what's for dinner?

Alright, I'm sorry but I've got to say it. I'm the best wild food cook I know. Not claiming to be the best wild cook out there and I totally look forward to meeting my equals - cause good food, right?

Pretty much everything I've been eating for the last week and a half has started with Nettles and Oyster Mushrooms. The wild Oysters are absolutely jamming right now. Lots of above average sunny days, and quite a few nights with heavy down pours. They Love it. The wild nettles are all head high and going to seed, but I have been extensively cultivating them and expect to have fresh baby nettles for at least 6 to 8 more weeks if not longer. Many of the onions I planted don't get enough sun for me to expect much of a bulb off of them so I've been harvesting their greens. This is the third ingredient I have been using in damn near everything.

Simplest of all is to just fry these three ingredient in a cast iron pan. I've said this before in other thread but it bears plenty of repeating in my opinion as I believe it is one of the main reasons people don't like mushrooms. It is nearly impossible to over cook mushrooms. Seriously. Virtually every time I've heard someone say they overcooked and burned their mushrooms what they really mean is that they burned the garlic they where cooking them with. DON'T FRY MUSHROOMS WITH GARLIC. Burnt garlic is foul. Its super oily and burns easy. Use shallots, or onions, or leeks, or chives, or virtually anything else. I love garlic. But don't fry mushrooms with it unless you're damn sure what your doing!

I always start with the mushrooms in the pan on high heat. I cook of the liquid, often I will poor it off and drink it. Once they start turning a good golden color (10ish minutes) I throw in the green onions and nettles. Nettles fry nicely too. You can get them all crispy and fuzzy, they don't necessarily go all limp like spinach.

I've been cooking plenty of variations on this. I also have been doing this with sweet potatoes. I start the sweet potatoes even before the mushrooms. This is another food that is very hard to overcook

Another one I've been doing a fair bit of is spring soups. For these I begin with oyster mushrooms sauteing in the bottom of a pot. One they start giving up their liquid I turn the heat down and add the alliums. After a couple minutes then comes the water, nettle greens, and nettle roots. I also drop in some Turkey Tail, because why not. This makes for a quite substantial spring vegetable broth, which is killer cause it can be hard to get substance in spring. I add in some steamed muscles and end up with a great spring soup.

Cavalo nero kale with pink fir apple potatoes (My favourites-pink and white skinned, waxy and elongated)
garlic, a fried egg, pesto and fermented tomato sauce.

Sausages courtesy of a steer called Stew, Chuck or something along those lines that my folks found amusing...
Garlicky sauteed beet greens (I had the beets last night with feta, olives and a load of greens/weeds/herbs)
And the last of my ready kraut, which doesn't really go with the beet greens.
Now if I had fermented beetroot...

Nettles, sweet potato, onions, and duck fried in duck grease.

Yeah.

Poor Rapscallion, she was a good duck. I have mentioned I don't like cars, yes?

Edit: I am supposed to have enough left over for lunch tomorrow. That may be wishful thinking.

I am supposed to have enough left over for lunch tomorrow

"Weren't no good, and weren't 'nuff of it. !" LOL

Roast ham and chicken.

Right now I've got the duck carcass a good grip of nettles and a good two fingered pinch of salt simmering for a base. Then its gonna get strained, and used as stock with onions beets and the Ducks neck for a borsch. All ingredients but the salt pulled from the earth with mine own hands.

I am sorry my previous post didn't do just to what Oliver cooked up tonight!

Caprese sandwiches! Basil and tomatoes from the garden with baguette and fresh mozzarella from trader joes! Yum!!!

I've had a turkey stock in the freezer since thanksgiving (in case you wondered, thanksgiving is not celebrated in NZ-I have an American friend and like cooking...)
I added kaffir lime leaves, star anise, tamarind and other Thai flavours to the stock,
then dumped in a load of our endemic greenlip mussels and rice noodles.
Eaten in a big bowl with fermented chillies, lime juice and herbs.
My camera has thrown a tantrum and I don't have a photo, but greenshell mussels look like this:

Blackberry barbecue sauce for someone who can't eat peppers! Ginger, mustard, garlic, onions, etc. just aren't being zippy enough.

