Pickled Tomatillos, Green Beans and Carrots: It’s a Pickle Party!

Welcome to the Pickle Party! This is the season for pickling those lovely veggies you have grown in your garden, plucked from your CSA box or scooped up at your farmer’s market. And today Shauna Ahern (the Gluten-Free Girl) has invited us all to attend a virtual pickle party. Pickles will be shared from hundreds of kitchens and I’m excited to join the party.

My pickling experience so far has been with quick pickles that are ready in a few hours or a couple of days, and keep well for a month in the fridge. I’ve wanted to branch out into pickling with lacto-fermentation and recently got a crock to do so. We now have a 7 liter crock filled with cabbage in our garage, slowly fermenting into sauerkraut and I can’t wait to try it! But since that takes six weeks or so, I’ve made a variety of quick pickles for today.

The satisfaction from pickling is huge! To stand back and admire beautiful jars of preserved vegetables is wonderful. Last night I let out a very contented sigh and smiled at my afternoon’s endeavor. It touches on the Laura Ingalls Wilder within me, the desire to eat local, to get back to basics, to create food from scratch. When I shared this thought with my mom, she observed, “You’re trying to eat the way I grew up,” and this is true. She was raised on a farm where food was grown on their land and prepared at home. In my urban setting I have backyard chickens for eggs, a variety of tomato plants, and am grateful for the local farms surrounding Seattle that provide a bounty of incredible fruit and vegetables.

The number of vegetables that can be pickled is wonderful. I chose to pickle tomatillos, green beans and carrots for today. But I won’t be stopping there! I hope you’ll join me and get pickling.

The recipes and technique that follow are adapted from an issue of Eating Well and make 6 pint-size jars each.

Pickled Tomatillos

2 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and cut into quarters or eighths
3 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
6 habanero or jalapeno chiles, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
3 teaspoons cumin seed

For the brine, combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until salt dissolves. Let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Divide the tomatillos, chiles, garlic and cumin seed between 6 pint-sized jars.

Carefully fill the jars with the brine to within 1/2 inch of the top of the rim, covering the vegetables completely. Discard any leftover brine. Place lids on the jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Pickled Green Beans

2 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed
3 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons crushed red chile pepper

Bring a pan of water to a boil and blanch the green beans for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately submerge the beans in a bowl of ice water.

For the brine, combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Divide the green beans and crushed red chile pepper between 6 pint-sized jars. Don’t worry if your beans are a little taller than the jar, they can be gently pushed in.

Carefully fill the jars with the brine to within 1/2 inch of the top of the rim, covering the vegetables completely. Discard any leftover brine. Place lids on the jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Pickled Carrots

2 1/2 pounds carrots, cut into 3-inch sticks (I didn’t peel mine, but you can if you prefer)
3 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
6 cloves garlic, sliced
12 sprigs fresh dill

Bring a pan of water to a boil and blanch the carrots for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately submerge the carrots in a bowl of ice water.

For the brine, combine the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until salt dissolves. Let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Divide the carrots, garlic and dill sprigs evenly between 6 pint-sized jars.

Carefully fill the jars with the brine to within 1/2 inch of the top of the rim, covering the vegetables completely. Discard any leftover brine. Place lids on the jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Radish Toasts and Confetti Corn Salad (No oven needed!)

Ahh, summer ... long days of sun, a more relaxed schedule (hopefully!), vacations with family, catching up on books, watching kids splash in the water, dining al fresco or lounging in a hammock. Whatever summer means to you, I’m sure it involves eating some incredible food, food that needs little in the way of seasoning or cooking to let it shine. Strolling through the farmers’ markets or diving into your CSA box means enjoying produce at its freshest and best. Summer also often means you do not need to turn on your oven to create dishes everyone will enjoy.

Corn and blueberries is a farmer’s market combination I’ve been smitten with lately. Both are in season now, and together they are so pretty and so very good! Last week I indulged in a creamy risotto topped with fresh corn and blueberries at Cantinetta. Needless to say, a sublime dish. And I just discovered this recipe for corn and blueberry cobbler that I want (need) to try. Have I mentioned I adore cobblers?

Another blissful pairing is radishes with butter and salt. Sometimes I have to stop myself from eating this combo every day. You can enjoy radishes with herb butter on thinly sliced bread, which makes a lovely appetizer, or by tearing off a hunk of baguette, swiping it in soft butter, sticking a couple radish slices on top and sprinkling with salt. Your choice ... both are delicious!

