A Tiny Christmas Tree

There is a place on Orcas Island, where a giant Douglas fir once stood. About six feet in diameter, it must have been massive, stretching its top high into the sky. Many years ago, a windstorm toppled the tree, leaving the trunk splintered and broken about ten feet above ground level. Along a quiet country road, the stump was in no one's way, so it was left alone. Years passed, and nature being what it is, from the inside of the shattered wound a new seedling grew.

The first time I noticed the sapling, it was about two feet tall. I had passed that way twice daily for several months, but it never caught my eye until that afternoon...the tiny tree was decorated.

I slowed to get a better look. A strand of red and gold tinsel wound neatly through the branches, twinkling in the rustling breeze. I smiled. How cool that last night's wind had blown it just that way. The tinsel stayed on all through the holidays until one night in early January, the tinsel was gone.

I gave it no more thought until the following winter. Then one night, the little fir was again dressed for the holidays. This time it had red bows tied on the branches, and a gold star on top. Okay, the wind didn't do that. Again, the finery disappeared after the New Year. I was delighted. Every year since, and probably for many before, the little tree has been decorated. I never found out who decorates the tree. Actually, I never asked. The fantasy of Christmas magic is just too much fun.

Each year at this time, I would begin watching, waiting for my sure sign of the Christmas season. One year, there was nothing. Thanksgiving weekend came and went, and the first weekend in December. Nothing. It had never gone as late as the 10th before. I was beginning to worry.

Then, one morning, I thought I caught a glint of tinsel in my headlights as I came down the hill. Too dark to really see, I hoped I was correct. Sure enough, in the light of day the small tree was covered with glass balls, red bows and silver tinsel. It brought a smile to my face, and brightness to an otherwise dreary, rainy day.

I hope the tradition continues for many years to come.

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Here are two hot appetizers, nice on a cold winter night. Fresh seafood makes these just heavenly. Both can be done in the toaster oven.

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Angels on Horseback

Pre-heat the broiler to 450°

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1 dozen fresh oysters, shucked   or  1 jar small fresh oysters

1 lb. thin sliced lean bacon

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Cut the oysters into bite size pieces. Cut each bacon strip into thirds.

Roll the bacon strips around the oyster pieces and secure with wooden picks.

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Place on an ungreased broiler pan or baking sheet. Grill under broiler until browned. Turn over and broil the other side. Watch carefully as it will cook fast and may burn .When bacon is done, drain on paper towels. 

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Transfer to serving plate. Serve warm with cocktail sauce for dipping.

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Crab Stuffed Mushrooms 

           

 

 

 

 

Use extra large mushrooms

Heat oven to 325°

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20 fresh Crimini mushrooms (or white button)

¾ cup Dungeness crabmeat (or 1 - 6oz. can)

3 tbsp. red onion, diced fine

Dash of cayenne

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 - 3oz. brick of softened cream cheese

2 tbsp. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

½ tsp. dill

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Fresh parsley for garnish

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Wipe mushrooms with paper towel to remove dust. Do not rinse with water. Pop out stem, leaving cap intact. Hollow out cap slightly, if needed.

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Lay caps hollow side down in a baking dish. Bake at 325° for about 15 minutes until mushrooms are cooked but still firm. (Alternately: Line a microwave safe dish with paper towels. Arrange caps, hollow side down, on paper towels. Microwave on high, covered loosely, 30 seconds at a time until mushrooms are no longer raw, about 1½ to 2 minutes total. Do not over cook or the mushrooms will start to shrivel.) Allow to drain on paper towels for a few minutes.

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Chop stems finely. Coarsely dice the crabmeat. Heat the butter and olive oil in a small skillet. Saute the onions until golden. Add the chopped stems, the crab and the cayenne. Continue to cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Stir in the cream cheese, the dill and the breadcrumbs. The mixture should cling together when molded, so adjust the crumbs accordingly.

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 Fill each cap generously with stuffing. There should be enough to have a good mound in each. Place back in the same baking dish. Top each with a nice bit of cheese.