Suggestions?

What kind of zip are you looking for?
What kind of meat?
Is black pepper OK? I assume you mean no hot (Capsicum) pepper? Sichuan pepper is also unrelated to Capsicum.

It was for barbecue chicken. Yes, no nightshade peppers but black pepper is okay.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:It was for barbecue chicken. Yes, no nightshade peppers but black pepper is okay.

Jocelyn, are you after a traditional style USA 'barbeque' marinade?
As Cj mentions, Southeast Asia (think Thailand...) didn't have chillies until they were introduced from the Americas,
their 'heat' was from Black pepper
Are tomatoes are off the menu?
I think I'd be going for a mutant jerk/barbeque...
mince:
oil, onion, garlic, ginger, maybe coriander root
Whizz:
black pepper, coriander seed, salt, allspice berries

Tomatoes were fine. We were out of coriander seed, darn it! I wish I would have added a bunch more black pepper. I'm kind of wimpy with some spices, so it turned out bland. Ah well.

The saving grace was that the chickens (under the sauce) were local, pastured organic birds so the fat and flavor were (yes, I'll say it) divine. Very, very good. That saved the meal, IMHO. Leftover sauce will get a nice addition of heat of some kind or another now that our guest (the one sensitive to peppers) is gone.

If you want non-pepper zip I would add horseradish or wasabi.
john s
PDX OR

While many of you are sweltering, we've just had our shortest day.
It's the season to celebrate the glories of potatoes, meat and brassicas.
(if you like that sort of thing)
So, for dinner tonight...corned beef hash with Brussels sprouts, parsley and sauerkraut.
I go halves in a 1/2 side of beef with friends. Tthe slow-cooking cuts mostly go to me and they get a lot of the prime steaks, mince etc
Works for everyone!
I corn (brine) the slverside roasts, then freeze them-I like the flavour/texture of brining, but meat from long-term brine storage is way too salty for me,
no matter what I do.

Cast iron is awesome, but in a previous incarnation as a chef I mainly used steel saute pans (I assume carbon steel, definitely not stainless)
They share cast iron's benefits (and things you need to be careful of, like avoiding cooking acid food and careful drying) with the bonus of getting really hot, really fast!

Love the photos, Leila!

Leila Rich wrote:
I corn (brine) the slverside roasts, then freeze them-I like the flavour/texture of brining, but meat from long-term brine storage is way too salty for me,
no matter what I do.

Does this mean that by putting them in the freezer it shortens the brine storage? I'm easily confused these days.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:

Leila Rich wrote:I corn (brine) the slverside roasts, then freeze them-I like the flavour/texture of brining, but meat from long-term brine storage is way too salty for me,no matter what I do.

Does this mean that by putting them in the freezer it shortens the brine storage? I'm easily confused these days.

Brine has to be pretty salty to kill off all the bacteria that want to decompose meat;
I've eaten corned beef that's been stored submerged in brine for months
and even after major soaking and multiple water changes, it was still very salty.
And I like my salt...
While the process was created so that meat could be stored longterm without refridgeration,
I do it because I like the taste/texture that brining gives, not because I need to.
It's always nice to know that I could if I had to though!
I brine smallish (about 1kg) silverside 'roasts' or brisket for 5-10 days, dry them off and freeze them.
I was about to go on about my brine-I'll put a very casual 'recipe' up in another thread

Leila Rich wrote:
I brine smallish (about 1kg) silverside 'roasts' or brisket for 5-10 days, dry them off and freeze them.
I was about to go on about my brine-I'll put a very casual 'recipe' up in another thread

Post a link here! I've never brined a brisket - but I do have a small one from the last bull that went into the freezer and I just put another bull in the freezer. It's such a special cut in my heritage that I get paralyzed sometimes waiting for the perfect moment to cook it! Summer is not the right season for it unless I ditch the heritage and slow cook it outside!

