Populations in urban areas have lost touch with their roots. Not necessarily ethnic or cultural, but the understanding of where food comes from and how it arrives at the market. The locavore movement encourages individuals to use locally raised and produced ingredients and this movement has been gaining momentum while aligning itself with the modern day “green” practices while supporting local farms, businesses, and industries. If you know what you are looking for, foraging can produce tasty snacks, salads, side dishes, and main courses for any cook.
Before going out on your foraging adventure, it is important to study what items are edible and which are not. Many cities offer community education courses regarding foraging and there are several books and websites available on the topic; I recommend ecosalon.com/foraging-for-food and foraging.com. Beginners should stick to easily identified items and avoid mushrooms altogether and all foraged items should be washed before eating raw or cooking.
This dish became very popular with my staff and our friends. Very delicious and decadent, this dish will be very popular with your friends. I really hope you will enjoy it.
Ingredients ½ of a medium sized well-marbled chuck roast, cut into thin strips no longer that 2”
¾ lb. of bacon, cut up
Whiskey Beef and Bacon - 11/02/11
½ lb of red potatoes, thinly sliced
½ lb of carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, roughly diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of whiskey
1 tbsp of rosemary
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
Heat up a large fry pan (or wok) and begin to fry the bacon with the garlic and onions. When the bacon is about medium done, begin to add the beef to sear. Take 1 cup of whiskey and begin to deglaze the pan with the bacon and beef and add the rosemary. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to stir. Cover the pan briefly, checking and stirring every 5 minutes. After about 15 minutes, add the rest of the whiskey to finish. The fats from the bacon and beef combined with the whiskey makes a great and tasty glaze on the food. While still cooking, add the black pepper. Once the whiskey has cooked down, add salt to taste and serve heartily with some nice ale.
Many of the recipes posted of late were prepared and demonstrated at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. We cooked each of these dishes on an open fire.
I mentioned in an earlier blog that we did several unusual dishes for the final weekend at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Among them were Whiskey Beef and Bacon Hash, Oxtail Soup, and Young Octopus with Saffron Rice & Lemon.
The nearby grocery store was having a special on octopus and I thought it would be an unusual cooking demonstration for our audience. Little did I know this dish would be so tasty. The timing is crucial; the saffron rice should be the first part of the preparation.
Saffron Rice with Lemon
Young Octopus with Saffron Rice and Lemon - 10/01/11
2 cups of white basmati rice
3 ½ cups of vegetable stock
½ tsp of turmeric
½ tsp of saffron threads
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, zest and juice
¼ tsp sea or Kosher salt
Pour the vegetable stock into a medium sized pot with a tight fitting lid and place over high heat. While the stock comes to the boil, add the turmeric, garlic, lemon juice and half of the zest. Stir well and add the rice and salt. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low and cook for 12-15 minutes. Turn off the heat, but keep the lid on for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Young Octopus
½ lb. young octopus
1 cup rice flour
1 tsp of ground coriander
1 tsp of ground cardamom
¾ tsp of ground cinnamon
¾ tsp of fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp of chili powder
½ tsp of salt
3 cups of olive oil
Rinse the octopus in cold water and cut into thirds (roughly a tad larger than bite-sized). Once done, add all of the spices to the flour and blend well. Pour the oil into a medium sized pot and put on medium to high heat. The goal is to get the oil to 350 – 375 degrees.
While the oil heats up, dredge the octopus in the seasoned flour, until completely covered in flour and flash fry the octopus for about 10-30 seconds. Do not add more than two octopi into the pot to fry at a time, once it has curled up and cooked on all sides, remove from the pot and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Once fully cooked, fluff the saffron rice with chopsticks and add to a plate. Add the octopus on top of the rice and use the remaining lemon zest on top of the dish. Now it is ready to serve.
Ingredients:
1 chicken, deboned
1lb leeks cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 pints vegetarian or chicken stock or water
1/2 cup long grain rice
One teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper
bay leaf, parsley, thyme
1/4 lb chopped bacon
Fry up the bacon in a large saucepan and add the chicken once the bacon is about half done. Continue stiring until the chicken is about half done (7 minutes). Add broth/water and cover. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary. Add the rice and the remaining leeks and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check for flavor and serve with a little chopped parsley. Serves 6/8 people.
Ingredients:
1/4 lb lean bacon
6 to 8 small, young onions
two cups chopped button mushrooms Ingredients for the meat:
3lb stewing steak
4 tablespoons oil
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons flour
1 bottle of fruity young claret (Burgundy or Beaujolais)
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Bunch of fresh herbs
Cutup and cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes.
Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1½” square. Add the beef to the bacon, onions and mushrooms and begin to brown the cubes of meat. Add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Stir from time to time.
Add wine, light seasoning and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve with boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley or mashed potatoes.
