The Last Days of Summer

I have always said that September is my spring.

As summer comes to an end, I feel a tremendous sense of beginning. Excited for new things to happen and the year to unfold.



We spent our last days in the Basque Country exploring. Little corners of the world that only my dad knows well. Remote villages, a river stream lined with fig trees, or a field filled with wildflowers where we spotted a few leftover poppies from spring. These are the places where my dad feels at ease and loves to share with us.



In the nature preserve of Pagoeta, we saw the first signs of autumn as maple trees were beginning to turn colors. The skies were bright blue and leaves burnt orange. Jon followed my dad's footsteps with a wooden stick in hand looking for mushrooms and picking wild strawberries. "Aitite, can you tell me the tales of fairies and mountain giants?" Jon asked. Stories that my dad tells to him at night, before bedtime. He listened in awe as we walked the forest.

We picked wild blackberries in Urkiola and ate them with yogurt panna cotta that I made for dessert.



During our visits, my parents' home becomes a gathering place. We sit tightly around their kitchen table, elbow to elbow, eating course after course. For one of our last meals, I cooked a risotto with russulas my dad had found and red kuri squash I brought back from our trip to Iparralde. "This is so good!" my brother shouted -- nothing makes me feel better.

For dessert, a simple galette with mirabelle plums, white nectarines, and red currants. It was gone in minutes.



We also picked apples, figs, and peaches from my uncle Javi's garden. We took a walk around the property with him as he talked about his passion for gardening and pastry, his day job. "This has been a strange growing season" he said "Tomatoes have not done well, yet chestnuts are already opening up". Indeed. All the chestnut trees were full of bright green, prickly cocoons. Some even open -- a sign of things to come.

Back at home I made a apple, prune, and yogurt cake, similar to this one. The last days of summer would not be the same without an apple cake.

No, they would not.



Red Kuri Squash and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 to 6

4 to 5 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 leek, washed and sliced
1/2 medium red kuri squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup thinly sliced wild mushrooms (we used the russulas we picked)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup txakoli or any dry white wine you like
1/2 cup finely grated Idiazabal or Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Begin by heating the chicken stock over medium heat. Keep it warm until ready to use.

In a stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and leek. Cook until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the diced red kuri squash. Stir and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Add the rice and stir it well so all the oil and flavors coat the rice. Add the txakoli or dry white wine and cook for 30 seconds until alcohol evaporates. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Then proceed by adding another 1/2 cup of stock. Continue to cook the risotto storring constantly and adding more stock as needed until rice is cooked al dente, about 18 minutes.

Off the heat, add the grated Idiazabal and parsley. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Post Title

→

The Last Days of Summer

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2011/09/last-days-of-summer.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Lunch with Oh Joy! and a Pip Studio Giveaway

One of my favorite columns on Oh Joy! is Lunch Lady where different artists share their lunch fares. So fun. So when Joy asked me if I would be interested in sharing one of my typical lunch meals, I jumped on the idea.

And here it is, one of my usual suspects. Mushroom and walnut quinoa with eggs and watercress. Creamy, crunchy and peppery.



One of the questions she posed was "dessert with lunch?" and my answer, "always a little something". In this case a quick pear, cranberry and hazelnut crumble. Why not.

When I make crumble topping, I always make a large batch so I can freeze some and that way I can have crumble whenever I want to. just toss some fruit together with a bit of sugar, spices, cornstarch and topped with the frozen crumble. Super easy. You can read the post here.



On another note, I wanted to tell you a little bit about Pip Studio. First I have to disclose that I have not been paid to write about them or have this giveaway.

Pip Studio is the work of Dutch artist Anke van der Endt, who happens to be one of my best friends' sister in law. I was introduced to the line a couple of years ago and I loved the feminine and flirty touch. Her line is now sold in major shops like Liberty and many high end boutiques and specialty shops.



They were kind enough to send me an enormous package of tableware a couple of months ago and because it is the holiday season and because I love it, I thought I'd share some pieces with you dear readers. So what do you say? All you have to do is leave a comment between now and Monday December 13 at 5pm EST to enter this giveaway.

Thank you Joy and thank you Anke!

Mushroom, Walnut Quinoa with Fried Egg and Watercress Salad

2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms (shiitake, oyster and baby bella)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs mascarpone
1 Tbs walnuts, chopped
1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs chives, chopped
Eggs, to fry
Watercress to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic and mushrooms on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir for about a minute. Add the chicken stock and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the mascarpone, walnuts, parsley and chives. Adjust seasoning.

Gently cook the eggs in a little bit of olive oil and serve on top of the quinoa. Dress the watercress with olive oil and place on top of the egg.

Post Title

→

Lunch with Oh Joy! and a Pip Studio Giveaway

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/12/lunch-with-oh-joy-and-pip-studio.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Mushroom Picking with My Dad, a Risotto and a Story for Finn Air

It was the morning before we were leaving for our vacation, when I received an email from Finn Air asking if I would like to become a contributing food writer, stylist and photographer for them. I was so honored and how could I not. I accepted without even knowing what I would write about, but I was sure I would find the perfect subject since we were going back home for a three week vacation.

I knew a million of food stories and images would await me there.



When we landed in Bilbao, my parents picked us up at the airport. We hauled our bags from the terminal to where my dad had parked his car. We were tired, yet excited to be home. We couldn't stop talking about all the things we wanted to do. Then, my dad opened the trunk of his car and suddenly, it hit me, "I must write about mushroom picking!".

There they were, my dad's old wellies and his wicker basket. The mushroom picking basket.



