I’ve started putting mushrooms in almost everything I cook. Their meaty, savory flavor adds a little something extra to fall and winter soups, pasta and stir-fries. They blend perfectly with cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, beans and rice, sausage and winter squash. And the nutrition is phenomenal.

Mushrooms are low-calorie and packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Supposedly setting mushrooms on the windowsill to absorb some sunlight will give you an extra boost of vitamin D. They are good sources of potassium which can help lower blood pressure, they have an anti-inflammatory effect on cells, and they have high amounts of selenium and B6, both of which help prevent cell damage.

So, what’s not to like? Healthy and tasty at the same time. We have an Asian market near where we live, so a once-a-month foray brings home Asian vegetables like bok choi, spinach and all other manner of Asian greens, organic tamari, homemade kimchi, and best of all, mushrooms. They usually have shitakes on sale, so I buy a big portion and bring them home to the dehydrator or to roast.

Dried wild mushrooms bring premium prices at markets and grocery stores, but this way I can have my mushrooms ready for rehydrating and adding to whatever I’m cooking. Rehydrating is simply a matter of pouring some boiling water on the mushrooms and letting them sit for a few minutes. Then, the mushroom water is poured off (a delicious addition to soup), and the mushrooms can be chopped and added to risotto, scrambled eggs, mushroom stew or whatever you have cooking.

Roasted mushrooms

Serve as a side to almost anything or keep some of these in the frig for adding to sandwiches, salads, or scrambled eggs. Clean mushrooms and clip off the ends of the stems. It is perfectly fine to wash them – it’s a myth that they will soak up a lot of water. Slice and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides and roast at 375 for about half an hour.

Duxelles

Sauteed or roasted mushrooms keep beautifully when frozen. I like to make a riff on duxelles, a traditional French dish of sauteed mushrooms with shallots and white wine. My recipe is to chop the mushrooms and mince a couple of cloves of garlic and half an onion finely. Saute them in olive oil or butter for about ten minutes. Freeze flat in a ziplock and break off pieces to add to a dish, use alone as a dressing for pasta, or even simply to put a dollop on a baked white or sweet potato.

Oven-Baked Risotto

Go-to comfort food with an elegant umami flavor. This rendition lets the oven do the work instead of standing and stirring for half an hour.

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/4 c. finely chopped onion
• 3/4 c. Arborio rice
• 1/4 c. dry white wine, (optional)
• 3 c. stock
• 3/4 t. coarse salt
• 1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 T. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
• Additions: prosciutto, brie, mushrooms, pumpkin, butternut squash

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.

Now that the summer is gone, fall is deepening and there is a tendency to pull inward. Since most of my garden tasks are finished, my focus is no longer outdoors and I can start my fall cleanse. Sort of like spring cleaning, but this is more of an emptying process. Getting rid of all the dead weight hanging around my house and especially in my kitchen.

I’ve cleaned out the pantry, getting rid of all the dribs and drabs that aren’t enough to make a meal. I’ve defrosted my freezer and taken stock of all that’s there from the summer garden. We have plenty of food to keep us fed all winter, but for heaven’s sake – just how much blanched kale can a family eat? I’m actually organizing myself to make a list of what we have and am creating menus.

The answer is soups. Yes, soups and more soups. They not only warm and nourish the body but there is something soul-warming and environment-enriching about a soup bubbling away on the stove. It also gives me license to bake bread because, you know, soup needs bread.

Even though I have plenty of time to cook elaborate recipes, the inclination just isn’t there. I want to simplify my life, including my cooking. So, I share with you this basic start to any soup – mirepoix.

The French term means sauteed mixed vegetables (soffrito in Italian – means softly fried). The traditional mix is onion, garlic, celery and carrot. But add whatever you want. Once you have this mixture, it’s simple to turn it into just about any type of soup, from cream to brothy, to beany to chowder. Best of all, most of us have these ingredients in the crisper anyway so it’s not necessary to make a run to the store.

Mirepoix soup base

Chop a small onion, a small carrot and a couple of stalks of celery. Saute gently in two tablespoons of olive oil until somewhat soft but not browned. While sauteeing, add seasonings and herbs to allow them to “bloom” in the oil. This process releases the flavors to infuse your soup.

If you are making a cream soup or bisque, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour and slowly stir in about two cups of milk or stock. Or, puree white beans and add to the soup. If making a broth-based soup simply add stock and perhaps noodles or rice. Other possibilities – browned sausage, cabbage, kale (I have lots), lentils or other beans, tomatoes, tortellini.

Pumpkin bisque

Pumpkin Bisque for two

• 1 T. unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 3/4 c. diced, peeled pumpkin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 fresh sage leaves
• 1 quarts stock
• 1 t. sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 T. sherry

Wrap the bay leaf, thyme sprigs & sage leaves together into a bouquet garnish using cheese-cloth, so that it can be removed easily at the end of the cooking time.

In a stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, celery & onion. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 7 – 10 min.

Add the pumpkin, herbs & stock & bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover & cook for 20 min, or until the pumpkin is tender & cooked through. Remove the bouquet garnish. Purée the soup with a blender until no lumps remain. If necessary, pass the soup through a sieve. Return the soup to the pot and add the sherry. Bring the soup back to a simmer. Season to taste with salt & freshly ground pepper. Serve in warmed soup bowls with croutons or a swirl of cream.

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Reminiscence of a fall in Ireland

Watercolor renditions by watercolor.com

We had an early start to the day in a cab to the train station in Cork. After a very pleasant train ride through the misty Irish countryside into Dublin, we hopped a cab to our boutique/pub hotel. We took a walk around the town (Sword), and stumbled on the Sword Castle, a gem in the middle of town. The chapel was spectacular, with magnificent wooden ceilings, artistic tile floors and stunning stained glass. Tea and cocoa at a coffee shop and then off to an Indian dinner. Early night for us as we leave for the airport at 6:45 in the morning for a long day of airports and flights. See you soon!

It rained all night and is still raining. At least it’s warmer today so the rain is tolerable. We braved the puddles and went into town to the farm market. Not many stalls because of the rain but absolutely delectable food booths and trucks, bread and artisans. We shopped and then scooted into a warm tea room for tea and cinnamon rolls. Perfect for a rainy afternoon. Then back to the cottage for dry clothes, a warm fire, bowl of popcorn and a movie. Not a day for walking. We’ll be catching an early train tomorrow into Dublin where we’re staying overnight and then heading home Friday. Maybe catch another pub and music tomorrow night before we leave this wonderful country.

Steps down to the town road

Small garden on the way into town

The tide’s in. Kinsale harbor on a dreary day

Pots of heather for sale at a garden shop

Flooded streets

The picture says it all – blustery, constant rain and cold all day. We did get into town for some groceries and a delicious brunch, even with water running down our faces. After my lunch of seasoned avocado on one piece of toasted sourdough and chili beans on another piece, topped with arugula salad and a pot of breakfast tea, we headed back to the cottage for the afternoon. We built a fire and watched a funny movie with a bag of cheese puffs between us. Tonight was homemade broccoli potato soup, a raw salad, Irish beer and gentle Irish music in the background while the wind howls and the rain comes down in buckets.