Chicken Mushroom ...in Risotto with Fresh Artichoke Hearts

Note to self: never make mushroom risotto any other way ever again, add those NH Mushroom Company guys to my Christmas card list, and find out the name of that artichoke farmer I ran into at the Tamworth farmers' market a couple weeks ago.

Here you have the 'chicken' mushroom, aka Chicken of the Woods, aka L. cinncinatus.  Use it like you would, well, chicken!

Visit the NH Mushroom Co.'s website to learn about the tremendous health benefits associated with mushrooms, and to see a few of those they grow.

This large, gnarly-looking oak tree fungus is really fun to work with.  The fans can be pulled apart much the same way you would cooked chicken meat, making it versatile for stew, chowder, risotto, enchilades....  The thicker ends can be

Butternut Risotto with Pistachio, Sage, Celery and Bacon

Jamie Oliver is a great chef.  He intuitively knows what makes a great meal great: good ingredients from trusted sources, time, passion, and loved ones around the table.  Heritage breed, pasture-raised bacon helps, too.

Spring Risotto, albeit with "winter" squash

On November 6th of last year, we picked up a beautiful speciman from the pumpkin family from a farmer attending the last "summer" farmers' market in Portsmouth.  Intended to be eaten at some point, it was just too beautiful to hack into with my 8" chef's knife.  Needless to say, up until 15 hours ago it had been sitting on the counter as a reminder of all things fall and winter.  And, yes, you read that right: November 6, 2010.

The Colors of Early December

 With a package of New Roots Farm chorizo in the freezer, a large butternut squash from Charlie and Ann at Stone Wall Farm, and a bunch of leeks from Brookford Farm, it was time to indulge in one of our favorite winter meals: risotto!

Chorizo, Leek & Butternut Risotto