Radish Toasts with Lemon Basil Butter
Serves 1 (easily doubles)

2 thin slices of your favorite bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
10 lemon basil leaves
A few grinds of grains of paradise or black pepper
2 large radishes, thinly sliced
Sea salt to taste

Lightly toast the slices of bread and let cool.

Roughly chop the lemon basil leaves. With a mortar and pestle, pound the butter, leaves and grains of paradise together until well mixed.

Smear each slice of toast with 1/2 tablespoon of herbed butter. Arrange radish slices on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!

Confetti Corn Salad
Serves 4

When corn is at its peak during the summer, it can be served fresh off the cob and is sweet, crispy and flavorful. As I was cutting corn off the cob, I thought about confetti and decided to create a colorful salad with the raw kernels. A simple lemon and lime dressing gives the salad a bright, citrusy flavor. Quick and easy for a warm summer evening!

4 ears of corn, shucked
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 orange bell pepper, diced small
1 avocado, diced small
1/2 English cucumber, diced small
1/2 large lemon, sliced for squeezing
1 lime, sliced for squeezing
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Stand each ear of corn up in a large bowl and use a knife to cut the corn kernels off the cob. You can save the cobs to simmer in soup stock, or toss them out the back door to the chickens for an afternoon treat as I did.

In a medium size bowl, combine the corn kernels, tomatoes, blueberries, bell pepper, avocado and cucumber. Squeeze the lemon and lime over the mix and stir gently. Add a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and serve.

Grandma’s Kolaches: Another Taste of Summer

Have you ever tasted a kolache? I haven’t met many people outside of the midwest who have heard of them, much less had the pleasure of eating one. They are pillowy Czech pastries and one of the treats I remember most from visiting my grandparents’ farm in Nebraska. My Grandma spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking many warm, comforting sweets.

To be honest, since I only ate kolaches at my grandparents’ (and never saw them in bakeries in Massachusetts), I grew up thinking we were calling one of her sweet rolls by a name my Grandma had made up! It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I discovered this was not the case. My family in Nebraska is not Czech, but my mother-in-law, Ann, was Czech (her father came through Ellis Island on his own in 1920 as a 16 year old!). When I learned that kolaches are Czech in origin it further endeared me to them. Love making those sweet connections!

Kolaches are buns made from a slightly sweet, yeasted dough with fillings such as apricots, prunes, poppy seeds or sweet cheese. If you desire, they can be frosted or dusted with powdered sugar (which I do recommend!). I’ve heard of a savory kolache with sausage filling, but have never tried that kind. I recall my Grandma making a pineapple filling, too, which was a favorite. To me, kolaches appear to be a cousin of Danish pastries or perhaps hamentaschen, especially given their similar fillings. They are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with tea.

Summer is when I most often think of kolaches. This is due to my childhood visits to my relatives’ farms in Nebraska and also to the annual Czech Days Festival in nearby Wilber, NE. Wilber is the official Czech capital of the U.S. and kolaches are a big part of the celebration (including a kolache eating contest). The Czech Days Festival is this weekend, August 5-7, so if you are in the area I highly recommend attending and eating some kolaches for me.

Since I can’t be in Wilber this weekend, the next best thing is to make these pastries. When I copied my Grandma’s recipe for kolaches after she passed away some years ago, I made sure to include her note that reads, “Real Czech, brought to Nebraska before 1880.” This is a recipe with history! I’ve scaled her recipe down since she was clearly baking for 15 grandchildren and any other hungry guests wandering through the kitchen. I made fillings here using tart pie cherries and peaches since I had both sitting on my counter. Feel free to use a seasonal fruit or your favorite jam. I’ve also made fillings with rhubarb and strawberries, blueberries, and have cooked down dried apricots if I didn’t have fresh fruit. If you’d like to frost them, you can make a simple glaze to drizzle from powdered sugar mixed with a few drops of milk.

Biting into a kolache takes me back to hot days of dirt roads lined with cornfields, stopping at the local Dairy Queen after a day spent swimming in the town pool with cousins, and the feeling that summer is endless.

Kolaches
From my Grandma’s recipe
Makes 20

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
3 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all-purposed flour, plus more for kneading
Filling of choice (my cherry and peach recipes follow)
Powdered sugar for dusting or powdered sugar glaze for drizzling (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and warm water. Let sit and bubble up, about 5 minutes. Add the warm milk, melted butter, sugar, egg yolk and salt and stir together.

