smell sounds amazing, in addition to the tastiness.

So, in the meanwhile, if you procure yourself some chicory, my method of preparation is similar to cowboy coffee.

Chicory in St Paul

For one 8oz mug:
1 tsp roasted chicory
1 tsp or 1/2 tea bag of tea of choice

Put the water, chicory and tea in a small pot on the stove. Heat it just until it starts to simmer, then turn the heat to low to have a low simmer for a minute or so. Remove from heat and strain out the tea/chicory through a tea strainer.

This is the dairy free cream - it is like whipped cream!

The tea will be very dark - the chicory is almost inky black, more so than coffee. I like it with lots of cream. I also tried it with this dairy free cream that is really thick - it was really good in this beverage - it made it taste almost chocolatey. 

My favorite teas to use in combo with chicory are:
Twig (very slightly caffeinated, sold in bulk at the Wedge or in boxes at the Seward)
Yogi Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut
Rooibus or Vanilla Rooibus
Decaf Green Tea

I have not liked a combo with anything fruity - it doesn't go with the bitterness of the chicory to me. You could also go with a coffee/chicory blend, which seems to be the most common way to have chicory. If you try that, use 1 T coffee with the 1 tsp chicory. Enjoy!

Green Bean and Tomato Khoresh

I've been reading (and photo gazing) The Taste of Persia - a cookbook that is subtitled as an introduction to Persian cooking. I pulled it out originally to look at the kebab recipes, but got sidetracked by some of the khoresh dishes. Khoresh is basically a stew - though more delicate than a beef and potato kind of thing - with lots of butter or ghee, and often spiced with cinnamon or fruit, saffron and lime. The one I tried first is this green bean and tomato recipe, largely due to recently finding a bag of garden green beans from two years ago in my freezer. I also had a bunch of garden tomatoes that I stuck in the freezer last summer, so I used those in lieu of tomato puree. The flavor turned out really nice - sort of citrus-y and warm, and sweet from the tomatoes.

The recipe is for one pound of meat, but if you are not going to eat this with rice, I would add in extra to bulk it out a bit more. I used venison, and let the meat stew a bit longer to tenderize the meat and bring out more flavor. (If you use chicken, go for just the 30 minute simmer so the chicken does not overcook and get tough.) Because I was simmering it longer, I also kept the green beans out until the last 20 minutes - just so they wouldn't get too soft. I wished I had made a double batch for more leftovers because it made a great meal to bring to work.

Green Bean and Tomato Khoresh
5 T butter or ghee
1 lb fresh/frozen green beans, cut into 2" pieces
2 small onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken leg or meat (beef, venison, lamb) cut into thin strips
1 t salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t turmeric
1 T tomato paste
3 1/2 c fresh/canned pureed tomatoes
2 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t ground saffron threads, dissolved in 2 T hot water (opt)

1. In large skillet heat 2 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the green beans and stir fry 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In medium pot, heat 3 T butter/ghee over medium heat. Add the onion and stir fry 5 minutes until translucent. Add teh garlic and chicken/meat and stir fry 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric and stir fry another minute.
3. Add green beans, tomatoes/puree and paste, lime juice, and saffron water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Taste the khoresh and adjust seasonings for salt and lime juice. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Roasted Carrot "porridge"

There are some really amazing carrots in the co-ops right now from Featherstone Farms. These carrots are local, big and fat, and really sweet and flavorful. I have not done a blind taste test comparison - but the flavor to other carrots is profound. It's like the difference between garden carrots and ones from the (generic) store. They are also $9 for 5 pounds - more than for the California carrots - but oh so worth it. While looking at the farm's website, I perused their farm blog. I found it interesting - particularly the recent entry about the ongoing MN drought and what local farmer's are seeing in their fields with the lack of snow and moisture.

My current favorite way to eat these carrots (other than as is, right out of the bag) is to roast them and make a breakfast porridge of sorts. I've made similar renditions of this recipe before, but this is the most simple. All you need are carrots, ghee or butter, and some toppings - including cinnamon. Which, did you know that there are a couple of kinds of cinnamon? The one with increased health benefits is called Ceylon. Most likely in the US, any cinnamon you buy is Cassia cinnamon. The Seward carries the Ceylon in bulk (it is more expensive) - and the taste (to me) is richer and sweeter than the other stuff.

