Category Archives: General Shenanigans

What doesn’t fit anywhere else

Mushroom Gnocchi and Puppy Love

Posted in General Shenanigans, Southern Fare by
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Meat-free? Fine with me.

I had a friend over for dinner who’s a vegetarian, so I wanted to make something meat-free yet satisfying. Gnocchi and mushrooms in cream sauce (including some dried chanterelles I reconstituted in white wine) fit the bill. He also brought his new ‘puppy’ Bentley (the same age as Sookie, but about 45 pounds heavier) to let the dogs meet. They were like peas and carrots from the first moment.

When Sookie met Bentley...

When Sookie met Bentley…

A Full Moon and Full Plates

Braised shoulder steak, grits with chanterelle cream sauce, green tomato and eggplant fries
A gorgeous haul from Pepper Place (and my patio)
Fresh, local chanterelles! I couldn’t pass these up.
What a beautiful collection of aromatics: Purple peppers*, garlic cloves*, garlic scapes*, Meyer lemons, ginger, and a red bell pepper* from my patio (* Local)
Three green tomatoes from Owl’s Hollow Farm; one from my patio.
I went to Pepper Place looking for a good braising meat–specifically short ribs, but I was too late. On my home, I went to Publix. Saturday mornings are usually a great time to get meat there, as the butchers are bringing out fresh cuts and they’re always anxious to make a custom cut or recommendation. Alas, Publix was out of short ribs as well, but the butcher recommended these shoulder steaks, which I’d never used. They turned out to be delightful and tender, and without the 18 hours or so I feel a short rib really deserves to bring out its full potential.
They seared beautifully. Then I threw in some onion and garlic into the pan and deglazed it.
I had some fresh thyme from a recent produce swap at work to throw in.
Also, when I’m braising a fatty meat, I think it’s important to have some acid in the mix. These heirloom cherry tomatoes are perfect! (To say nothing of gorgeous.)
So this is how it went into the oven; I covered it and let it cook at 300 for about three hours.
But these were the stars of the evening. I had some fresh eggplant I cut into fries, and I got the idea to do the same with the green tomatoes. As they were still green, they were firm enough to hold a squared-off shape even with breading and frying. I dredged them in buttermilk and egg, then a corn meal/AP flour/panko mix and fried them off. Add a little lemon juice for a kick and we were enraptured!