Kent pumpkin stuffed with nuts and herbs

Get

1 Kent pumpkin
Some shallot greens
2-3 chopped medium champignons
Tahini , 2 tbsp
100g macadamia nuts
fresh thyme tips, lemon thyme, marjoram or oregano
1 clove garlic
olive oil
150g cheese for baking, e.g. young gouda, or matured cheddar

Do

Cut pumpkin across in two. Remove the seeds.
Steam or bake the halves until quite soft. Not too soft or it will become unstable. Let it cool down briefly for handling.
Place the halves face up in two baking dishes or in one large one.
Scrape out most of the flesh into a bowl leaving about 1 cm depth above the skin.
Mash the flesh. Add the finely chopped shallots. Grate in the macadamia nuts with a hand grater. Add the chopped thyme.
Add the mushrooms and tahini.
Mix these ingredients together .
Fill the mash into the pumpkin shells.
Mix the crushed garlic with the olive oil and spread it on top.
Top with cheese. 

Bake at 130°C on the second shelf of the oven for 30 minutes, then increase the temperature to 180°C for 10 minutes until they are golden.
Tip This dish is also delicious without the pumpkin and with more mushrooms instead.
Leave off the cheese and it is vegan.

Bunya burgers

get

4 small to medium champignon mushrooms chopped small
75g medium grated macadamias
10 bunya "nuts" of the Bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii)
1 Tbsp tahini
2 slices white bread
3 Tbsp wholemeal flour (spelt flour)
lemon thyme
4 tbsp cold-pressed organic olive oil

do

Remove the hard shell from the bunyas using a short sharp pointed knife. Carefully stab each bunya nut and the press down the knife blade to cut along one side. Remove the soft nut.
Steam the bunyas for 1 hour. Medium grate them.
Soak the bread in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and press out the water.
Mix the bread, bunyas, chopped mushrooms, herbs and the ground nuts in a large bowl. Add the tahini.

Click to enlarge the pink fresh colour

Stir well until a sticky mixture forms. Mix well. Knead.
Press the mixture down with a spoon so it is compressed.
Spread the flour on a large dinner plate.
Half fill a dessert bowl with water. Dip a tablespoon in the water and wet your clean hand with water.
Scoop out small amounts of the mixture with the tablespoon to make a spoon-shaped little burger. The water prevents the mixture sticking to the hand and spoon. It also moistens the outside of the burger.
Squeeze the burger onto the spoon, then push it off onto the floured plate. Repeat until all the burgers are made.

Araucaria Bidwillii

Turn the burgers so there is flour on both sides. Add more flour if necessary. Let the floured burgers stand on the plate for some time turning occasionally so they are well covered with flour.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan at a low to medium temperature.
Fry the burgers in it until golden. Add more olive oil if necessary.
Serve hot immediately or cold on a sandwich.

see also
Bunya Nut and Macadamia Burgers

Cultured Mushroom Diversity

Cultured mushroom diversity on offer at the Frankfurt weekly farmer's market (Konstablerwache).

In the truffle (and chanterelle) season, it is off to the 'Italian' restaurant/s for some of that UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage. 


Images:
1. Golden oyster mushroom, Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus
2. Pink oyster mushroom, Pleurotus djamor
3. Butterscotch mushroom, Pholiota microspora, Pholiota nameko or shortly nameko
4. Shimeji
5. Boletus
6. Chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius,

Mushrooms with pesto

Get
250g large open field mushrooms
100g spelt flour
5 tbsp olive oil
Lemon thyme

1 bunch of basil
200g macadamia nuts
2 large cloves of garlic
1 cup olive oil

Do
Clean and remove the stems from the basil. Chop finely.
Medium grate the macadamia nuts and add to the basil in a bowl. Mix.
Crush the garlic and add.
Add oil bit by bit while stirring until a thick paste forms.
Press into the bowl. Dribble a little oil on top and cover.

Clean the mushrooms, dry them, cut a little off the stem and discard. Cut into thick slices.
Put the flour on a large plate and roll the mushrooms in it. Do this in 2 lots if there are too many mushrooms. Leave for ½ hour so the mushrooms collect lots of flour. Turn from time to time.
Heat olive oil in a stainless steel frying pan and add enough mushrooms when the oil is hot so that they do not touch. Turn when golden.
Push the mushrooms to the side of the pan when they are golden on both sides and fry the remaining mushrooms.
Sprinkle with lemon thyme.

Can be served with potatoes and a salad or with noodles and tomato sauce.

Mushroom macadamia baked mince

Get

6 champignon mushrooms, medium to large
150g grated macadamia nuts
4 tbsp tahini
10 stems of shallot greens or 2 whole shallots, chopped
100g cheese for baking, e.g. mild cheddar

Do

Clean then chop mushrooms into small cubes
Place in a mixing bowl
Add macadamias, shallots and tahini
Mix well
Place in a baking tray and smooth the surface
Slice cheese on top
Bake on the second shelf at 160°c for 40 minutes

The proportions are variable for this dish, but there should be more mushrooms than nuts, about 2:1 brings out the mushroomy taste.

Mushroom eggplant with pasta

GET
1 medium eggplant
300g champignons
2 medium red onions
olive oil
pink salt
optional: whole garlic cloves.

Pasta (e.g. Rigatoni, Penne) or Camargue red rice
all organic

Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

DO
Partly peel the eggplant and cut into cubes on a plate. Sprinkle salt on it and leave it standing for 1 hour or more. Pour off the dark juice which settles on the plate.
Wash the eggplant well to remove the salt and squeeze to dry.

