I decided to give this a try. I'm glad I did.
You'll need:
10-12 large cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and with the stems removed, but keep them whole
a bit of olive oil
1 T. butter
1 T. minced spring onion
1 T. flour
2 T. minced green herbs and leaves (I used a bit of chives, some thyme, some parsley, and a good bit of arugula)
salt and pepper
1/4 c. milk
1-2 T. Parmesan
1 egg, separated
breadcrumbs
Start by heating the oil over medium-low (I used 3). Add the mushrooms, face down.
Move them around so they don't stick, but be gentle so they don't break. Flip them after they start to get soft and release their liquid. Continue cooking. You want them to be about 1/3 of the way cooked. When you get there, lift them onto a paper towel-lined plate and let them drain their liquid.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F. Mince your herbs and onion.
Melt the butter in the pan (you can use the same one, no problem, or switch to a small saucepan). Add the onions and cook until they're becoming soft. Sprinkle in the flour and the greens. Stir until smooth. Add the milk and stir until incorporated. Let bubble for awhile. Season with salt, pepper, and the Parmesan.
Separate the egg. Beat the yolk slightly. Whisk it into the sauce mixture.
Let it bubble and thicken while you beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Fold the sauce into the egg white. Be gentle!
Dry out the mushrooms if they're still damp, then add a heaped teaspoon of sauce to each one. Don't go too crazy. That stuff will rise. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and place on a cookie sheet. Put in the oven on a middle rack, close the door, and no peeking! It will probably take about 15-20 minutes for these to cook (possibly more, depending on your oven).
Easy Garlic Ramps
I learned from experience that you should probably make this one in a non-stick pan.
You need:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. soy sauce
1 bunch of garlic ramps
salt, pepper, sugar
1/4 c. water
Heat the liquids together in a skillet over medium heat. Turn the pan to coat. Toss in the garlic ramps, give the pan a shake, then cover it, leaving a gap for steam to escape. Work on something else for awhile. Open the pan and give it a stir when you need to. This stuff will start to stick pretty quickly. When that happens, add the salt and pepper, then a pinch of sugar. Pour on the water and stir quickly. Turn the heat down a bit. Put the lid back on, again leaving a gap. Stir when you think of it. You want these to cook to the texture of green beans. Warning: the buds can be kind of fibrous, so remove them or warn your guests.
Steamed Beets and Greens
Steam some baby beets until firm but cooked through. Cook them and chop them into bite-sized pieces if needed.
Trim the leaves (the stems go to yard waste) and slice. Steam them.
Toss the beets and greens together with balsamic vinegar and pepper.
Mashed Purple Potatoes
Steam or boil 1.5 lbs of peeled purple potatoes.
Mash with butter (or margarine), milk (dairy or alternative, but please not chocolate or vanilla). Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of cayenne and cumin, if you're into it.
To serve (I really need to work on plating):
Put a blob of potato in the middle of a plate.
Put ramps in front of it, spreading around the potatoes.
Add a pile of beets and greens opposite the ramps.
Top with the mushrooms.
Drizzle with herbed butter sauce if you like gilding the lily.
No comments:
Post a Comment