Chicken Milkweed Casserole

I used all my milkweed up making Battered Milkweed the other day, so I went out the field yesterday and picked a whole lot more. In the past I've been using the young tender tips, but this time I decided to see what would happen if I used some of the bigger older leaves. To my surprise they worked out great.  So far, this is my favorite. I used a few pieces of homemade crusty wheat bread that made a nice spongy bread pudding feel to it. It's not bad with mustard on the side.

1.5 cups boiled milkweed - chopped
1 medium yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
1.5 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 eggs
1.5 cups milk
4 slices of thick home made bread
1 medium chicken breast
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Saute the onions and garlic. Remove and allow to cool. In separate bowl mix onion, eggs, 1 cup of milk, mustard, coriander, and dill weed. Slice chicken breast into thin strips and boil about five minutes.  Remove chicken and allow to cool. Cut into bite size pieces. Mix chicken, milkweed, and onion and garlic mixture into egg mixture. Grease a nine inch casserole dish and crumble a piece of bread into the bottom. Dump half the mixture over the bread chunks. Chunk remaining bread slices and cover with remaining mixture. Allow mixture to settle and pour remaining half cup of milk over casserole dish. Cook for 40 minutes, cover with cheese, sprinkle on bread crumbs and broil until cheese is brown and crispy.

Pork Stuffed Wine Caps

For a while now I've been eyeballing some of the local wood chip piles for some Stropharia rugosoannulata. I think I've seen some old dried and dead ones from last year growing, but haven't seen any fresh ones. Today I managed to find some good ones. A few were older and no good, but I was able to find four sizable buttons. Not much, but enough to do something, and I figured I'd come up with and try a recipe when I only had four to destroy. Don't listen to what you read on the internet regarding Wine Caps not getting along with onion and garlic. Maybe with just onion and garlic they don't work, but these came out really good.


Wine Caps
1/4 cup red onion - minced
2 ozs pork finely chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 scallion green - minced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon mace
2 tablespoons sour cream
Dried bread crumbs


Remove stipes from caps and mince. Saute chopped stipes with onion and garlic. Add pork and scallion greens. When pork is cooked add seasonings and cook until glazed. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add sour cream and mix thoroughly. Pack caps with mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Preheat oven to 375 and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes.

Battered Milkweed with Spicy Raspberry Lime Sauce

Milkweed isn't just for butterflies, it's for people, too. Growing up, my grandmother told me about milkweed shoots, but I never went after it. I always assumed they were bitter - as that is what most of the literature says. Lately, I learned they weren't bitter. Some of the older leaves need a good boil, but the more tender shoots and young leaves can do with a good blanch and they're set to go. Battered up and tossed on the skillet and they're good to go. Don't forget the dipping sauce, it's really what draws it together.

  
Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons raspberry jelly
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili flakes
juice of 1/2 lime

Mix all ingredients together and let sit.

Batter
3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons curry
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup seltzer

Mix dry ingredients together, add seltzer slowly until a batter is formed. Make sure not to get it too wet or it won't stick to the milkweed. Boil water and blanch milkweed. Drain and rinse under cold water. Remove water - either towel dry, or use a salad spinner. Dip dried milkweed in batter and drop onto hot buttered frying pan.