Once Upon a Catch a Fairy Tail Tea Story©

Once Upon a Catch a Fairy Tail Tea Story©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Once upon a time, many years ago, after a long day’s work at Home Farm Herbery, I decided to sit on the patio and have a cup of tea as the evening faded into darkness.

As I looked out over gardens and ponds I started to notice thousands and thousands of blinking light that at first I thought was fireflies.   However, they did not seem to be fireflies.  As I peered into the darkness my ears picked up a sound.  Very subtle, but is almost sounded like thousands of muted voices.  I could not imagine my ears or even what it was.

So being the pragmatist that I am, yet believing in different dimensions and planes I finally concluded it must be fairies!  Yep, that’s right folks thousand and thousand of fairies crossing my domain. A true fairy tale!

Even though I have never had the opportunity to see them again I went right out and bought this sign and posted the garden area they were in. Perhaps I haven’t been out at the right time or haven’t been looking.

A few weeks later I decided to do more for these little folks and I concocted a tea blend which I called Catch a Fairy Tail Herbal Tea. 

I wanted something herbal, delightful and inspiring; a blend that would be full of flowers and fairy magic, with a little hint of mint. A delicious infusion that could be enjoyed by fairies of all ages. Something that could be enjoyed all year long, hot or cold!

Looking around the herbery I found Calendula flowers, Red Clover herb, Spearmint leaf, Lavender flowers, Lemon Balm, Catnip, Oatstraw, Lemon peel, Skullcap, Chamomile flowers, Thyme, and Stevia and I decided these were stuff dreams were made of.

At this point you may have decided that I put away my witches broom and set my kettle up on a fire, chanting a few words and stirred up a batch.

“Close, but no cigar”, as the barker says. However, after many experiments I came up with the perfect mixture that after 3 or 4 minutes of brewing time gives one a delightful, refreshing, caffeine free light yellow cup of tea that can be sipped both hot and iced.

Yes, this is a true Fairy Tale story and at Home Farm Herbery there is a fairy crossing sign in one of our many gardens and we truly believe they sometimes come and visit us. 

And…. Maybe while you are enjoying my Catch a Fairy Tail Herbal Tea, you may experience the visit of a lifetime.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery

Dried Mushrooms are GREAT! ©

Dried Mushrooms are GREAT!  ©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery’s dried mushrooms are one of our greatest works of art. We call them works of art because they do wondrous things to our cooking.

Many years ago we used to cook with them raw until we stumbled upon drying them and realized that there was a whole world that we were missing out on?

Dried mushrooms are a thing and a thing that is INTENSE FLAVOR that is readily available to almost everyone.

Here at Home Farm Herbery dried mushrooms let you experience new and different mushroom varieties that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to try without traveling quite a distance.

Dried mushrooms range from your more traditional Shiitakes and Portabellas to our Wild Mushroom blend which has a number of gourmet mushrooms.

They also have different flavor profiles and textures including an earthy meatiness, an earthy sweetness and umami flavors. Umami is one of the five basic tastes along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter. This specific flavor is what you would call ‘savory’ and is experienced through your taste receptors that absorb glutamate. Umami flavors can be hard to describe, but come with a specific mouth feel that many people have experienced. This induces salivation and a feeling of furriness on the tongue. 

Did you know that possibly the best part of dried mushrooms is that they can last for up to several years in the proper storage conditions?

There are many types of Dried Mushrooms

Dried Porcini Mushrooms have a very meaty texture when reconstituted and also have a complex flavor. Porcini mushrooms are very versatile and can be substituted for fresh Porcinis when they are not in season. Porcini mushrooms are used in a variety of cuisines including Asian, Italian and other European cuisines. Porcini mushrooms are typically used in soups, stews, stocks and braising liquids.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms are one variety of mushrooms that cooks actually prefer in the dried form, as opposed to fresh. This is because the drying process brings out the umami flavor that the fresh mushrooms do not possess. In Japan, shiitake mushrooms are added to miso soup and added to simmered and steamed dishes, while in Chinese cuisine they are more likely to be sautéed in vegetarian dishes. We like to use Shiitake mushrooms to make gravy, pasta and rice.

Dried Morel Mushrooms are loved by mushroom aficionados who will tell you that their flavor cannot be beaten by any other type of fresh mushroom. Morel mushrooms are very easy to recognize by their honeycomb shaped cap. These mushrooms have a rich, smoky and earthy flavor and we like to use them in a variety of dishes. Some of our favorites include beef, chicken and seafood recipes. We also like to use them to make casseroles, gravy and pasta dishes.

Dried Lobster Mushrooms can be substituted in recipes that call for just about any other type of mushroom. Their flavor will be unique depending on the mushroom hosts, but they will almost always have a spicy, strong shrimp and shellfish aroma and a possible peppery taste if the host mushroom is a Lactifluus. We use Lobster mushrooms in an array of dishes such as scrambled eggs, baked pasta, gravies or any other mushroom dish that could also use some vibrant orange color.

