Shitake Risotto with Wild Rice

Last Week we did our usual cooking demo and I wanted to make something different than what I had done in the past. As usual, I stroll around the shop and check my pantry to see what I have to work with. I found some wild rice, white rice and saw the More than Gourmet products we carry. I immediately salivated when I thought of a rice dish with mushrooms. So this is what I cooked.

2 stalks of celery chopped fine
1 small onion or 2 shallots chopped fine
2 med carrots chopped fine
2 T extra virgin Olive oil
1 stick butter
4 ounces Shitake mushrooms washed and chopped int 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup white rice
1/4 cup wild rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup parsley chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 oz container Essence de Champignon Gold (R) dissolved in 3 cups of hot water

Preboil the wild rice and set it to the side. Saute the celery, onion and carrots in the olive oil until soft and set aside. Add the butter, mushrooms and the white rice to the pan. Slowly cook at a low temp until it begins to turn golden then add the wine. Cook the rice mixture until most of the wine is absorbed.

Add back the celery, carrots and onions to the pan and add 1/2 cup of the mushroom essence and stir frequently. Add the remaining broth to the pan 1/2 cup at a time allowing the rice to absorb each addition before add the next. When all the broth has been used, the mixture should be smooth and creamy in texture. Add the cooked wild rice and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy,
Janet

Fall Inspiration Chili

I never was happy being one person in a crowd, especially when I get the chance to experiment. I was a scientist before we opened our gourmet shop so cooking to me is much like being in the lab. I usually pick one or two key ingredients then punt from there on.

I got inspiration earlier in the week from one of my Facebook Followers who suggested I do a chili this week for our Saturday evening Cooking Demo. This is what I came up with.

Spicy Apple Chipotle Chili

1 lb cubed pork

1 large onion chopped

3 T chopped garlic

¾ cup Stonewall Kitchens Maple Chipotle Sauce

2 cans Red Kidney beans, drained (15 oz)

2 cans Black Beans, drained (15 oz)

1 can navy beans, drained (15 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz)

4 med apples chopped

1 ½ T chili seasoning

1T Chipotle powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown pork then add onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 2 hours until the pork is tender and the sauce thickens. Sever with fresh hot bread. It will also taste good with shredded cheddar topping.

Cookin' In Dillsboro

Well, I have to say we really have started a following for our Saturday evenings. Allen Field, who is a retired chef, has been creating dishes with the products we sell in the shop. We are going to post them here and I link this to our Facebook Page.

This recipe was created 2 weeks ago. The featured product was Lemon Curd from Stonewall Kitchens.

Lemon Curd Carrots

1 lb baby carrots

1 t lemon zest

2T Lemon Curd

2 oz dry white wine

2T butter

Parboil carrots until they are just barely cooked then drain liquid.

Add the wine, butter & lemon curd stir until the butter melts and the curd mixes with the wine.

Cook the carrots for 10 minutes in the sauce then add the lemon zest to serve.

Bon Appetit,

Janet

Spring is Coming

The great thing about spring is the anticipation after a long hard winter. Nothing could be truer this year. We had lots of snow and very frigid temperatures. However, the last few weeks have been absolutely beautiful. We will be posting a calendar of events soon with weekly information about happenings at the shop. I will blog it's location when it is ready.
Another great thing about spring is that my cheeses will be available again. We carry goat and cow cheeses from local dairies that will knock your socks off. I have some great recipes to post using them.
We are adding a new event to our calendar "Cornhole" or bean bag toss tournaments These will be on Friday and Saturday evenings. For more infor on Cornhole and the rules (which are very simple) can be found at www.playcornhole.org.
We are also joining forces with other businesses in town to make our food and wine pairings special.