Wild Mushroom Pate

If you love hummus as much as we do, you've gotta give this a try. It makes a pretty good vegan sandwich, too.

Wild Mushroom Pate

2 lbs. fresh wild mushrooms (morel, oyster, chantrelle, shitake, etc.)
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic
1 oz. dried fig
2 T. olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
2 T. barley flour
1/3 C. dry sherry
Paprika

Finely chop the mushrooms, garlic, figs, and onion. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the mushrooms, garlic, onion, and vinegar. Cook over medium heat until the onions are carmelized, the mushrooms are wilted, and most of the liquid has evaproated.

Mix the flour with the sherry, and add to the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes (mixture will be thick.) Spoon into a shallow serving dish, sprinkle with paprika, and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.

Serve with your favorite hummus, feta cheese, and pita bread.

Cranberry Hazlenut Compote

Ah, Thanksgiving! The foodie's favorite holiday! You work so hard in the kitchen, slaving and basting over a hot oven to prepare a delicious, moist, perfectly-roasted turkey. To go through all that trouble, only to dump a gelatinous blob of canned cranberry jelly on top of it, would be a crime. That's like grilling a t-bone steak to perfection, only to dump catsup all over it.

Try this instead.

Cranberry Hazlenut Compote

1 C. raw hazlenuts, chopped
1 T. butter
1 lb. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. orange marmalade
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. sweet wine
1 t. fresh grated ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Add the hazlenuts, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted.

Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the cranberries disintegrate. Uncover, and boil over medium heat for 10-20 minutes or until reduced to desired thickness.

Serve with sliced, roasted poultry, pork, or fish.

Poached Pears in White Wine

Tisha e-mailed me this recipe, for our annual Thanksgiving feast. We wanted a challenging, pear-based dessert...and I think this one will fit the bill.

Poached Pears in White Wine

6 large, firm Anjou pears
1 bottle (750ml) of Reisling wine
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 T. honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. fresh ginger, grated

Combine the water, sugar, wine, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla in a large (4-quart) saucepan or stew pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the honey and sugar have dissolved. Peel and add the pears. Simmer for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender.

Remove the pears with a slotted spoon, and place stem-up on a serving dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.

Reduce the liquid over medium heat until it is thickened into a heavy syrup (about 30-45 minutes.) Remove the cinnamon stick.

To serve, place a pear in a shallow bowl or dessert dish, and drizzle with the hot syrup. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a cinnamon stick.

TIP: place the pear on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or your favorite puffed pastry, before drizzling the syrup.

Trav's Apple-Brandy Cobbler

The apple tree in my backyard is overloaded with fruit, and it's all starting to ripen. Which can only mean two things: one, summer is giving way to autumn, and two, it is high time for some fresh apple cobbler.

Trav's Apple-Brandy Cobbler

4 C. apples, peeled and diced
2 t. lemon juice
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
4 T. butter (divided use)
1 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 C. milk
1/3 C. boiling water
1/2 C. sugar*
1/4 C. brandy

*Taste the apples as you are chopping them. If they are very tart, increase sugar to 3/4 C.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl, stir until evenly coated. Pour into an 8x12 casserole dish, and dot with 1 T. butter. Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

While the apples are cooking, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in the remaining 3 T. of butter, then stir in the milk to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a pastry cloth and knead only until smooth (do not overknead.) Roll the dough out into a rectangle, barely smaller than the casserole dish. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate until the apples finish cooking.

After 30 minutes, remove the apples from the oven and discard the foil. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees.

Stir the sugar, water, and brandy together in a small bowl, and pour over the apples. Lay the crust over the top, and cut a few slits in it to allow steam to escape. Return to the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is browned and the apples are tender.

Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve hot, possibly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or a slice of cheddar cheese if you prefer.

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

Here's one of my favorite summertime recipes. Give it a try this weekend, and let me know what you think.

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

1/2 C. fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)
1 t. fresh lime peel, grated (from those same limes)
1 C. fresh strawberries
1 C. water
1 C. sugar
Ice
Club soda (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of water, the sugar, and the lime peel. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.

Puree the lime juice, syrup, and strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a chilled glass pitcher, and add water (or club soda) to make 2 quarts. Stir well, then adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar or lime juice to taste. Serve over ice.

VARIATIONS
Try it with frozen strawberries instead of ice cubes.
Try it with lemons instead of limes.
Try it with raspberries instead of strawberries.
Try it with a splash of light rum.