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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • MARCH 2017


Spring brings wild morel mushrooms And a toast to St. Paddy


You can celebrate both the vernal equinox, which is March


20 this year, and St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, with a salute to the British Isles, combining the traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with a new twist: topped with fresh, spring morel mushrooms.


When the wild violets are in bloom amongst last year’s fallen


leaves in the forest, you might also be lucky enough to find fresh morel mushrooms have popped up under trees that are still bare of leaves or just beginning to send forth the first buds of the new year. Morels are considered


Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVES


the king of wild mushrooms in terms of their meaty flavour – a delicacy that you aren’t likely to soon forget. What a way to celebrate spring! The spring or vernal equinox marks equal hours of day and night, and the beginning of longer days of light than dark until the summer solstice in June marks the longest day. There is much controversy and few facts known about one of


Ireland’s patron saints, St. Patrick, but it would seem he was a Christian missionary for whom the annual feast day, St. Patrick’s Day, was named. In the Americas, St. Paddy’s Day has become a grand excuse


to discover even a drop of Irish blood in one’s ancestry and celebrate it with a pint of green beer and some great pub food. It is a national holiday in Ireland. Whether you have Irish stew, a plate of shepherd’s pie or some of the many variations on the staple of Irish life, the potato, doesn’t really matter. You could invite a few friends over and prepare an updated


version of the traditional homegrown BC beef with Yorkshire pudding for them to snack on, or you could head over to your ‘local’ for a beer. And speaking of green, you should begin to check the


ground where your chives are so you can capture those first little green shoots to snip into some scrambled eggs. Yum. I love the first shoots of fresh herbs from the garden. Lots of reasons to celebrate. I can do that!


Bite-sized beef and Yorkshire pudding appies are a light alternative to a full meal. JUDIE STEEVES PHOTO MINI YORKIES WITH BC BEEF AND WILD MOREL MUSHROOM GRAVY


This appetizer is sure to please. It incorporates all the components of the traditional British roast beef dinner in a bite-sized appie you can pop into your mouth to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, with a glass of the smooth and rich, plummy CedarCreek 2014 Syrah alongside.


Wild Mushroom Gravy 4-5 wild morel mushrooms 1 tbsp. (15 ml) butter


4 green onions


1/4 c. (60 ml) beef stock 1 tbsp. (15 ml) sherry salt and pepper, to taste


1/2 lb. (225 g) small mushrooms 1 small garlic clove


1 tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil 1/4 c. (60 ml) cream


1 tbsp. (15 ml) fresh parsley


• If the morels are dried, soak in warm water for at least a half hour to re-constitute. If fresh, clean carefully and rinse.


• Clean and thinly slice small mushrooms and morels and mince green onions and garlic. • Melt oil and butter in a heavy frypan over medium heat and add sliced mushrooms, seasoning with a little salt and pepper.


• After mushrooms have softened, add green onions and garlic and continue cooking until they’re soft.


• Add beef stock and simmer for a few minutes, then add cream and simmer until it thickens. Drizzle in a little sherry and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. • Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serves 4-6.


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Yorkshire Pudding Cook just before the steak, so you can barbecue or sauté the steak while the Yorkshires cook, then assemble immediately.


2 eggs 1/2 c. (125 ml) flour


3/4 c. (175 ml) milk 1/4 tsp. (2 ml) salt


• Beat all ingredients together with a whisk, cover and set aside for an hour or so. • Pre-heat oven to 400° F. • Heat two dozen mini-muffin cups. Divide batter amongst the 24 hot little muffin cups. • Cook for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° F and cook for five to eight minutes more, until puffed and golden brown. Makes 24.


Beef tender beef steak Email


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crushed peppercorns coarse sea salt, to taste


grated garlic fresh chopped rosemary


• Rub the steak (use a rib steak, strip loin or sirloin) with grated garlic, crushed peppercorns and fresh chopped rosemary. The beef can then be set aside in the fridge for a few hours, or it can be cooked immediately. • Sprinkle with sea salt just before cooking. Grill on the barbecue or saute the steak in a hot pan just until rare or medium-rare – your preference. • Let rest for five minutes or so.


• Slice thinly into strips with which to top the Yorkshires. • To assemble, top the mini yorkshires with thinly-sliced beef and drizzle with the thickened mushroom sauce.


• Top with a sprig of fresh parsley and serve immediately. Makes 24.


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