Dark Days - Meals 3 & 4

Rather than presenting two specific meals, here's a smattering of SOLE food that's been spotted in our kitchen in the past couple weeks!

 Tomatoes from our garden - very slowly ripening under newsprint

 An all-SOLE fritatta with eggs, kale, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onion and swiss cheese.

 Mutant Mushroom!

 Mushroom soup (found on http://userealbutter.com/, see below for recipe)

 AMAZING shredded beef made in the crock pot with diced tomatoes and pickles (you add the whole jar - liquid and all).  Used a chuck roast from our 1/16 a cow purchased earlier in the year.

 Picked the last batch of carrots from the garden this week!

Made sandwiches from local bread, completely SOLE smoked turkey lunch meat (such a seasonal treat from our Amish farmers!) and the last of the tomatoes from our garden. 

___________________________________
Creamy Mushroom Soup with Sherry and Thyme

from Fine Cooking issue #74 (found here)

2 tbsps unsalted butter
2 tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice (~ 1 1/2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and thinly sliced (~ 4 1/2 cups) – I used crimini
1/2 ounce bag of dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 1-2 cups boiling water (reserve the liquid, but leave any sandy dregs behind) – this is optional, I did not have any dried mushrooms, so I just used more fresh
2 tbsps plus 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (from our garden!!!)
1/2 tsp salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper to taste
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 tbsps dry sherry (I used balsamic vinegar instead... not a fan of sherry)
1 tbsp soy sauce

In a large stockpot heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high. Sauté the onions until they are browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir about for a minute. Then add the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of thyme, salt, pepper, and cook until the mushrooms begin to wilt (in a couple of minutes). Pour in the broth and the porcini liquid (if using) making sure to scrape up any fond that has formed on the bottom of the pan (the good browned bits). Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. Either using a food processor, a blender, or an immersion blender, purée about half of the soup. Return the purée to the pot and stir in the half-and-half, sherry, and soy sauce. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Reheat as needed. Garnish with fresh thyme and extra mushrooms that have been browned in butter. Serves six.

(in my soup, the vinegar, soy sauce and olive oil were not local)