(from the desk of the SVM foodie’s mom)
In planning and looking forward to a visit to the valley, I was thinking about all the fun things to do in the beautiful ID outdoors.
Picnics at Ketchum Alive, picnics at the top of Baldy, picnics in one of the many beautiful parks, picnics by those pristine rivers, picnics with family, picnics with friends. Picnics, picnics, picnics...which brings to mind one of the first little girls that packed a picnic basket: “Little Red Riding Hood” and her encounter with Grandma’s impostor. And as the wolf would say, “what better way to see you, my dear?”
Spring is here in the south and with that all our roadside stands, farmer’s markets and fruit stands and grocery stores are stocked with fresh strawberries. Soon the wild dewberries (blackberries) will be getting ripe in the briar patches that line ditch banks, fence lines and crop up in the most unusual places.
What would a picnic be without strawberry shortcake or berry cobbler? You can be as simple or as fancy as you like and as the wolf would say, “what better way to eat berries, my dear?”
Fresh Strawberry Pie
One way to enjoy strawberries is in a classic strawberry pie. This one is from the Official Louisiana Seafood and Wild Game Cookbook from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries:
6 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
9 inch deep-dish pie crust, baked
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
Mash 3 cups strawberries in large saucepan with fork or potato masher. Add sugar and cornstarch and bring to simmer over medium heat. Stir until thickened and clear, 3-5 minutes. Blend in lemon juice. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the remaining 3 cups strawberries, reserving 4 or 5 for garnish. Spoon into crust. Top with whipped cream and garnish with reserved berries. Refrigerate pie; serve chilled.
Chef Chris’ Money Hill Plantation Lemon Beurre Blanc sauce
We don’t have mushrooms or asparagus that grows wild here, but I hear that you do. Both would be simply delicious to pop on the grill with a little lemon butter or a fancier lemon beurre blanc sauce. “What better way to eat freshly foraged goodies, my dear?”
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot chopped
2 cups white wine
½ cup heavy cream
8 ounces unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 lemon cut in half
salt and pepper
In a heavy sauté pan over high heat, sweat the shallot in olive oil. Pour in wine and reduce heat to medium. Add lemon (cut side down), salt & pepper and reduce to 1/3 of the original volume. Pour in heavy cream and reduce by half. Turn off heat and stir in butter one cube at a time with a wooden spoon. Pour through a fine strainer.
Serving suggestions: this is an easy sauce that is great over vegetables and any fish. Add 2 tablespoons of drained capers for an added kick.
Grilled Shrimp with Asparagus and Garlic Mayonnaise Dip
From the Louisiana Conservationist comes Grilled Shrimp with Asparagus and Garlic Mayonnaise Dip. This has an excellent method for cooking asparagus:
1 large egg
4 medium garlic cloves
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 hard-cooked egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups olive oil
2 pounds fresh asparagus
2 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
olive oil
chives
Mayonnaise Dip: blend first 7 ingredients in processor. Gradually add 2 cups olive oil through tube and blend until smooth and thick. Transfer to bowl.
Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water, about 3 minutes, or until tender. Do not overcook. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking and drain. Set aside.
Prepare barbecue (high heat). Thread shrimp on skewers. Brush with olive oil. Cook until shrimp turn pink, about 2 minutes per side. When ready, place mayonnaise in center of platter and sprinkle with chives. Toss asparagus with 2 tablespoons lemon juice a dna pinch of dill. Remove shrimp from skewers. Arrange shrimp and asparagus around mayonnaise and serve immediately.
Rice Dressing with Oysters and Mushrooms
In the South, We like to stuff just about anything. Mushrooms would fall in that category—either stuffed, or in the stuffing. This is a side dish or stuffing that’s also from the
Official Louisiana Seafood and Wild Game Cookbook from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Cook's note: rice dressing is considered a side dish but it can be used as a stuffing.
2 cup cooked rice
2 tablespoons -4 tablespoons butter
1 medium chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 quart oysters
1 pint fresh mushrooms
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped green onions
salt, pepper, hot sauce to taste
Melt butter and add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté until soft, add oysters. Simmer slowly, add parsley and green onions. Season to taste and mix thoroughly with hot cooked rice. If too dry, add some chicken stock. Serve immediately or put into casserole and reheat at 300 degrees only until heated through.
Caramelized Onion and Bacon-smothered Exotic Mushrooms
This recipe comes from Emeril’s Delmonico: “This recipe may look simple but the flavor is incredible, making this an often-requested recipe from Delmonico diners. The mushrooms are initially roasted to intensify their flavor as well as to prevent them from getting mushy. Serve these mushrooms alongside steak or chicken."
1 1/4 pounds exotic mushrooms (such as shitake, crimini and oyster), wiped clean and stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 strips bacon, chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound yellow onions , thinly sliced
1/3 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat with the salt and pepper. Spread the mushrooms on a large baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and the fat is rendered, 4-5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium-low, cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender, about 4 min. Add the caramelized onions and bacon and cook until heated through, about 1 min. Add the chicken stock and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, about 1 min. Add the remaining 1 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
Thanks mom—these recipes are completely yum!