Boil water for the noodles.

Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplant in it. When it is golden, add a few tablespoons of boiling water/ tomato sauce and cook till it is done. Put it aside on a plate.

Start cooking the noodles.

Dice the onions. Cut the champignons into large chunks.

Fry the diced onion in the same pan with more oil as necessary. When soft, push the onion to the side and fry the champignon pieces until lightly golden. Add garlic if desired.
Mix the onions and mushrooms together and mix in the eggplant.

Serve with noodles, parmesan and a green salad.

Alternatively you can serve the dish with Camargue red rice and Brussels sprouts.

The eggplant should be firm and without black seeds. The mushrooms should be fleshy. In Germany use Steinchampignons, in Australia use swiss brown champignons.

Image Nr. 1:
Segantini, Giovanni, Mushrooms, 1886

Chanterelle with Eggs and Herbs

GET organic
500 g Chanterelle
4 eggs
60 g butter/or some olive oil
2 TBS parsley or chives, chopped
Optional: 2 TBS cream/chopped onions

DO
Wash golden chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), (images) dry well on towel. Chop mushrooms in half. Heat butter in pan. Beat eggs. (Can add optional cream to egg mixture. If onions are to be used, fry them.) The butter not too hot, add mushrooms. When golden, pour egg mixture on top, turn heat down. Sprinkle with some of the herbs. When cooked, serve with the rest of the herbs.

An alternative way is to do the mushrooms in a separate pan and the eggs, scrambled or as omelette in another. This dish is a good breakfast, but also a hearty dinner, served with steamed potatoes and a green salad.

Mushrooms - Saffron Milk Cup & Slippery Jack

Found two unusual mushrooms at the Manly Farmers Market. Both seem to be naturalised in Australia, especially in Pinus radiata plantations.

The one on the left is Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus) and the one on the right Saffron Milk Cup (Lactarius deliciosus).

With the Saffron Milk Cup, remove the stems, wash and cut. Fry in olive oil.
Nami-nami has a' Wild Mushroom & Potato Gratin' for their "bountiful" harvest.

The Slippery! Jack: Peel, wash, check for grubs/worms. Be aware that some people are allergic to them or dispute that they are edible at all. Cut and fry in butter if there weren't too many bugs that turned you off.

Omelet with mushrooms and thyme

get
6 medium mushrooms, e.g. champignons, chanterelles, porcini
a few tips of fresh thyme, or best lemon thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
50g goats milk fetta cubed
4 organic, free-range eggs
2 tbsp water

do
Slice mushrooms in 4. Fry in a large pan in the olive oil on both sides until golden and dry on a low flame. Add thyme tips. Push to one side of the pan.
Add the butter.
Beat the eggs and water well with a fork until smooth. Pour into the pan next to the mushrooms. Let it fry until almost set on top and golden underneath. Cut across the middle and look under the omelet to see if it is stable. Flip the halves from the round side so they keep their shape.
Place half of the fetta cubes on each omelet half. Fold lengthwise to cover the cheese so it has the shape of a quarter circle filled with fetta. Let it melt briefly. Then serve with toast. Some mushrooms will be incorporated into the omelet, others next to it.
Image: Boletus & free range organic eggs

Mushroom & Pasta - Basta!

Get
Mushrooms (organic Button mushrooms)
Onions & Garlic
Olive oil
Sour Cream
Herbs: Garden cress-sprouts, Chives, Dill
Nutmeg &/ white pepper
Pasta (organic semolina, or durum wheat, no egg), preferred shapes are Orecchiette or Fusilli.

Do
Fry onions & mushrooms
Boil pasta
Shortly before pasta is "al dente"
Add cream and (most of the) chopped herbs, garlic and spices to the mushrooms.
(If you do not want to use cream, just do it without.)
Heat on a low flame and stir.
Drain pasta and mix with mushroom sauce
Cover for a a few minutes.
Transfer to serving dish
Sprinkle with remaining herbs.
Serve with a green crunchy salad.

Both images are by Giorgio Sommer from around 1885 somewhere in Italy, the first one is a macaroni manufacture and the second one is just eating them. Both pictures are in the public domain, uploaded via Zeno
Could one still dry their pasta in the public today?

Mushroom Nut Burgers

get
6 medium champignon mushrooms chopped small
150g finely ground macadamias or cashews or mixed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 - 2 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp wholemeal flour (spelt flour)
herbs (e.g. parsley, thyme)
4 tbsp cold-pressed organic olive oil

do
Mix the finely chopped onions, the chopped mushrooms, herbs and the ground nuts in a large bowl. Add the tahini.
Stir well until a sticky mixture forms. Mix well.
Press the mixture down with a spoon so it is compressed.
Spread the flour on a large dinner plate.
Half fill a dessert bowl with water. Dip a tablespoon in the water and wet your clean hand with water.
Scoop out small amounts of the mixture with the tablespoon to make a spoon-shaped little burger. The water prevents the mixture sticking to the hand and spoon. It also moistens the outside of the burger.
Squeeze the burger onto the spoon and push it off onto the floured plate. Repeat until all the burgers are made.
Turn the burgers so there is flour on both sides. Add more flour if necessary. Let the floured burgers stand on the plate for some time turning occasionally so they are well covered with flour.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan at a low temperature.
Fry the burgers in it until deep golden. They must be well cooked but not burnt. Add more olive oil if necessary.
Serve hot immediately or cold on a sandwich.
Complementary to rice with pine nuts and currants.