Ganoderma Tsugae tea/broth

Mushroom season is over us. I love to go looking for them when I visit my sister in law in New Hampshire.

One of my favorit mushrooms are Ganoderma Tsugae.

You can find them on hemlocks that grow close to water.

This year I was fortunate to find wilting hemlocks full of these beautiful mushrooms.

Ganoderma also known as Reishi or Lingshi, has been used for centuries in Asia due to their alleged medicinal properties.

First cut the mushrooms in 0.5 cm thickness.

Ganoderma is a woody mushroom and you need a good knife. My bread knife worked well.

Dry them over night in a dehydrator on the highest setting. 

They should be easy to break in half when done.  If they are not  entirely dry they may mold and have to be discarded. 

Store the dried mushrooms in a container. Add a small bag of silica to keep them from 

molding.

I add a few strips to my stews and soups to add umami. Pick them out before serving as they are woody and impossible to chew.

Fried Rice

When I am in a hurry this is my go to dish. You can make the rice ahead of time.

This serves 4 people. Usually I have enough leftover for lunch the following day.



1 cup of rice, I like to use short brown rice

2 cups of water

pinch of salt

1-2 tbl spoons roasted sesame oil or any other oil to your liking

1 leek, cut thin

2 carrots, cut julienne style

1 red pepper, cubed

1 package of firm tofu, cubed (1/2 X 1/2 inch)

Corn from 1-2 cobs of corns, or use frozen corn.

crushed garlic to your liking

1 -2 table spoon of  ginger juice or grated ginger

Soy sauce, enough to make it tasty but not too salty.

1 bunch of Cilantro

roasted walnuts , optional


Add water and rice and pinch of salt . Cook until done.

Heat the oil add the garlic for 1 min.

Add the vegetables, stir for 1 minute then add the soy sauce; stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cubed tofu add more soy sauce and the ginger juice. Stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked rice  and more seasoning if needed.

Just before serving add the cilantro.

Use roasted chopped walnut as garnish.

Chicken of the Woods and Leek Quiche

One of my favorit mushrooms is Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus). It grows on withering hardwood trees. I have a few secret spots in the wood where they come back year after year.

It has a mild and... no surprise... chicken like flavor and texture.

First make the  tart crust.

1/1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled

2-3 tablespoons ice water.


Directions:

Mix flour salt and sugar in a bowl

Grate the ice cold butter right in to the flour.

Mix quickly, until it resembles coarse meal.

Add the water as you stir with a wooden spoon, not more than 30  seconds.

Form the dough into a single ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap in  plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

To bake the shell; roll out the chilled dough a quickly as possible on a lightly floured surface.

Press the the dough lightly into the bottom of the pan, lifting the edges and working it gently down into the mold.

Line the pastry with foil and fill it  with pie weights, uncooked rice or beans and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 809 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 2-3 minutes.

Mushroom and leek quiche

3 leeks sliced

1 pound Chicken in the Wood mushrooms sliced

Olive oil or  butter

Salt

1-2 cloves garlic

Italian herbs

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth

3 eggs

1 cup cream or milk

1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice. I like parmesan.

Directions

Fry the mushrooms and leeks in oil 3-5 minutes , add salt and garlic and herbs

After 5 minutes add wine, let simmer until tender.

In another bowl add cream, eggs and cheese. Add the mushrooms and leeks and pour into pie shell.

Bake at 375 degrees F in the upper part of the oven for 30 minutes, or until brown and firm.

Black Bean Salad

This salad is a perfect compliment to anything you throw on the grill this summer. It can also be enjoyed all by itself if you do not enjoy meat. 

It benefits from a couple of hours in the refrigerator prior to being consumed. 

Ingredients:

15 oz canned black beans rinsed

2 tomatoes, minced

1 green pepper, minced

Corn from one corn of the cob, lightly cooked

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, cubed

1/3-1/2 cup salsa, I like Trader Joe's Spicy Smokey Peach Salsa.

1/4  cup olive oil

Juice from 1-2 limes

1-2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

1 clove minced garlic

1/2- 1 teaspoon Chipotle in Adobe sauce or another pepper to your liking.

Directions:

Mix the vegetables except from the avocado which is cubed and added just before serving.

In a separate container mix  the rest of the ingredients and pour over the vegetables. Mix well. 

Let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours prior to serving. 

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp

Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarbs are a perfect pair. My favorit is the two under a layer of a crisp oatmeal and walnuts. Add some ice cream or whipped cream with a dash of yoghurt and you got the best dessert of the year.  

Best of all, it is easy and quick to make.

As always the proportions are not written in stone.  Please feel free to improvise.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 cup oat meal

1/2 cup walnuts or any other nut of your liking. Or drop nuts all together and increase the oats.

1/4-1/3 cup dark sugar or any other sugar that you like

1/4 cup flour

1 ts cardamom or cinnamon 

1/4 cup olive oil or any other oil that you like.

2 tbs butter

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb cut in 1-1 1/2 inch pieces

1 pint strawberries cut in 2- 4 parts.

1/3 - 1/2 cup dark brown sugar  ( more or less to your liking)

lemon juice from one lemon

1 ts cardamon or cinnamon

2 tbs flour 

Directions:

Mix the first 6 ingredients. 

Crumble in the butter.

Mix together the fruits sugar, lemon  juice, flour and spices.

In a pyrex pan  add the fruits and cover with the oat mixture.

Bake on lower rack for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degree Fahrenheit.  

Cover with parchment paper or tin foil to prevent burning. You want the fruits to be bubbling before 

removing from oven.