Cj Verde wrote:Post a link here!

brine
It's an extremely flexible 'recipe': add/subtract what you like...
I brine brisket in big slices rather than whole pieces.
I usually cut off a bit of fat first as it's generally too fatty, even for me
Cooked corned brisket slices are great fried-as the fat melts, the meat goes really crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Not traditional, but awesome!
Great with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut.

Loads of great ideas in your post above, Landon.

Landon Sunrich wrote:I always start with the mushrooms in the pan on high heat. I cook of the liquid, often I will poor it off and drink it.

I would not have thought to do this, but I bet that is a powerhouse of nutrients!

Frittata, basically from frozen summer glut.
Frozen corn, eggs, pesto and leeks whisked with milk and diced cooked potato.
Pour into a well-greased cast iron pan, cook on the element for a few minutes then finish in the oven.

Served with mountain pawpaw/peach chutney, rocket and watercress.
I think it needed extra cheese...

In the wee hours of the morning someone creamed a beautiful black sable-soft rabbit with their satan sled right by my driveway. I came across it just around six while it was fresh and I hated to see it go to the flies.

I had never skinned an animal before. I have plucked and cleaned poultry and fish but never a mammal. It took me a pretty good amount of time. Probably an hour. But I did a good job and didn't poke any holes in the skin and got a really really really soft pure black pelt out of it which I have salted and placed on the window sill. I also got 3 black rabbit feet with deep chocolate brown paws. I don't know what became of the forth one. The rabbit was surprisingly easy to skin and I found that I actually really enjoyed it. Something I could see myself doing on the regular. Though I'm still unsure if I could actually raise and kill the little buggers in good consciousness. I'll get back to you after my late night feast.

Currently I have it brineing in salt water with cumin, coffee, and pepper.

Then I am intending on tossing it with flour and pan frying it possibly with some onion. I think I'll also roast up some potatoes, turnips, and garlic. And then make some pepper gravy what for to put on top of the fried rabbit and potatoes. Farming does have its perks.

It was a really really healthy looking rabbit, with a good store of belly fat (I trimmed most of the fat off) heavier than my chickens for sure. My chickens where all over the guts too. As soon as they hit the ground. Monstrous creatures.

Anyhow, that will be my dinner tonight and should make for a meal or two tomorrow. Hopefully it turns out. I've never cooked rabbit before.

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Loads of great ideas in your post above, Landon.

Thanks!

Winter's been freakily mild...until the other day.
It's now NZ winter business as usual, with a refreshing Antarctic blast banging on the window.

Really spicy South East Asian beef flank curry, rice, kimchi, fermented chillies and dried Thai basil (I find most dried herbs flavourless, but Thai basil's great)

It felt like spring today
I had porterhouse steak with a salad of my dried white runner beans,
fennel bulb-the plant's in it's third season; I will never plant Florence fennel with the aim of harvesting 'a bulb' again!
various leaves, dressed with my now awesome vinegar.
Luckily the stuff doesn't go off-even if I can give lots away, I've got a ridiculous amount.
And that's only the pretty stuff! I've kept the cloudy, unappetising-looking vinegar for making chutneys etc.

My good egg supplier has been 'offline' all winter,
but...hoorah! It's layin' time again!
Spanishish scrambled eggs-
I sauteed mushrooms, onion, garlic and smoked paprika in olive oil,
added egg mix, feta and tons of parsley.
I have an insane amount of Romanesco broccoli,
so I steamed a mountain of that.

Maybe I need to start a Romanesco broccoli thread if I haven't already
I think it's amazing-productive, delicious and really beautiful.
I've heard it described as 'trippy' more than once...

BTW, this is not my broccoli photo-mine never looks this...fractal...