Add the flour one cup at a time, stirring until incorporated. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and place it in a warm spot to rise for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Punch the dough down and pull it out onto a floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth, adding a little more flour if it’s sticky. Divide the dough into 20 pieces (egg sized) and roll each piece into a ball. Place 10 of them on the prepared baking sheet and very slightly flatten the top. Let rise for a half hour.

Using your thumb, make an indent and fill with a teaspoon of filling. Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes, until a little golden on top. Cool the kolaches before glazing. Repeat with the remaining 10 pieces.

Cherry Filling

1 cup tart pie cherries, pitted
1/8-1/4 cup sugar (depending upon how tart the cherries are)

In a small sauce pan, stir the cherries and sugar together. Cook over medium heat until the cherries are soft and break down a bit, about 20 minutes, stirring often.

Peach Filling

1 large ripe peach, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon sugar

In a small saucepan, stir the peach and sugar together. Cook over medium heat until the peach is soft and mushy, about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Walnut Penuche Fudge and an Early Kitchen Disaster Redeemed

Fudge is an incredibly nostalgic treat for me. The summers of my childhood always included eating fudge, and this was usually enjoyed somewhere on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where fudge and ice cream are two vital food groups to be consumed on a daily basis. Standing in front of the glass display cases of the little candy shops, I would gaze at the different flavors of fudge such as chocolate, chocolate nut, maple walnut, rocky road, peanut butter and chocolate mint. The one that always leaped out at me (and still does) is walnut penuche. This brown sugar confection melts on your tongue in a rich, buttery sweetness and the crunch of walnuts balances out the intense sugar. Try nibbling some with the sun setting on your face after a day spent splashing in the waves.

More reminiscing here... Do you recall your first experiences in the kitchen? Let me tell you about one of mine. When I was about 10 years old, I decided to make walnut penuche at home. My parents were out for a bit and I thought this was a terrific way to spend the afternoon. I pulled out my treasured copy of the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book, which I knew contained a recipe for Quick Walnut Penuche. While I had memorized the photos and drawings in this cookbook (and had thought about cooking many of the recipes) I hadn’t yet tried anything on my own.

I pulled butter from the fridge and tossed it into a saucepan, turning the electric burner up to high. While that sizzled, I scooped out brown sugar and plopped it in with the now bubbling butter. I took some time to hunt around the cabinet for the sifter for the powdered sugar, and then remembered to pour in the milk. I didn’t make it further than the milk pouring because the hissing, smoking mixture had begun to pop all over the place! And when I tried to stir it I discovered the bottom was a hardened blob that had fused with the saucepan. Did I mention the scorched smell? Big sigh ... my walnut penuche was not to be.

My folks returned home to find me attempting to scrape a burnt buttery mess from the bottom of the pan. I remember my mom peeking in the fridge and asking, “How much butter did you use?” Apparently, I hadn’t mastered the proper weighing and measuring of butter yet, and at least a pound was melted into the brown, rock-hard blob. Fortunately, this early mishap did not daunt my desire to be in the kitchen!

I still associate fudge with summer and the time has come for me to redeem my early attempt at walnut penuche. My mom held onto my Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book all these years (thanks, Mom!) and whenever I fondly open its pages I am transported back to my childhood bedroom, sprawled across my canopy bed, dreaming up menus. Pages are still marked for Frosty Lime Floats, Perfect French Toast, Strawberry-Pineapple Freeze, Stuffed Eggs, Sunny Carrots and my favorite, Chocolate Mint Cups.

I am happy to say that today’s walnut penuche fudge making was a sweet success! While waiting for the fudge to firm up, I flipped through the BHGJ Cook Book and found an overlooked recipe for “Chocolate Peppermint Delicious” (imagine cream, chocolate wafers and peppermint candy in a frozen concoction). Mmm, the book may be spending some more time in the kitchen this summer and I don’t expect any complaints (or, fingers crossed, cooking disasters!).

Walnut Penuche
From the Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book
Makes one 8x8 inch pan

Butter for pan
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup chopped walnuts

Butter an 8x8 square pan and set aside. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat while stirring. Stir in the milk. Continue mixing until the mixture is boiling.

Remove from heat and cool the mixture to room temperature. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the powdered sugar until it is a fudge-like consistency (I used just under 2 cups). Stir in the walnuts and pour into the prepared pan (I used a piece of wax paper to press the fudge down and smooth it). Chill until firm and cut into pieces. Leftover fudge can be wrapped in plastic and left at room temperature, or stored in the fridge if your kitchen is very warm. Enjoy!

Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam) and Pop

Seven years ago our family had the pleasure of hosting our first exchange student from Thailand (we have since hosted students from Norway, Germany and Saudi Arabia). Her name is Pop and she was a junior in high school at the time. In addition to being a sweet, lovely girl, she is an outstanding cook. Her parents own a restaurant in Bangkok and she truly spoiled us with all she had learned from them.

Prior to Pop living with us, we enjoyed what we thought was spicy food ... that changed after we marveled at Pop’s spice level! Sam and Isaac fondly recall watching in amazement as Pop would cover her pizza slice with a solid layer of crushed red chili peppers. We all increased our love for hot chili peppers, but none of us could ever match Pop!

These days, it's rather hard for us to eat out in Thai restaurants due to the memory of Pop's incredible home cooking. She was a patient, gracious teacher and shared an amazing array of recipes with me. We are fortunate to have some terrific Asian grocery stores in Seattle, and shopping with Pop was quite a fun adventure. And what better way to learn Thai cooking than to watch firsthand in your own kitchen!

My favorite Thai salad that Pop prepared for us is Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam). It is bright, refreshing, spicy and perfect for a warm summer day. If green papaya is unavailable (do not use the yellow/orange sweet fruit papaya), shredded carrots can be substituted. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of Thai chili peppers to your taste.

Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
Adapted from Pop’s notes
Serves 6-8

1 medium sized green papaya (roughly 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
10 cloves garlic
10 small, Thai chili peppers
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends snipped off and cut in 1 inch lengths
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Combine shredded green papaya and carrot in a medium sized mixing bowl (you can shred with a hand grater or with a food processor).

With a mortar and pestle, pound the chilis and garlic together until soft. Scrape into a small bowl and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and salt until well mixed. If desired, you can process in a food processor until smooth. Pour into the green papaya and carrot mix and toss well.

With the mortar and pestle, gently pound the green beans until they are bruised and slightly smushed. Add to the papaya mixture. Sprinkle in about 3/4 cup of the peanuts and toss.

Mound the salad on a serving platter and surround with the tomato and lime wedges to serve. Scatter reserved peanuts on top. Enjoy with a chilled glass of Singha.

The Arrowleaf Bistro (an Escape to the Methow Valley)

Summer getaways are so much fun! Bob and I are sans children for a week (Sam and Isaac are being spoiled by their grandparents in Boston) so we took a few days and slipped out of town to explore the Methow Valley. Our destination was the picturesque town of Winthrop, a four hour drive from Seattle on the eastern side of the beautiful Cascade Mountains. A close friend of ours has a house in Winthrop, so the plan was to meet up and spend some time together.

I was instantly smitten by Winthrop’s wooden sidewalks and old Western-style facades on the storefronts. The town is nestled at the base of snow-capped mountains along a river and offers stunning views in every direction you turn. After checking into the Sun Mountain Lodge (a lovely oasis!), we met our friends at the Arrowleaf Bistro for dinner. A charming wood frame house is the setting for this delightful restaurant sitting on the river’s edge. Arrowleaf Bistro is known for its creative, seasonally inspired cuisine and Chef Jon did not disappoint. Such a joy to discover a talented young chef putting his heart into this small community by serving quality, locally grown food! It’s no surprise that the Arrowleaf Bistro is popular with tourists and town residents alike.

We began our meal with hand cut fries and roasted garlic aioli plus a plate of local cheeses served with Fallot Dijon mustard (must locate some of this!) and homemade fruit preserves. Bob and I savored a wild mushroom and bleu cheese strudel drizzled with a balsamic honey glaze and a roasted beet salad with feta and fresh local greens. I’d like to recreate this strudel at home and will let you know if I succeed. The quinoa linguine we ordered was tossed with broccoli raab, crisp snap peas, toasted pecans, sundried tomatoes, chilies and house made pesto. The combination was unique and full of flavor. Exceptionally delicious food and big sighs of happiness from me! The meal paired quite well with a white wine from the Saint Laurent Winery in the nearby Wenatchee Valley. As always, it is special to share a meal with people you enjoy. What a pleasure!

Our time in Winthrop was filled with relaxing breakfasts at the Sun Mountain Lodge, gazing at the majestic mountains, exploring the town’s cute shops (bookstore, bakery, ice cream and fudge, pottery, glass blowing), walking in the gorgeous hills and sitting outside under millions of stars around an open fire. We also rafted down the Methow River towards the next town of Twisp (isn’t that a marvelous name?). For three hours we floated around the river bends, past mellow folks fly fishing, curious deer and camping families. Bob and I marveled at the abundance of wildlife (including marmots which are new to me), and the air was filled with the songs of a variety of birds. I felt so connected to the land and nature.

