Leading the Wild Life
My father used the expression “eating off the fat of the land” to describe a bountiful meal from his garden.
With that in mind, last weekend I planned a dinner based on eating from the land. (Today’s sniffy chefs would call that a “vegetable forward menu.”)
But as Robert Burns noted, the best laid schemes often go awry.
Stalking the Wild Mushrooms
This being chanterelle season, Robin and STL mushroom guru, Ken Gilberg, (above) prepare to stalk the wild fungi. Sadly, they returned with barely enough for the evening meal.
But a second outing uncovered a field of Meadow Mushrooms, that became a tasty topping for our pork loin.
Ken’s dog, “Soapy,” is not a truffle h0und, but she did enjoy the woodland trek.

Meadow Mushrooms have been a bit more prolific than the Chanterelles this year. (We found only the few Chanterelles shown in the opening photograph)

Meadow Mushrooms grow in a circle referred to as a “fairy circle.” In English and Celtic folklore, these rings were caused by fairies or elves; in Germany by witches. Some believe the circles brought good luck and were a sign of a fairy village underground. Be careful. If you step into the ring, you might become invisible. I like that one best. 🙂

Meadow Mushrooms awaiting to be sautéed in butter and white wine.
Ah, But the Tomatoes . . .
While the mushrooms were evasive, the tomatoes were easy. My nephew, Bobby, has a bumper crop this year. With fresh mozzarella and basil and a balsamic topping, they were transformed into a heavenly caprese salad.
Next to a good BLT, a caprese is one of the true delights of summer.

These lovely tomatoes made my heart go pitter-patter.
Vegetables Forward
Bobby didn’t have as much luck with his corn as he did the tomatoes. It seems the raccoons are holding their version of Woodstock in his corn patch this year. Being good sports, the little rascals left him a half dozen ears.
The newly-dug potatoes roasted nicely in the oven. The rest went into the green beans from the local farmers’ market. I still cook my beans until they’re soft i.e., Southern style, like my mother did. No al dente beans for me.

This duo of new potatoes and green beans brought back memories of my mother’s table.

For our pork/mushroom entrée, Robin cooked the meat to the perfect temperature using a sou vide. She later browned, sliced, and sauced the pork loin.
Bring It On!

From bottom to left: Fresh green beans with new potatoes, roasted potatoes, sliced tomatoes and a tomato caprese, kale salad, homemade sourdough bread from Worthy Bakery in Rolla, French butter, lentils, and pork roast. And the fresh corn, compliments of the racoons of south Missouri.

What better way to end a meal than with one of Martha’s fresh peach-blackberry cobblers.

You never know what you’ll stumble onto in the wild. We often see turkeys and deer. But we were surprised to come upon this pair of vultures, that appear to have moved into an old, rundown cabin nearby. I thought it was an unique photo.