Mushroom Stock (Broth)

Cold winter days are perfect to stock up on some broths.  Every other weekend I make a fresh broth to use in cooking during a week and to freeze for later (for hot summer months when just thinking of turning on the oven makes me hot!). I prefer to make my stock during weekends, uninterrupted by pick ups, drop offs, and other school activities that sometimes come on a moment notice. 
For the stock I use portobello mushrooms as they have a little more flavor. 

Mushroom Stock (Broth)

Ingredients:

2-3 portobelo mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, washed and pilled
1 leak, thoroughly washed white part, cut lenthwise in half
1 onion, sliced in half
1 celery root (you can use 2 celery stalks, just don't bake it, and add it with the seasoning), washed, pilled, and quartered
5 l (a little over a gallon ) water

Seasoning:
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 bay leaf


Preheat the oven to 350F (175 C).

Prepare all ingredients (clean and cut), and place on oiled baking sheet. Roast until golden brown (about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven).

Transfer all roasted vegetables to a big pot, add water and bring it to a simmer (never let your broth reach a rapid boil point!). If there is any foam, skim it with a slotted spoon. 

Simmer for about 3 hours.

Add dill seeds and peppercorns and simmer for another 1-2 hours. Add bay leaf and simmer another 10 minutes. Cool, discard bay leaf, and refrigerate over night: let all the flavor develop and blend.

Next day strain the broth, bring it to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Now it's ready to be used in your favorite risotto, soup, sauce. Shelf life in the refrigerator 3 days. 
I also freeze it in a freezer safe  and labeled container (I personally like wide mouth jars) for up to 6 months. 

There's no salt in this broth as I prefer to control salt when I make a dish with it. However, from time to time I do add salt at the end and label it accordingly.  

Can you smell it?! :)

See you,
Marina

Mushroom "Caviar" (spread)

Herbs from my garden: lovage, sage, and rosemary 

Mushrooms are one of the staple ingredients in my kitchen. I use about 10-15 lb of mushrooms per month. What do I do with it?
Spread, pate, stuffed mushrooms, and many other dishes that I remember my grandma made along with the new ones. Mushrooms are not picture perfect material, but by blog is not a food fashion show. Hence mushrooms, along with other "ugly ducks", eggplants and artichokes, live on pages of this blog. Hey, Julia Child's books don't have pictures at all, and how popular they are!

I think they are pretty...

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Mushroom "Caviar"

For this recipe you need just a few ingredients:

• 1-2 lb mushrooms (white, crimini, portobello, or any other you like)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp mayo (I use Grapeseed Vegenaise)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and rinse mushrooms. Make sure you don't leave the mushrooms in a water: mushrooms are sponges and will absorb a lot of water in it. 
I clean mushrooms with a damp towel from any dirt and debris, then I quickly rinse them. 
Cut mushrooms in 1 cm (1/2in) cubes.

Cubed

Preheat olive oil in a large skillet or brazer. 
When oil is hot (bubbles starts to form), add mushrooms, stir, and turn the heat down to a medium. 
Cook 10-20 minutes (until liquid evaporates), stirring occasionally.

Liquid evaporated and mushrooms start to brown: add salt and pepper

When all liquid evaporated and mushrooms start to brown, salt and pepper it, and taste. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
Remove mushrooms from the skillet into a mixing bawl to cool down.
Set your food processor (if you don't have one, then wait for mushrooms to chill, and mince it with a knife).
In a food processor start with garlic until minced (or mince garlic with a knife).
Add mushrooms and run food processor for about 10 seconds.
Add mayo, run another 10 seconds. 
Make sure all ingredients have minced to the same size. You may need to scrape sides of the ball, and run food processor for another 5 seconds.
Place the "caviar" into the serving bawl.

Mushroom "caviar"

Mushroom "caviar" (spread) is delicious. It is great on toasted bread, with vegetables, and as a dressing to any salads. 

I love it on a sliced tomato, mmm!

Until next time,
Cowboy Country Vegetarian