We celebrated with a dinner and terrace firework watching at our apartment in London (Thanks again, Val – Don’t forget to come to our place soon!). We picked up provisions earlier that day at the Borough Market. The fact that we were going straight from the market to the theater limited our purchases to non-perishables, so we chose to make a mushroom risotto the main course, with assorted cheeses and dried meats for appetizers. I think we did pretty well under the circumstances.
Appetizers from Borough Market
The cheeses are Spenwood, a goats mild cheese made by Anne and Andy Wigmore in Eisely, and a Gorwydd Caerphilly made by the Trethowan Family in Wales, both purchased at Neal’s Yard Dairy. (Click the cheese names for more info about the cheese makers.) The wonderful Balsamic Fig Sauce comes from Apulia Blend. I don’t know the name of the stall where I bought the salamis, but they were delicious.
And how about those cheesticks? They’re called “Red Leicester Cheese Straws” and they’re from the Flour Power City Bakery stall at the Borough Market. Like air they are. Look how light – What I’d give for that recipe…
Mushroom Risotto with Thyme
For this entree, I used mushrooms and herbs bought at the Wild Mushroom Company in Borough Market. The recipe is a basic risotto, with a few additions such as thyme and mushroom stock.
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb assorted mushrooms, sliced thin (I used chantarelles, cepes from South Africa and button mushrooms from France)
1 medium onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 tbsp chopped fresh tyhme
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups risotto rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup mushroom broth (I used a dried mushroom stock cube, but you can make your own from dried porcinis, straining the stock before using and chopping the porcinis to add to the mushrooms)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the broths and heat to boiling, then turn down to a low heat to keep warm.
In a large heavy pot (I use a le Cruset French Oven), melt 1 tbsp butter with the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute till soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme and saute, stirring frequently, till the mushrooms give off their water and just start to brown. (About 10 minutes).Add the rice and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes till it is opaque. Add the wine and stir till evaporated (about a minute).
Now turn down the heat a tad and begin adding the hot stock to the rice, a laedful or two, and stir. Continue stirring and adding the stock a ladleful at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed each time before adding more, until the rice is tender and creamy yet still a little al dente.
Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining butter, then the parsley and parmesan cheese. Season with lots of fresh ground pepper and a little salt. Serve with a side green salad and sauteed root veggies (recipe follows).
Sauteed Root Vegetables with Salsify
I discovered Black Salsify at the Wild Mushroom Company at Borough Market. The propietor suggested I treat it like a root vegetable, so that’s what I did, combining it with a few gorgeous carrots, leeks and fennel I found at the same place.
Salsify is sometimes called “Goat’s Beard”, which I suppose describes what the small roots look like coming off the end of the stalk. (This is black salsify – there are other types as well.) Salsify is also called Oyster Plant because of it’s flavor when cooked. In this dish, that flavor did not come through, probably because of the stronger flavors of the carrots and fennel that accompany it. I’ve seen recipes for sauteed salsify with apple, and if I ever find salsify again, that’s the recipe I will try.
You need to peel salsify before cooking it, after which you keep it in water with a little lemon juice to prevent it from turning color before cooking it.
1/2 lemon
Large bowl of cold water
3 salsify roots, peeled and julieened
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
1 large leek, halved lengthwise, rinsed, sliced again lenghtwise and the into 2-3 inch strips
1 medium fennel bulb, sliced into thin strips 2-3 inches long
Squeeze the lemon into the cold water. Peel the salsify, then julienne. Keep in cold water till ready to cook, then drain and blot dry before cooking .
Slice the leek lengthwise and rinse well in cold water. Drain. Cut across the length, and then again lengthwise. so you have strips about 2-3 inches long.
Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add carrots, fennel and salsify, and saute over medium high heat till just softened. Add leeks and continue to saute till soft and veggies start to brown. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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