Mycology and foraging, in general, are a very important part of our food culture. It is something that my grandfather used to love to do and I remember everyone sitting around the dining room table talking about where the best spots were.

Although I have to admit I know very little about mushroom picking, I have always been fascinated by it. Spending time in the wilderness looking carefully and patiently for them, separating the good from the poisonous and enjoying the outdoors. Something so zen about it, no?



The weather had been perfect for new wild mushrooms to grow. It had rained when we first arrived, then temperatures soared. Rain, heat and humidity are essential. Some foliage must also be happening, that is why late summer is always a good time to go.

Early one morning, my dad, my sister in law, the kids and I drove to the nature preserve of Urkiola. It was a beautiful, cool morning. We hiked and let the kids play.

My dad started wandering and I followed silently. there is a lot of silence during these hikes. I found it fascinated how he knew where to look. Almost like a sixth sense about it. Must be years of experience. We also spoke to another hiker who had been there since dawn and had found some gorgeous varieties. That's also another part of all this that I love, the camaraderie and bond that food brings to people.



I asked a million questions and my dad answered them patiently. It was wonderful to spend that time with him. I learned about the different kinds of russulas; gibelurdinak (russula virescens) and urretxak (russula grisea). So coveted.

We cooked a delicious russula and clam risotto with lots of fresh parsley, garlic and a touch of Idiazabal cheese. My brother even came to lunch and we all devoured the entire pot.



You can see more photos and read more about the mushrooms we picked on their website. Hope you like it!

Wild Mushroom and Clam Risotto

1 cup wild mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock (might need a bit more)
salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Idiazabal or Parmeggiano cheese

1 lb clams, washed
1 clove garlic, minced
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil

In a small pot, bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil.

In a large shallow pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil. Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt. Sautee them for a couple of minutes. Add about 1 Tbs of chopped parsley. Add the rice and stir it with the mushrooms for about a minute or so until the rice starts to stick to the bottom and is well coated with the olive and flavors.

Add a little bit of the hot chicken stock and stir. When all the liquid has been absorbed, add some more stock and keep stirring. Continue like this until rice is cooked al dente and the risotto is creamy. It should take about 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash the clams. Make sure all clams are closed before cooking them. Discard any open one. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of olive oil with the minced garlic. Add the clams and the parsley. Cover the pan and let the clams open up. Should only take about 1 minute.

At this point, the risotto should be cooked. Add the clams with all their juices to the risotto and stir thoroughly so all the juice from the clams is incorporated. Add some more freshly chopped parsley and grated cheese, if desired.

Post Title

→

Mushroom Picking with My Dad, a Risotto and a Story for Finn Air

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2010/09/mushroom-picking-with-my-dad-risotto.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection

Cooking with Mom, Thoughts about a New Year and a Crispy Mushroom, Potato and Blue Cheese Galette

I cannot believe that this year will be coming to an end tomorrow. I was trying to make sense of everything that happened throughout the months and even though there was some bad in there, mostly health related, I would say 2009 was full of exciting projects, creativity, inspiration and time with family. I have always had difficulty balancing the time I spend on myself and the time I give to those around me, but I think this was the year that I managed to do that. I think I can say this year was that, the year of balance.

Now, I am thinking about the upcoming year and all the projects I want to start and all the travel I want to do, but mostly, I have decided this will be the year that I let go of some of the anxiety and worry that comes with the unknown. I am just going to live a bit more.



So let me get to the dish in hand. I have been dying to tell you about these crispy mushroom, fingerling potato and blue cheese galettes that my mom and I baked last week. We started the day with coffee and talking about the mushroom quiche my aunt was planning to bake for Christmas Eve back home. It sounded so delicious and made me think of the herb pie dough I had in the freezer. "I am pulling it out and we are making tarts", I told her.

We sauteed some shiitake, cremini, oyster and beech mushroom with garlic and herbs until they were crispy. We decided to add some blue cheese, but the best came when mom suggested we fry some fingerlings in olive oil and add them to the filling. That touch made this galette. We enjoyed it with a simple watercress and herb salad and let me tell you, it was delicious. Everything always tastes better when cooking with my mom.



So I hope you get to end the year with good food, surrounded by your loved ones, satisfied with what you have accomplished this year and with peace of mind. So here is to a new year where I plan to live more, worry less and continue doing what I love.

And of course, thank you for your constant support and coming back over and over to visit. This blog would not be the same without all of you. Thank you. I mean it.



Crispy Mushroom, Potato and Blue Cheese Galette

1 recipe herb pie dough
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 oz beech mushrooms
2 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs rosemary
2 Tbs purple basil
1 Tbs thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz fingerling potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 oz blue cheese

In a large sautepan, heat olive oil and saute the garlic and mushrooms in medium heat until tender and slightly crispy. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the herbs and toss for a few seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mushrooms cool.

In another sautepan, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil and fry the potatoes until crispy. Transfer onto a paper towel and lightly season with salt and pepper. Let the potatoes cool.

Roll out the herb pie dough and cut into disks that are about 5-6" in diameter. Place some of the cooled mushrooms and potatoes in the center on the disk. Add some crumbled blue cheese. Fold the edges of the pie dough over the filling. let the galettes harden in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This will allow the dough to keep its shape while baking.

Bake in a 425F oven for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the bottom of the galette is cooked.

Serve with a salad of watercress and herbs.

Post Title

→

Cooking with Mom, Thoughts about a New Year and a Crispy Mushroom, Potato and Blue Cheese Galette

Post URL

→

https://mercymadame.blogspot.com/2009/12/cooking-with-mom-thoughts-about-new.html

Visit Merci Madame for Daily Updated Wedding Dresses Collection