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Baker. Cook. Gardener. Animal Lover.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

It's Time To Let Them Go



To be perfectly honest with you, I still have the chanterelle mushrooms. When it came time to slice and saute them...I just could not do it. They were so beautiful I just couldn't say good bye. So I wrapped them up in paper towels, and gently placed them on a clean tea towel in the veggie bin. During the evening while we made the pizza, I would go and sneek a peek at them..say Hi to them, tell them it was just not their time yet. They were too special, too precious.They were gold.

So the pizza was missing the chanterelles...we put on olives instead. But it was good.

Today the rain hit hard..and so did the thunderstorms. Which is really unusual for around here.Poor little Dande made a break for the upstairs closet. She is still there. I'll just let her be.

With a dark rainy day looming, I knew I wanted to stay home. And deep down in my heart of hearts I knew it was also probably time to let the chanterelles go.It was time to say good bye. I know they won't last forever and I might as well enjoy them before they go bad. Actually, I like the idea of making a mushroom pasta sauce more than putting them on the pizza.

So this morning I decided to get out the pasta machine and crank out some fresh pasta.

The recipe is the one I will do tonight. You can use any mushrooms for this..unless you know Zipper...

Chanterelle Mushroom Pasta From The Hills Of Big Sur

Put on a large pot of water to boil. Make sure it has a fare amount of salt.

The mushroom sauce:

Saute a couple of shallots in butter and olive oil till soft.

Add diced carrot and a diced celery stalk to the shallot and cook till soft.

Add sliced mushrooms, about 2 cups.

Add about 2 cups chicken stock and cook till reduced to about 1/2 cup, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add 1 cup heavy cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer till sauce
is thick enough to coat a spoon,about 15 minutes. The sauce should be on the thick side.

Cook the pasta..Enough for 2.... till done, drain and add it to the mushroom sauce pan.Set aside about a cup of the pasta cooking water to add to the sauce if it becomes to thick after adding the pasta.

Coat the pasta with the sauce, add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle the pasta with chopped fresh italian parsley and chives. Can add about 1/4 toasted pine nuts, if desired.
Top with grated parmesan cheese.

24 comments:

  1. That sounds absolutely delicious! I need to get off my cookie only diet, so this should do the trick.

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  2. OMG, that sounds so wonderful! I adore homemade pasta with mushroom sauce! Any kinds of mushrooms...Every time I visit I end up getting hungry! Hugs, SIlke

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  3. Hello again!
    My mom lives on Wavertree in the Arbors by Islay Hill, though I know she'd love to be closer to downtown like you! Her name's Erin Ogren...it's such a small town, perhaps you know her? We used to go to Del Monte for brunch (I'm sure she and my little brother still do!). What a small world! Absolutely love your blog. I'm trying to learn to cook and this is just the inspiration I need!
    XX Kate

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  4. Yes, I agree, it sounds delicious. Enjoy your golden mushrooms!

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  5. OM Goodness, that sounds delectable! Now I'm glad you saved them for their destiny in such a sauce!
    When I use carrot, sometimes I just grate it with a potato peeler and let the fine strands mingle with my pasta. I don't like chopping carrots all that much.

    I can just taste this dish, Kary! I'm so glad I discovered your wonderful site.

    Kat

    P.S. I'd love if you'd pop by Invisible Keepsakes sometime. Although I write for Blasts, it's Keepsakes where my heart really lies; it's where I reveal my real "work"—my poetry.

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  6. Goodness me, that sounds delicious!

    -
    Agatha x

    thehouseonbloghill.blogspot.com

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  7. I wish I felt the way you feel about your mushrooms towards cookies when I have them in the house... I could eat a whole box in one sitting and only blink once!

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  8. Superb !!! By the way, today I had some pasta for lunch ;)
    Oh, and I posted an interesting quiz about pasta shapes, too. The post title is "PASTA LOVERS !".

    If I were you, I would keep a fine slice of the "golden treasure" into a book and let it dry as we use to do with flowers. Then, I would have this precious gourmet moment preserved forever :). I still have an ivy leaf I found on the woods at Mourish Castle(Sintra/Portugal) 12 years ago while in honeymoon with hubby :)

    xoxoxoxo

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  9. Yum...This sounds wonderful..I'm on a mushroom kick myself and will be making some Hungarian mushroom soup this weekend:)...Delicious:)

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  10. This sounds delicious. I have to get hands on some this year...better yet, I would love to stumble on some while hiking. I'll have to tell us how it turns out.

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  11. Sounds wonderful. Drove home from work in a down pour, but got to see a double rainbow! I wish I knew Zipper----.

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  12. Okay, I've got to get a pasta machine. This is making me drool! Thanks for this delectable sounding recipe. Mmm.

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  13. Kary, better than what you'll find in any of your local restaurants, I'm sure!

    I made reservations today for the Cliffs in March though I don't even know if I can afford to attend the CSAIA conference. If I can get a roommate, I'll come down anyway to see my pals. It's in mid-March. If I get an early start on that Tue, I'll let you know the dates, perhaps we could have lunch and maybe Enchanted Oak will join us, too.

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  14. Oh yum...why must you torture us like this? LOL!

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  15. It looks and sounds great!
    I never had the patience to make my own pasta... this post just inspires me to try. Thanks for recipe!

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  16. This made me laugh because I've done the same thing...had an edible item so beautiful I just couldn't bring myself to eat it, and then they eventually whither away and reach a point where they are inedible. I have to ruby red pomegranates whithering away on my kitchen island...but they were like precious jewels, I just couldn't bring myself to cut them open! What a nut job.
    Well, your pasta looks and sounds delicious.
    And I've been meaning to ask, whatever became of the boy who showed you the chanterelle spot?
    xoxo
    sending you love,
    Dawn

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  17. Aloooooha,
    OH YES, now this is so my type of comfort food. It's true I am a foodie,,,ok I'm out of the closet!!
    oh, sorry...I was having a moment there!! pasta and cream, with mushrooms..Heavenly:)
    Aloha Hugs
    Brandi

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  18. hi! i came to see what's new on your blog and i found this lovely recipe! i love mushrooms of any kind and be sure that i will test olaso this superb recipe!
    have a very sweet day!
    justyna

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  19. Hmmm...I love mushrooms - where did you get the chanterelles from? Also, I could do with a tutorial in the pasta machine...last time I tried to use one I gave up! Homemade pasta with a mushroom sauce sounds divine! xxx

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  20. Okay...I don't have a pasta maker, but I'm ready to come over a break bread with you right now. What kind of wine would you like me to bring? The recipe sounds **HEAVENLY**. I haven't given up hope that one day I will own a Kitchen Aid 6 qt. mixer with the pasta attachment. Some people have a bingo jar, or vacation fund jar...I'm starting a K.A. jar!

    Nancy

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  21. Your sauce sounds wonderful! I have been playing with lots of different sauce recipes, lately. I will definitely add this one to the list!

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  22. This looks so delicious! You used alot of will power to not use the chanterelles in the pizza : )

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  23. Hello. This is my first visit. I "gotta" tell you, any woman who cannot cut and eat mushrooms beacause of the beauty way they look, and wraps them in toweling and visits them, is a "forever new friend" in my book.

    Great blog I'm looking forward to another visit and preparing some of your recipes.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. I appreciate all your kind comments more than you can know.