Mushroom Soup

Preparation :10 Cook :45 Stand :00 Total :55

2     pounds mushrooms

¾    cup White wine

1     stick sweet butter

1 ½ cups yellow onions, chopped

4    cups chicken broth

2    cups heavy cream

      salt and pepper, to taste

½   cup fresh parsley, chopped.

 Melt butter in soup pot, add onions and cook over low heat until tender and lightly colored (about 15minutes.)  Slice the washed mushrooms and add to the soup pot.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently for 15 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, white wine, salt, pepper and parsley to the soup pot.  Bring entire mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 15 minutes.   Correct seasonings, add the creamand heat throughout.  If not thick enough, add a mixture of corn starch and water to thicken, or remove about 1 cup of soup mixture and run through the blender, then add back to soup. 

Thanks Sue Dawson for starting us off.

Harbor garlicky crab & spaghetti.
  
¼-½ cup of E.V.O.O. (extra virgin olive oil)
 4 large cloves garlic chopped fine ( depending on your tolerance to garlic,  use more or less).
 Half a large walla walla onion diced.
 2 green onions chopped
 2 tbls fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup chopped of either 'Blacks' or 'Hedgehogs' or ½
 of each  mixed. (we have used both, equally delicious)
 1 tbls fresh parsley chopped or ½ tbls of crushed dried parsley.
 1 tbls crushed red pepper or flakes....
 salt/pepper to taste.
 minimum of 1 lb of cooked shredded dungie crab meat
 (we use the leg cluster meat)
 Spaghetti noodles of your choice, enough for two people....
 Parmesan cheese. 
  
Catch crab, or buy fresh crab 2-3, 6 inch crabs cooked & cleaned gets  you  around 1 lb or more of meat. This is the fiddley time consuming part of  the  recipe. Leave to one side & have a drink of something whilst cleaning up  the  mess you have left.... Or do this the day before & leave crab covered in  the  refrigerator.
  
  
Start boiling water for spaghetti & prepare al dente
 whilst spaghetti is 'doing'.In a large saucepan. Saute onion & garlic in e.v.o.o medium heat until  translucent
 Add green onions, cilantro & mushrooms. Saute gently for another  8 -10 mins.
 Add parsley, red pepper flakes, salt /pepper to taste.
 Drain spaghetti. (when we drain the spaghetti we add a touch of e.v.o.o to  coat, optional)
 Add drained spaghetti to pan, toss well. Add crab & warm through,  do not  cook for to long or crab gets tough..Turn out on to warm plates, sprinkle parmesan cheese
 to taste &  enjoy......
 This recipe is for two people as a main course,
 accompanied with fresh  green  salad, home made crusty bread & either a nice crisp Chardonnay or ice cold beer of your choice.

 If you get any crab & you too are bored with it fresh, try this recipe.  If 
you are having friends round, this also makes a nice 'starter' for 6-8   people......

Wild Mushroom Ragu.

8-10ozs of shop bought mushrooms

1lb of mixed Black trumpets, Hedgehogs, Chantrelles either fresh or dried. If dried enough dried mixed mushrooms to make 1lb when reconstituted. Also you will need 1-1½ cups of hot water for soaking dried mushrooms.

If fresh wild mushrooms used, 1½-2cups of beef broth.

2-3 large cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of E.V.O.O

Dried red pepper flakes or dried chipotle pepper

Salt, Black pepper

1 tbl spoon butter.

2 tbl spoons white flour

2 tbl spoons heavy cream.

Soak dried mushrooms for at least 30 mins (if using fresh, don't bother)Rinse & clean fresh mushrooms, both shop bought & wild (if fresh). Cut them into thick slices.Now, if you want to use this Ragu with Pasta, put pasta water on to boil. We use this Ragu as a tasty sauce for roast beef, instead of gravy or overplain fried fish such as lingcod, rockfish or specially halibut.

Dried mushroom that have soaked for 30 mins should be removed from water, rinse & drain, then strain soaking liquid through paper lined strainer & reserve.

Mince garlic, put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat & saute garlic with the red peppers/chipotle peppers until the garlic is translucent & starting to turn golden (never let garlic brown or it ruins flavor of whatever your cooking) Add the fresh mushrooms & salt to taste, stir until they start to wilt or 'sweat' a bit. If you used dry w/mushrooms add about ¼ cup of reserved liquid, saving the rest for later. If you used all fresh w/mushrooms with the shop bought, add ½ cup of the beef broth.You would also add the reconstituted mushrooms now if you used dried w/mushrooms. Leave the mushrooms to cook over very low heat stirring occasionally whilst you make the rest of the sauce.

Melt butter over medium hig heat using a saucepan, with a wooden spoon, mix the flour in gently until it's like a lumpy cream. Add the rest of reserved mushroom liquid, or the rest of the beef broth, stir until the sauce is smooth. Reduce heat to a bare simmer & stir in the heavy cream.

Around about now the mushrooms should have absorbed all the liquid in the skillet, if not continue stirring sauce until they do, then add the mushrooms to the sauce. Keep the sauce warm whilst you finish the pasta, or carve the roast beef you have cooked whilst preparing the sauce, or the fish you have prepared. Pour the Wild Mushroom Ragu over the top & enjoy.

Tony & Pam Hobbs.