Now’s the time for heavenly earthy dishes

With all the light and weather changes between Halloween and Thanksgiving, that belated celebration of the harvest, we are continually reminded of being Earthly creatures.  So it’s a good time for earthy foods like mushrooms and watercress, leeks and potatoes. Light yet soul warming dishes that leave room and time for the heavy Turkey Day meal ahead. The recipes here are one I created and two I recently found stashed in old files that turned up when I was cleaning out my cottage. What’s so wonderful about these decades-old recipes is how perfect they still are for right now. There's also one from the book How To Fix a Leek... .

My Mushroom Celery Risotto

I spontaneously made this up as I often do when making a comfortingly creamy risotto for a rainy day. I like mushrooms and celery together and the perkiness red pepper brings. Risotto does require a half hour of continual tending, so it’s great for a rainy or weekend day. It’s one of those vegetarian meals that doesn’t scream at carnivores: the meat is missing! You lose! It presents as a traditional, Italian dish. It’s best eaten when it’s made but it does reheat well in a microwave oven.
serves 2 but you just double it all for 4
1 sm onion, peeled and diced
1 sm garlic clove, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, cleaned, slit 3 times lengthwise, then dice
1/2″ wide strip of red bell pepper, diced
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried rosemary needles or a few fresh
1 tsp mildly hot chili powder like Aleppo or chipotle
1/2 c fresh or frozen green peas
1/2 c arborio rice
4 c beef or vegetable broth
pinch of saffron threads
6-8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt to your taste
handful cilantro or flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

In a med saucepan, heat the broth.
In a small heavy gauge pot, heat the olive oil on med/high heat. Stir in the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to medium so nothing burns and the oil doesn’t smoke. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper, sage, rosemary, chili powder and a pinch of salt. Stir to blend. Sauté 4-5 minutes until onions and pepper are soft. Add peas and rice, stirring to blend. Cook 1 minute to heat rice, then add saffron and a large ladle of hot broth. It will sizzle so stand back. Stir forcefully. From here to the finish it’s a matter of adding broth and stirring, adding broth as it disappears. You can add double ladles to buy time so you can saute the mushrooms:
In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms and cumin and stir fry 2 minutes to soften the mushrooms. Season with salt and add the contents of the pan to the risotto. Continue cooking the risotto until the rice is very soft and all the liquid has gone into it. Be careful not to overdue it and also add water if you don’t have enough broth to finish the job. Taste and adjust salt.
Serve immediately garnished with freshly chopped cilantro leaves, a few grinds of black pepper and grated parmesan cheese.

Pears, Green Beans and Bacon

This is an old German recipe I found cleaning my files and it’s perfect for right now when pears are at high tide and green beans are beginning to recede. It’s a side dish or hot salad perfect for an omelet.
serves 6-8
6 firm pears, peeled, halved and cut crosswise into very thin half-moon slices
juice of 2 lemons (1/4 c)
1 tsp grated lemon rind
pinch of ground cloves
1 lb firm green beans, stems off, beans halved
6 slices bacon
1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
Put the pears in any medium non-aluminum pot with 2 tbsp lemon juice, lemon rind, pinch of ground cloves and 1/2 c water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until pears are just tender, maybe 5 minutes. Meanwhile fill another saucepan with salted water, bring to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Let dry.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over med/low heat until it’s very crisp. Lift out of the pan to drain on paper towels and when it’s cool enough to handle, crumble it. Meanwhile put the sugar, vinegar and 2 tbsp lemon juice in that skillet. Boil over med/high heat stirring and scraping the pan until you get syrup. Add the pears and green beans. Warm over low heat. Stir and pour into a serving bowl. Top with the crumbled bacon, freshly ground black pepper and salt to your taste.

Italian Cream of Celery Soup
 I discovered the joy of celery a dozen year ago in a Persian homecooking purely celery stew. It’s a magical, sweet vegetable, with no calories to boot. The wow of that recipe came from saffron so I decided to cross cultures and put it here too.
serves 6
1 lb bunch celery stalks (about 2 lbs), washed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 med leek, cleaned and white part thinly sliced in rings (top green discarded)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of saffron threads (my addition to make this a wow!)
3 c veg broth
2 egg yolks
3/4 c heavy cream
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
In a med/lg deep heavy gauge saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté over low heat 3-4 minutes to soften. Add 1 c hot water, cover the pot and cook until very tender, maybe 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a processor and return to the pot. Add the veg broth and saffron, stirring to blend. The soup should have a slightly thick but still soupy consistency. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer on low heat 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk or beat together the egg yolks, cream and cheese. By spoonfuls, add this to the hot soup on simmer heat, stirring to blend. Serve immediately. If you still have the celery leaves, chop them for garnish.

Butter Braised Fennel with Parmesan

This is a traditional Italian recipe I included in the second edition of How to Fix a Leek.... It's simple, tasty and unique. Practice now because this could be terrific beside turkey.

Serves 4-6

4-5 small fennel bulbs or 2 lg               

3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 tbsp unsalted butter                

Salt & freshly ground pepper to your taste

Cut bulbs lengthwise into ½” slices. Save some of the delicate fronds for garnish. Melt the butter in a large, heavy gauge wide pot and add the sliced fennel. Add just enough water or veg stock to almost cover it. Cook over medium heat 30-40 minutes until fennel is soft, adding ¼ cup of water if the pot runs dry. The goal is no liquid left on glossy, buttery fennel. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the grated cheese. Garnish with the saved fronds and serve hot. Goes well with roasted chicken or meat.