Candy Cap Mushrooms are a mushroom that does not follow the typical pattern of being eaten as a vegetable. Candy cap mushrooms are unique because they can enhance the flavors in sweet and savory dishes. When dried, these mushrooms have an aroma that brings to mind maple syrup or butterscotch. Because of the sweet aspect of this mushroom, it is used as a flavoring in the way that saffron, truffles and vanilla would be. These mushrooms are used by innovative cooks to bring a surprising flavor to breads, cookies and ice cream. They are also delicious in savory dishes that include polenta, pork and quinoa. 

Our Magically Forest Dried Wild Mushroom Blend  is combination of our favorite mushrooms that includes Morels, Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Porcini, Lobsters, Sliced Shiitakes, and Boletes. We like to use our Wild Mushroom Blend to make dishes such as beef dishes, casseroles, stir fries, stuffing and soups.

Dried Black Trumpet Mushrooms  which are actually a very common variety of mushroom, but they are dark, small and grow in the forest so they are very hard to find thus making them the most expensive mushrooms we offer. We use these when we make our incredible Black Trumpet Mushroom Duck Salami or sausages.

We love their smoky, rich buttery and elegant flavor with a pleasant, fruity aroma and our Black Trumpet Mushrooms pair well with hearty stews, meat and chicken, rice dishes, egg dishes, soups and stir-fry and will give an added layer of depth to sauce and gravy.
At first you may think that dried mushrooms are a bit expensive, but top chefs and home cooks alike can tell you how much the drying process intensifies the flavor of the mushroom. They are also a good addition to any well stocked pantry and are perfect for months when wild mushrooms are not in season. 

May the Creative Force be with you

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery  

More Cooking with Chervil©

More Cooking with Chervil©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

We love cooking with our dried chervil and we love sharing our recipes.  Here are two of our long time favorite recipes.  The first one is very simple and the second one is deliciously elegant.

Roasted Pepper Frittata

Chervil has long been a favorite in egg dishes, but usually in the dried form. This recipe takes a nice helping of the fresh greens and adds it to a mix of colorful bell peppers. This recipe has long been a favorite of mine.

Makes 6 servings

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. dried chervil, 

Salt and pepper to taste

8 large eggs

3 tablespoons low-fat milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh chervil sprigs for garnish

Preheat broiler.

Cut all the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and ribs. Place cut sides down on a baking sheet. Broil until the skins blacken and blister. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, drape the peppers loosely with aluminum foil and let cool for 10 minutes. Using your fingers or a small knife, remove the pepper skins. Cut the peppers lengthwise into strips 1/4-inch wide.

In a bowl, combine the bell pepper strips, garlic, vinegar, chervil and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate un-refrigerated 30 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Parmesan until frothy. Add the pepper mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a 10-inch ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and, when it starts to set, lift the edges of the frittata with a spatula so that some of the egg mixture runs underneath.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bottom is set but the top still is runny, 8 to 10 minutes. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the eggs are set on top and golden brown on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove the frittata from the oven and loosen with a spatula. Invert the frittata onto a serving plate. Garnish with fresh chervil sprigs.

We adapted the following recipe from Emeril LaGasse around 16 years ago.

Lobster Ravioli in a Fennel and Chervil-Infused Nage

Total Time: 1 hr 25 min    Prep:15 min    Cook:1 hr 10 min

Yield: 18 ravioli, serving 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (we like to use our Grains of Paradise)

¼ tsp dried thyme 

¼ tsp. dried parsley 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
2 live (1 1/2 to 2 pound) lobsters
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh fennel bulb, fronds and upper stems reserved
1 tablespoons dried chervil
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup minced died onions 

½  teaspoon minced dried garlic

36 wonton or egg roll wrappers

Directions

In a large pot place 1 gallon of water and the celery, onion, carrot, lemon and orange juices, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, garlic, bay leaves, white wine and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, then add the lobsters and poach for 9 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the water with tongs and drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the lobster meat and claw meat from the shells, finely chop and set aside, reserving the shells.

Into a clean pot strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Add the lobster shells and bring to a boil over high heat and reduce by half. Add the fronds and upper stems from the fennel bulb and reduce again by half (should be between 2 and 3 cups). Strain the liquid again into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the chervil, cream, 2 tablespoons butter and 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest to the pan and season to taste. Remove sauce from the heat and cover.

In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and sauté the fennel, shallots and garlic until soft. Add the chopped lobster meat and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and remaining lemon zest and butter to the pan and stir to incorporate, next pour onto a plate to cool.

On a flat surface spread out 18 won ton wrappers and spoon 1 tablespoon of lobster filling into the center of each. Brush a little water on the outer rim of the filled wrapper and top a wrapper. Press gently around the filling and the edges of the wrappers to seal.

(Ravioli may be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly, until ready to use, up to 2 hours.)

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the ravioli in batches and cook for 30 seconds. Drain thoroughly and place 3 ravioli in the center of each serving plate, and coat with the sauce.

May the Creative Force be with you

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery 

September Art Contest Winner is Valerie Cooper

September Art Contest

Winner is Valerie Cooper

At Home Farm Herbery