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Heat at 325° for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. (You can re-heat in the microwave - about 30 seconds for 6.)

Happy Easter Brunch

        Easter, to me has always been about coloring eggs and springtime…a new dress, Sears-photo-studio pictures for Grandma…and of course, good food.

        As a child, we went to church, (one of the three times we went each year). Afterwards, we would go out to neat, usually at a place like North’s Chuck Wagon. My first taste of fresh asparagus with hollandaise sauce was at an Easter buffet. So was my first shrimp omelet. I remember much more about the food than the church service.
        My husband and I have always celebrated Easter with our family and friends. A backyard egg hunt, followed by a lovely dinner, was an annual ritual until the kids outgrew Easter baskets. The dinners continued, but I missed the hunts. Now that we have young grandchildren, we’re hiding eggs again.
       I love to have an Easter brunch, but I don't want to spend the whole morning in the kitchen. The following is essentially a savory bread pudding that can be 
assembled the night before. Make a fresh fruit salad and muffins ahead of time, brew a pot of coffee, and let the entrée bake while the kids hunt for eggs.

 

Shrimp “Soufflé”
Serves 6-8

 

1 lb. cooked salad shrimp

1 - 8oz. package cream cheese

6-8 medium Crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 slices English muffin bread, cut into cubes

2 tbsp. butter

6 eggs

½ - cup milk

½ tsp. dill

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced

1 cup prepared hollandaise sauce

Heat oven to 325°. Beat the eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper until well blended. Fold the bread cubes into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate 15 - 30 minutes until the bread is quite moist. 
Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté mushrooms over medium heat until softened. Butter or spray a two- quart oblong casserole dish. Repeat layers of bread mixture, cream cheese slices, shrimp and mushrooms, finishing with a bread layer (5 total).  Arrange the tomato slices on top.
Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve topped with hollandaise sauce.

Jordan & Connor, Easter 2012

 

 

Mycology is Mushrooming

            One of my fondest childhood memories is of going mushrooming with my aunt and
 uncle. I remember the smell of the moist soil, walking on a carpet of pine needles so thick that our footsteps made no sound. The awe of that ancient forest, with bracken fern fronds nearly as tall as I, has stayed with me. My cousin and I would scamper around, searching for 'shrooms. We were taught not to touch any, just show them to an adult. Some were picked, some were vetoed. I don't remember anything about the art of mycology, I was too young, but I definitely remember feasting on the fungi. Baskets full of mushrooms would mean mushroom soup for supper. Breakfast would be a mushroom frittata. The flavors were always wonderful, earthy and rich.

            I did learn a healthy respect for wild mushrooms, and don't recommend hunting  them yourself, unless you really know what you're doing. Just too many are deadly toxic. Personally, I'm happy to stick with a reliable source:¦my neighborhood grocery store. Fortunately, these days most markets are carrying more than just white button mushrooms. Now we can enjoy "wild" mushrooms, and all we have to learn are recipes. Criminis, the brown buttons, are baby portabellas. Less expensive, they are nearly as flavorful as their larger, trendier siblings. Fresh chantrelles and shitakes have become standards in some produce departments. Many of the more exotic can be found dried, if not fresh.

            The year our son, James, announced his intention of becoming a chef, Grandma gave him a "mushroom farm" for Christmas. It was a kit consisting of a foot-long piece of log, pre-treated with shitake spores. He followed the instructions, and sure enough, at the expected time, he was harvesting succulent shitakes. Our family enjoyed the abundance for several weeks.

            This recipe is the closest I've come to duplicating my aunt's soup. Her's was made with homemade beef stock and herbs from her garden. It was velvety smooth, punctuated with perfect slices of mushrooms. A dollop of butter floated on top of each serving. She counted on heavy cream and arrowroot to thicken her broth. Trying to lighten it up, I use mushroom puree and milk for thickener. The end result is very similar, and much lower in fat and calories. A few shitakes or other "wild" mushrooms thrown in for extra flavor are a nice touch.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup     

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2 lbs. crimini mushrooms

½ lb. shitake, chantrelle, morell or an assortment, fresh or dried (optional)

3 stalks celery, strings removed, thinly sliced

½ cup diced red onion

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

2 cups beef broth

4 cups milk or half & half

¼ tsp. thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

Chopped chives for garnish

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If you're using dried mushrooms, put them in a bowl with just enough warm water cover. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid.