Leila I would love it if you started a Romanesco broccoli thread! I don't know much about it and would like to hear people's experiences and thoughts.

Our first mostly farm meal. A chicken we raised, and slaughtered, browned in bacon fat, then put in the slow cooker with a pint of apple juice and 2 oz (60 cl) of moderately priced bourbon and a quartered onion. Costata romanesco zukes, the only kind worth growing in our climate, and some sliced toms. A decent zinfandel. What wasn't local besides the wine? Olive oil (ain't happening at 7000'), balsamic and some dried herbs and black that we had on hand. Even the salt is from within 50 miles of here. I am trialing 8 varieties of wine grapes here, but it will be a high bar to surpass my love of zins.

Ann Torrence wrote: Costata romanesco zukes, the only kind worth growing in our climate

or maybe they're just the only kind worth growing?
Dunno about climate, but in the over-abundant world of zucchini, at least Costata romanesco are 'low' producers.
And really tasty too!

Hip hip hooray, it's asparagus season!
I love the stuff, and the season's so short that in order to get my yearly fix I often eat it a couple of times a day
Boiled potatoes, egg and asparagus with mayo, lacto-fermented beets and herbs.

I've been eating lots and lots of Chantrell leek macaroni over the past 7 or 8 weeks. Not as permie as I'd like, the diary and grain is all grocery store, but I'm sure others have access to even better ingredients. Produce is mine own.

Begin by dry sauteing Chantrells in skillet to drive off moisture. Add butter, leeks, and shallots. Cook over high heat until shallots and leeks begin to brown and caramelize. Salt. Add a spry handful of flour. De-glaze with sherry or white wine. Reduce heat to medium low. Add heavy cream. Grate in modest amount of cheese while stirring. Add precooked noodles with enough pasta water to thin out sauce. Layer with cheese in baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. You can get creative from there. Rosemary is always great. I'm making this patch with just a touch of celery too. Remarkably rich and decadent.

Hello!

New here - writing from London where I do a lot of growing and urban foraging, as well as the occasional day trip out a little further to go in search of exciting things like mushrooms.

Always lovely seeing so many tasty things - very jealous of the poster who has an abundance of oyster mushrooms nearby.

Unfortunately betwixt moving houses at the moment so that has limited the number of foraging trips that I've been doing. Have a bumper crop of cress that I need to see to before the big day, though, as well as some delicious chard and chicory that's still going strong.

Anyway, here's what I've been eating for dinner!

Hot damn Concepta, I'm like 3 photos in and I'm already swearing I'm going to try that vegan cassoulet. It sounds so good and I have some awesome beans I needed something to do with.

I made an awesome cream of mushroom potato leek soup the other night and my kitchen has been recovering ever since. Basically I started enough leeks, onions, shallots, and chantrels to cover the bottom of a two gallon pot an inch and half thick on high heat in a splash of oil until the leeks et all began to take a slight brown sheen to them and then I deglazed the pot with a splash of wine and added in two large onions, one small celery plant, and four or five heaping hand fulls of torn chantrell. Toss them, cover them, reduce heat and let simmer in their own juices for a spell before adding salt. Then I added about 12 cups of water and 12 ounces of cream, and blended with an immersion blender. A couple table spoons of nutritional yeast, some pepper and little more salt. A final dice of leek heart for some chunks to bite into and around 6 ounces of shredded cheese because I couldn't help myself. Super good and hardy but now I'm sick of cream. Everything but the dairy, spice, water and wine, grown, picked, or found by me.

I start to feel a bit tired of the, hungry gap about now, even though wiki tells me my broad bean glut means it's over.
Meh. I want basil, tomatoes, cucumbers (ok, I can't grow cucumbers to save myself, but you get the idea...)
In the meantime, it's tiny button mushrooms sauteed with garlic, silverbeet, potatoes and bantam eggs.

Japanese-ish salmon: really rare salmon on a kind of rice, herb and veg salad with shiro (sweet) miso and wasabi