I look forward to returning to the Methow Valley and soaking up more of its magical beauty. (Lest I forget, it warmed my heart to see all the chickens, cows and horses, too. Again, my fantasy of a small farm emerged. Perhaps someday ... who knows what excitement the future holds?). In any case, I'm sure it holds another visit to the Arrowleaf Bistro!

Mushroom Ragout with Poached Eggs and a New Love In My Kitchen

I am in love... with a cookbook. Have you ever had that feeling? Discovering a new cookbook is always such a thrill. What kind of relationship will you have with it? Will it be a “go to” resource with its pages spattered over the years, a lovely read sitting by the fireplace with beautiful photos, a family heirloom to be passed down, or a cookbook for special events to be pulled off the shelf when you are searching for a unique dish to make. No matter what category they fall into, I find cookbooks are always valuable in some way and evoke strong memories of different times in my life, rather like a journal. Judging from the stack at my bedside and overflowing book shelves, I would classify myself as a cookbook junkie and I’m sure I’m not alone here (ahem...remember those built-in bookcases I said we are building?).

The moment I opened Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty, I knew I’d found a treasure and had the urge to cook every recipe he shares. Really, I can close my eyes, open the book, point to a recipe and be confident I’ll want to eat it. This is a vegetarian cookbook but the author is not a vegetarian himself. His London restaurant, Ottolenghi, is well-known for its creative use of fresh vegetables and grains. In Plenty, you will find dishes using produce such as kohlrabies, figs, artichokes, pomegranates, cucumbers, mangoes, cauliflower or tomatoes combined with a wide variety of spices, herbs, nuts, cheeses and legumes. Limitless possibilities! And did I mention the tantalizing photos? A true feast for your eyes.

Now, the difficult decision of where to begin! So much of what we eat depends upon our mood, and I am in the mood for mushrooms. Dishes using a variety of wild mushrooms offer so much flavor and texture and are always a favorite. Plus, something you should know about me, I can’t say no to anything with a poached egg. So when I spotted Mushroom Ragout with Poached Duck Egg, well...say no more.

The recipes are well-written with precise instructions. An added bonus of this yummy mushroom recipe is I learned a fool-proof method to poach eggs which I will share with you here. You fill a small, shallow saucepan with enough water to cover one egg. Add a splash of vinegar and bring to a boil. Break your egg into a small dish and gently pour it into the boiling water. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and set it aside for six minutes. Voila, you have a perfectly poached egg! Where has this technique been all my life? If you are making more than one egg, place the poached egg in a bowl of warm water until you are done.

Mushroom Ragout with Poached Duck Egg
Serves 4
From Plenty
By Yotam Ottolenghi

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms (I used oyster, cremini and shiitake)
3/4 pound sourdough bread, crusts removed
6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
3 thyme sprigs
Salt
4 duck eggs (I used eggs from our hens)
Vinegar for poaching
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Black pepper
Truffle or olive oil for serving

Before you start, put the dried porcini to soak in 1 cup of the water for 30 minutes. Brush your mushrooms to remove any soil, then cut up large ones or divide into clusters so you have a selection of whole mushrooms and large chunks. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Toss them with 2 tablespoons of the oil, the garlic and salt. Spread out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until brown.

Next, pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a medium-sized heavy pan and heat well over medium-high heat. Add some of the fresh mushrooms and leave for 1 to 2 minutes, without stirring. Don’t crowd the mushrooms in the pan. Once lightly browned, turn them over to cook for another minute. Remove from the pan and continue with more batches, adding oil as needed. Once all the mushrooms have been removed from the pan, add another tablespoon of oil and throw in the onion, carrot and celery. Saute on medium heat for 5 minutes without browning. Add the wine and let it bubble away for a minute.

Lift the porcini out of the soaking liquid, squeezing out the excess liquid. Add the soaking liquid to the pan, leaving behind any grit in the bowl. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, the thyme and a little salt, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes until you are left with about 1 cup liquid. Strain this stock and discard the vegetables (I chose to keep the veggies in since I like the color and texture they add). Return the stock to the pan and set aside.

Poach the 4 eggs (as I described above), keeping the eggs in a bowl of warm water until done.

While you are poaching the final egg, heat up the stock and add all the mushrooms, the sour cream, most of the chopped herbs (reserving some for garnish) and salt and pepper to taste. A soon as the mushrooms are hot, place 1/4 of the croutons in each serving dish and top with mushrooms. Add an egg, the remaining herbs, a drizzle of truffle or olive oil and some black pepper.