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Wipe crimini mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Pick out the 6 best looking ones and slice thinly. Set aside  with the more exotic mushrooms.. Chop the remaining criminis coarsely.

In a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat oil and butter to medium-high. Saute onions and celery until tender. Add chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until some aroma develops. Pour in broth. If using dried mushrooms, add the liquid they soaked in, too. Bring to a simmer. Add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer about 15 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Remove bay leaf.

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With a slotted spoon transfer the mushroom/onion/celery mixture into the food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot and stir well. Add mushroom slices and dried mushrooms. Stir in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer on low heat 10 minutes. Slowly add milk and heat gently. Do not allow to boil after milk has been added.

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Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives. Serve with crusty bread or cheese toast. 

My Mother's Best Recipe

            When I was growing up, my parents and I lived on a small farm. It was just over five acres, but could produce enough to help sustain our family. Dad had a real job as a machinist down on the river, but the farm was his passion. He raised sheep, rabbits, ducks and chickens. The organic-before-it-was-popular vegetable garden was the size of a football field. There were apple, pear, cherry and walnut trees. The possibilities for gourmet cooking were vast.

            Sadly, neither of my parents was interested. Dad loved the art of producing the food, not preparing it. Fortunately, he wasn’t fussy, because my mother was not a very good cook. It’s not that she couldn’t cook, she just didn’t really care for it. Cooking was just a routine, like doing laundry. Far happier in her rose garden than in the kitchen, her creativity stayed out there. Meals were simple, and largely determined by what was in the pantry, garden or freezer.

            Even so, there were several recipes that mother mastered. An awesome lentil soup, a particularly tangy lemon tart, and a paprikash that worked equally well with chicken or rabbit. All three were from the “old country”. Just like grandma used to make, to quote my father. He was happy as long as there was meat involved.

            When my husband and I were first married, the meat on our menu consisted mainly of whatever fish or game was in season. I was familiar with duck, and quail was enough like chicken, but I wasn’t sure about venison. Trying what I knew, I learned that the lovely steaks couldn’t be treated like lamb, or even beef. They were just too lean. Unless braised or stewed, the venison tended to the chewy side. Remembering my mother’s paprikash, I reasoned that if it turned an equally lean rabbit succulent, it should work magic on the deer meat. It did, and Mushroom Steak became one of my husband’s favorites.

            When we relocated to the suburbs, I used whatever cut of beef was cheap. A big top-round, well tenderized, would feed the whole family, with leftovers. Since then, the recipe has evolved. The steak has up-scaled as budget has allowed. The canned mushrooms have been replaced with fresh, and I couldn’t resist the addition of wine. So, here is Mother’s best recipe, slightly updated.

Golden Mushroom Steak
Heat oven to 350°

4 serving size sirloin or top round steaks  
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms 
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. 
salt
¼ tsp. pepper 
½ tsp. paprika 
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup dry red wine 
2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp. sour cream
 
Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together. Dredge the steaks in seasoned flour. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and flatten with the smooth side of a tenderizer. Turn over and repeat. The flour should be absorbed a bit. 
 
Heat the oil to medium-high in a deep skillet. Cook the meat until well browned on both sides. Remove to an oven-safe pan.
 
Toss the onions into the skillet and sauté until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom to loosen bits. Stir in the broth. Pour over the steaks. Cover and move to pre-heated oven. 
 
Bake at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hour, or until the steaks are fork tender. Remove the steaks to a serving platter. Mix the sour cream into the sauce, stirring over a low heat until well blended. Pour over the meat and serve.