Where The Harvest and Hillsdale Meet -- Sundays 10am - 2pm» mushrooms

Fettucine with Chard & Mushrooms

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:47:38 +0000

Ingredients
1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. fettucine
~ salt and pepper
4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

Steps
Use a damp paper towel to wipe the mushrooms clean. Trim the stems if necessary and slice.

Set a pot of water to boil. Clean the chard then separate the stalks from the leaves. Once the water boils, add the chard stalks, wait a minute, then add the leaves. Cook until the stalks are tender which should be only a few minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove from the colander and chop coarsely.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms saute about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add chard. Stir together and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but leave the pasta wet. Add pasta to vegetables. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Toss and serve.

Wild Fiddlehead Fern and Mushroom Sauté

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:47:42 +0000

Fiddlehead ferns are a sure sign that spring has arrived. The unfurled frond of edible species of ferns, this vibrant green vegetable is wild harvested from the wet woods. They are exciting because they are one of the first crisp green spring vegetables to turn up at the market, preceding asparagus often by several weeks. Some liken their taste to a cross between asparagus and okra, though they are distinctly flavored – very green and woodsy. Fiddleheads have a short season, so it’s best to have fun with this whimsical vegetable while it’s here.

Ingredients

2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
half a small onion, chopped
2-3 strips of bacon (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
6-8 oz. assorted fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut to desired size
1 Tbsp. butter if desired
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a small handful of fiddlehead ferns (about 20 pieces)

Steps

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a skillet set over a medium flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and bacon if using and cook, stirring often, until the bacon has rendered its fat and is beginning to brown, and the onions are softened and golden. Stir in the garlic. Cook for another minute and add the butter if using. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are fully cooked. Season all with salt and pepper.

When the mushroom and onion mixture is nearly ready, season the boiling water with salt. Add the fiddlehead ferns to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are tender.* Remove the fiddleheads with a strainer or slotted spoon and add them to the mushroom sauté. Toss together, adjust seasonings, and serve.

*A note on cooking fiddlehead ferns:
Fiddleheads will go from tender to overcooked in a very short time, much in the same manner as asparagus. Taste a fern after 2 minutes of cooking. If you’d like them more tender at that point, let them cook another 30 seconds, then try them again.
Lift them from the cooking water rather than straining them out – sometimes there is a little sediment in the fronds that will come loose and sink the bottom of the pot. Lifting the ferns out will leave it behind.

serves 2

Braised Chard With Wild Mushrooms

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:32:35 +0000

Ingredients

1 bunch chard (about a pound)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
½ lb. assorted wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
~ salt
~ pepper

Steps

After cleaning chard, separate leaves from stems and coarsely chop leaves. Slice stems into ¼ inch pieces.

Over medium heat, place olive oil in a pot large enough to hold the chard. Add onions and cook for a minute or two. Add chard stems and mushrooms. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in chard leaves and season with salt and pepper. Cover pot, lower heat and braise for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Penne with Asparagus and Morels

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:25:53 +0000

1 lb. asparagus (one bunch) ends trimmed and cut into 1½ inch pieces
3 oz. fresh morels, cleaned and sliced in half
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ lb. penne
2 Tbsp. olive oil
~ salt
~ pepper
~ Pecorino Romano, grated (optional)

Steps
1. Set a large pot of water to boil and cook penne.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add morels and garlic. Saute for about five minutes. Add asparagus and cook until the asparagus is bright green and just cooked.
3. Place cooked penne into a large serving bowl. Add vegetables, stir together, season to taste.
4. If desired, serve with grated Pecorino Romano.