Roasted Carrots (serves 2)
4 LARGE carrots
2 T ghee or butter
salt
cinnamon
almonds
coconut flakes

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop your carrots up into a small dice. These will shrink in the oven, so prepare a bit more than you think - 4 of the largest Featherstone carrots would easily serve two. (This also makes a nice leftover snack - so I hedge on the extra side.)
2. Melt 1-2 Tablespoons ghee in a baking pan - I just stick the pan in the preheating oven for a few minutes. Once the ghee is melted, add the carrots and stir/toss to coat.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice int he middle. Some of the carrots will get a nice glaze from the pan - but each piece should be soft and tender.
4. While carrots are cooking, heat a case iron pan and roast a handful of almonds. Stir frequently - when they are partway done, add in a handful of coconut flakes to brown just a bit too. The coconut flakes take only a minute, so keep your eye on them. Set nuts and coconut aside.
5. When carrots are done, top with nuts and coconut. Sprinkle on a pinch or two of salt, and a good dose of cinnamon. Serve with coconut milk or cream.

English "Bangers" Sausage

This week what is for dinner (and lunch) = hamburger and sausage. It is just one of those weeks where I have not had a chance to make anything, so I get home from work and make a burger with homemade mayo. Or sausage patties which I have with sauerkraut. And then I eat some raw carrots to get a little veg in there. All I gotta say is, thank goodness for freezer supplies of burger and sausage!

Speaking of sausage - the recipe below is a relatively new one to me, but immediately gained favor as my "top fave"- it is a little spicy, with lots of lemon and sage. The first time I tried this one, My Charming Companion and I made only 5 lbs - not knowing if it would be any good. This time, with lots of venison bits marked for sausage, we made 29 pounds. That is a LOT of bangers. Note that this is a pretty large recipe ratio - I grind up the meat in a meat grinder, but you could also use a food processor if you don't mind doing it in several batches.

Not my actual sausage - these ones are really thin! Yum.

English Bangers (makes 8 pounds)
5 lbs venison
3 lbs bacon
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh marjoram or 1/8 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 c. minced fresh sage or 2 T dried sage
1 T salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3-4 T loosely packed finely grated lemon peel
1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp mace
3-4 large eggs

Grind the venison and bacon in a grinder or food processor. You want the meat to stay cold, so it works best if they are still a bit frozen when you grind them. It should be thawed enough to cut through with a good knife, but frozen in the middle. If the meat does get warm, chill it again after grinding it (either outside or in the fridge).

In a big bucket, bowl, or some kind of vessel, put in all recipe ingredients and mix together. I find it works best to put on some latex gloves and really mix everything together well - your fingers will get really cold, but it is fastest. At this point it is a good time to make a little test patty - just a mini little one that you can fry up to see if you prefer more salt or some such. This is not necessary if you follow the recipe exactly, but usually I add in more sage or lemon or something, and then I get to wondering about the taste. *Note: it will not be very spicy. YET. Freezing the sausage will set the cayenne in, so it gets spicy after freezing. 

Once you are happy with the taste, package up your sausage and freeze it for later. I don't bother with casing because I am a fan of patties, but I am confident these are great either way. Eat it for breakfast, with sauerkraut, squash, or all alone. It is delicious!

Paleo Coconut Curry

I am a huge fan of curry and was so excited to put together my own version of a coconut curry.  I have been making my own coconut milk recently and it is tasty, but has a very thin consistency and not very good for cooking as a result.  The canned version is much thicker but always contains guar gum, a no-no on my particular eating plan.  Then, Megan let me know that Seward started carrying Natural Value Organic Coconut Milk that doesn't have any guar gum or other additives.  It also happens to be in a BPA-free can.  So exciting!  Thanks for the tip, Meg!  I was finally able to make a creamy and delicious curry- yum.

I kept the recipe really simple since I don't have very many of the traditional curry spices on hand.  I basically just used sea salt, pepper, and a bunch of turmeric.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken thighs- diced

1/4 yellow onion- diced

1 garlic clove- minced

1/2 can coconut milk

handful of parsley- chopped (cilantro would probably be better)

3 big pieces of bok choy- chopped

large bunch of spinach

sea salt- to taste

pepper- to taste

turmeric- to taste (I used 2-3 tsps)

1 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

in cast iron pan on stove top melt coconut oil and saute the onion until soft.  Add garlic and gently saute for a minute before adding the diced chicken.  Saute the chicken for a few minutes, turning to cook on all sides. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, coconut milk and cook on medium heat for a couple minutes before adding the bok choy, spinach and parsley (zucchini or cauliflower would be good as well).  Once the veggies are in, cook for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the chicken is cooked through.

Makes 2 servings.  I ate one serving and used the rest for leftovers the next day.  Just as good, if not better, the second time around.  Very satisfying meal for a cold winter evening.