geek

Harvest feast…not so much

Madison from my hill

The harvest feast didn’t turn out as expected…but then what does. The outside temperature was hovering around 90, the farmer was harvesting soy beans in the field next to our house creating a dust storm in the gusting winds. You know, satan’s armpit, harvest from hell kind of weather. I cranked up the AC and hoped to take a nap before dinner but even that didn’t work out. What I really wanted was Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry’s Black and Blue Burger with their incredible fries slathered with some english garlic sauce (aka garlic mayo) and all washed down with a cold pint (or two) of Goose Island IPA. But nooooo, dammit, were having our harvest feast even if it is hotter than hell out there.

squash

So I roasted the squash for the soup, sauteed sage, onions, garlic, and pork cheek, scraped squash flesh from the skin, simmered, pureed, and ended up with a pretty tasteless soup…and that never happens to me. Really, my soups are always good. I think, perhaps the squash was lacking flavor.

potato gnocchi with hen of the woods mushroom

The gnocchi…well I was so worried about making them too heavy that I succeeded in making them way too insubstantial and they fell apart. I ended up with maybe 8 complete whole ones and they were light, tasty and good…but by that time I was feeling pretty demoralized…I have a history of defeat at the hands of seemingly simple dumplings and frankly I know I should be able to whip their ass…but they smell my fear.

hen of the woods mushrooms

The hen of the woods mushroom was the star of the meal though. It was the best mushroom I’ve ever eaten. Big clean flavor, great texture, sort of sweet but not really…a full flavor unlike any I’ve ever had. I think maybe this is what is meant my umami. Oh, and it needed hardly any attention, no coddling, I just ripped it into pieces and then sauteed in a hot pan. I want more.

portabella mushroom with gorganzola and balsamic reduction

The portobello mushroom with gorgonzola and balsamic reduction was excellent. What a mouthful of flavors…sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and again with the umami. My reduction was too thick and sticky, but it did it’s job and tasted amazing. The steaks apparently turned out well, I didn’t partake because by that time I was drinking a glass of wine and eating a cupcake…the hell with a harvest feast, and who was the silly twit that came up with that idea? Oh, right….nevermind.

bad soup

October 9, 2007 | Filed Under eggs, cheese, dairy, food, menu, mushroom, pasta, pizza, noodles, soup, salad, sandwich | 6 Comments 

Harvest feast - the menu

Locally foraged Hen of the Woods mushroom

I’m almost always thinking about food. Sure there are hours that my brain is totally occupied with other thoughts, but as soon as possible, I’m back…thinking about that vivid orange Kabocha squash on the counter, or the pile of potatoes waiting to be transformed into something of this earth and yet not.

Locally foraged Hen of the Woods mushroom

Obsessive? Probably…I admit that I feel an obligation to deal with food in the most satisfying, creative way possible. Ideally it should feed our physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and aesthetic appetites, and provide me with the opportunity to learn a new recipe or technique. That’s a lot to ask of food.

I’ve been contemplating the squash and potatoes all week and I’ve come up with a seasonal dinner that will feed all our appetites.

Locally foraged Hen of the Woods mushroom


Harvest feast — October 6, 2007

Kabocha soup with pork cheek and sage

Gnocchi with Hen of the Woods mushrooms
and sage butter sauce

Jordandal Farm’s grilled sirloin steak

Portobello mushrooms with gorgonzola cheese
and a balsamic reduction

I’ve never made gnocchi before and I don’t want to screw up like Dale did on TopChef’s finale (why the @!#% did Dale use a mixer to make gnocchi…I know nothing about making gnocchi but I’m sure that can’t be right) I found this fabulous video on RealMealsTV to teach me how to make light and fluffy gnocchis. Wish me luck. I’ll post photos and results by Tuesday.

October 6, 2007 | Filed Under Local, Wisconsin, food, humor, instruction, surveys, menu, mushroom, pork jowl, vegetable | 1 Comment 

Pot pie of my dreams

chicken pot pie

When I was a kid growing up in rural Illinois, my mom would occasionally purchase Banquet pot pies at the IGA, they would be on sale for some incredibly low price and us kids would rejoice because we loved them so. I do remember the down side was that they took forever to bake, they are frozen blocks of food, but the crispy brown crust and the salty broth and chunks of chicken always satisfied.

chicken pot pie

Now, I would never dream of purchasing any Banquet product because they’re owned by ConAgra, a company I despise for it’s heavy hand in the market. But making a pot pie turned out to be easier than I thought. Since we tend to be such carb sluts around here (because we must feed the ever-hungry blog) I decided not to make a bottom crust. I have these lovely Apilco chili bowls and I thought they would make great individual pie servings. For the crust I used my standard galette dough of 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 8 tablespoons of butter, and about 1/4 cup or so of cream. I mixed that up in the KitchenAid and stuck it in the fridge to chill.

Earlier in the day I put an old stewing hen on the stove with a couple of spare chicken carcasses from the freezer. I cooked them with some onion, celery, and garlic for 3 hours or so to make a golden chicken stock. It smelled so rich and chickeny…and it turned out just that way too.

chicken pot pie

I took some of the breast and thigh meat off the old hen and diced it up pretty small…more for flavor and texture than actual meatiness. The crown jewels of the pie were brilliant purple potatoes from Carrie and Eric Johnson’s Jordandal Farm and the sweet, vibrant carrots from Jen Ehr Farm. With incredible ingredients like that I kept it simple; I sauteed an onion and some diced carrots in butter until they softened, then I added flour to thicken the filling. I cooked that until it turned golden and then I add my chicken stock until I had the right consistency. I added my diced par-boiled potatoes, the chicken, and some thyme, salt and pepper and I let that simmer for awhile.

chicken pot pie

I turned off the heat on the filling and rolled out the pie crust, tipping the bowl upside down to cut the circle out in the right size. I love working with this dough because it’s so easy and tastes so buttery. I spooned the filling into the bowls and topped each with a circle of crust. Since I had extra I made little leaves and berries to decorate the pies and I wrapped a ring of crust around the top. I remember my favorite part of pot pies is the crust and I was about to skimp on a key component.

chicken pot pie

I was worried that perhaps my filling was too thick, and when I took the pies out after baking them for 30 minutes or so at 400F I could hear the filling sizzling. My chicken stock was still piping hot on the stove so I ladled about 1/3 cup per pie down the side of the bowl into the filling and they quieted right down…whew!

While they didn’t turn out beautiful, they certainly do have a rustic charm and they were savory, tender, and so delicious that Dexter proclaimed it to be the pot pie of his dreams. Obviously these will be made again. GH took one for his lunch the next day and he said it nuked really well.

October 2, 2007 | Filed Under Local, Wisconsin, baking, beef, fish, poultry, pork, ethical eating, food, gratins, stews, and stir-frys, recipe | 6 Comments 

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