More Morels! Asparagus and Leeks with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Friendships are priceless, especially those that span decades. Julie and I have been friends since fourth grade…I won’t do the math for you, but that was a looooonnng time ago. We have lived through a lot over that time, both joyous and sad.  There were periods of time where we would not talk for months, but when together we’d pick right back up where we left off.

Julie has always been a caring, generous, giving person so it should’ve been no surprise that a few weeks ago, she asked me if I would like some of the morels that her hubby had found that day. If you are not that familiar with the morel mushroom, you may not realize what big deal this is!  When available at markets, these highly coveted wild 'shrooms often sell for about $30 a pound. For years, I have been searching the woods hoping to find these honeycombed beauties to no avail. And now I have a bounty, more than can be enjoyed at once, thanks to my dear friend.

Morels are fantastic enjoyed the day or two after harvest. Since I had more morels than we could stuff in our stomachs, I used my food dehydrator to dry the rest for later use, and made this Asparagus and Leeks with Wild Mushroom Sauce using the dried morels. To reconstitute dried mushrooms, pour 1 cup of hot water and about ¼ cup sherry over the dried mushrooms and let sit for about 30 minutes. The remaining “mushroom liquid” was used to make the sauce.

So thanks Julie for your friendship all these years, for being there through it all, and most definitely for the morels!

Asparagus and Leeks with a Wild Mushroom Sauce (inspired by this recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed (ours came from Green B.E.A.N. delivery)
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms (we used the reconstituted morels and crimini mushrooms from Green B.E.A.N. delivery but any sliced mushroom would be great)
• 1/2 cup sliced leeks (you could also use shallots or a milder onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley to garnish

Cooking Directions

1. in boiling water, blanch asparagus for about 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter and olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and leeks (or shallots, or onions) and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes.
4. Add sherry (or the mushroom liquid if using dried mushrooms) and allow to reduce a bit, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add heavy cream, serve over asparagus, garnished with a sprinkle of parsley.

until next time...

Radish and Apple Salad with Homemade Ricotta on Crostini

Such a pity…the poor radish is completely underrated. So often it's the only veg left on the party platter. The baby carrots, broccoli spears and pepper strips are all long gone, but the pretty little radish rosette remains.

I remember as a kid my grandpa would eat radishes by the bushel-full. Each time we visited, he would try to convince my brother and I to eat just one. And one was enough for us. Although radishes look unassuming and almost inviting, one bite in and we knew, not again! No way were we falling for that trick again.

Now as an adult I can appreciate the radish. I love that when I take a bite, it bites back. This Radish and Apple Salad with Homemade Ricotta on Crostini is a healthier take on the classic French radish sandwich typically made by slathering butter on a baguette, topping it with sliced radishes and a sprinkling of salt. I’m certain that the mild creaminess of the butter pairs quite nicely with the spicy spunkiness of the radish. But butter sandwiches? Really? Do not misunderstand- I love butter, I just don’t know if having a butter sandwich is what I want to eat nor suggest others try.

If you find yourself in the camp of radish haters, put off by their peppery punch, this recipe just might change your mind. It's made with thinly sliced radishes, tart apples, ricotta, lemon and parsley- all atop a toasted crostini. The combo of flavors works perfectly, so much so, you just might find yourself seeking out those radish rosettes on the next party tray.

For more rediculously good radish recipes, check out the April issue of Cooking Light

Radish and Apple Salad with Homemade Ricotta on Crostini (recipe inspired from Rachel Ray's magazine, Oct 2012 issue)

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (we used Companion Bakery bread)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 10 radishes 
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups ricotta (store bought or follow homemade recipe below)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (growing again in the garden!)

Cooking Directions

1. To make crostini: slice bread loaf into 1/4 inch thick slices, brush with olive oil; bake at 350 or grill until golden brown. Allow to cool.
2. To make salad: thinly slice apples and radishes with a mandoline. In a medium bowl, toss together radishes, apples, juice and zest from lemon, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. To make ricotta: bring 6 1/2 cups of whole milk, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, and 1 tsp. salt to a simmer over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and 2 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar, stirring until mixture curdles (about 1-2 min). Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve for about 30 minutes.
4. And to assemble everything together: spread ricotta on crostini, top with radish salad and a sprinkle of parsley.

until next time...

Cool as a Cucumber, Hot as Wasabi Tuna appetizer

Here at the Lou, I usually chat about food and all of its fabulousness. Never have I written about fashion…until today.

This past weekend, the gals from Edit (Kara, Melina and Mea) all road-tripped from the other side of the state to put on a fashion trunk show extraordinaire. There were scarves, bags, dresses, tops and loads of jewelry, all with the colors and fashion for spring. 

The Edit gals are the utmost of fashionistas- they always have a keen eye for what is trendy, cute and fabulous. And since most gals love shopping for clothing and jewelry, I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to persuade a few ladies to stop by for a look-see.

I may not be considered a fashionista, maybe more a foodista. I don't always wear the trendiest clothes but I can certainly dress a dining table with some tasty sips and nibbles.  For the trunk show, I made five different appetizers, some inspired from Pinterest...

and a fav: Cool as a Cucumber, Hot as Wasabi Tuna Appetizer. These are easy little one bite yin-yang wonders! Since the tuna in this dish is raw, it is important to use high quality, sushi-grade tuna purchased on the same day you will be serving. For tips on purchasing the most nutritious and sustainable fish check out Cooking Light's video here.

Cool as a Cucumber, Hot as Wasabi Tuna Appetizer

Ingredients

• 1 English cucumber
• wasabi
• pickled ginger (gari)
• 1/2 pound sushi grade yellowfin tuna
• soy sauce

Cooking Directions

1. Slice cucumber on a diagonal. Top with a dot of wasabi, 1 slice of pickled ginger, a small cube of sushi grade tuna and a dot of soy sauce.

until next time...