It's mid-June, and we've been harvesting the bounty from our garden for about a month now. This is actually a post I was hoping to have done earlier in the month, but hopefully it's not too late in the year for you so pick up some ideas and inspiration for your own projects.
Chicken of the Woods
This first recipe isn't for something from our garden at all. That bright orange fungus pictured above is actually a delicious shelf fungus called "Chicken of the Woods" or "Sulfur Shelf." We picked this up from a tree in a nearby county park (Collin called it a drive-by shrooming). Sulfur Shelf is a parasitic fungus so we were doing both the tree and our bellies a favor by harvesting the mushroom.
Chicken of the Woods actually does taste and look like chicken! All I did to turn it into an entrée was wash it, chop it into strips, and sauté it with garlic and a tiny bit of bacon for flavor. Then I made a sauce with a touch of flour, lemon juice, white wine and chicken broth. Served over noodles with a bit of mozzarella and even mushroom haters won't know the difference.
And, best of all, Sulfur Shelf produces so much mushroom that I only used half and we had plenty left over. Even then, the dinner had far more mushroom than we ever eat of meat in one meal. I chopped the leftover mushroom into similar-sized pieces and dehydrated them to use in camping meals this summer. I read that they freeze even better, but we didn't have space in our freezer at the time.
Of course, you should never eat a mushroom you can't identify for sure, so it's best to have an expert to show you how to recognize choice edible mushrooms. Collin, having taught Mycology at IU for two semesters, would be happy to help with your questions. (smile)
Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
One last recipe that I have really loved this spring is for strawberry balsamic salad dressing. Strawberries and spring greens are still in season, and this is one of the most delicious dressings I've had recently to combine the flavors of spring. Try it on a bed of lettuce with an ample portion of sugar snap peas, and some chicken breast if you want to make it a meal. All measurements are approximate and flexible.
1/2 c. strawberries, de-stemmed.
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. red wine or white wine vinegar
2 t. sugar, or to taste
1/2 t. each salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. canola or olive oil
Blend all ingredients except the oil in a blender or Magic Bullet
(all we have since our Cuisinart
pooped out on us when I was trying to make paper out of blue jeans). Add the oil in a steady stream through the hole on top of your blender, or all at once if you just have a Bullet. Blend just long enough so that the oil thoroughly emulsifies. Taste for seasoning. Keeps for months in the fridge.
(all we have since our Cuisinart pooped out on us when I was trying to make paper out of blue jeans). Add the oil in a steady stream through the hole on top of your blender, or all at once if you just have a Bullet. Blend just long enough so that the oil thoroughly emulsifies. Taste for seasoning. Keeps for months in the fridge.This post was getting a little long, so I decided to post it in two installments. Check back in a couple days for how to dry and use lavender, and how to make delicious and medicinal honeysuckle honey!
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