The weather has changed rapidly here. The nights are fair drawing in, and it’s definitely Autumn. Unlike English friends, we didn’t have the glorious (if that’s your thing) summer of endless sun. We did have a few good days, but not enough for me.
Anyway, I had a load of mushrooms leftover that were close to making their own way out of my fridge and in the name of food waste, I had to make something. So mushroom stew it was.
Three spring onions from the garden, washed and thinly sliced (the whole lot, not just the bulb).
2 garlic cloves crushed
Add these to the slow cooker, which is on high with some oil. Cook until fragrant. Add one large teaspoon of tomato puree and cook that out.
Add as many mushrooms as you want. I had three different types (giant oyster, field and brown cap), sliced. Remember they will cook down.
Mix so they are covered in the onion, garlic and tomato puree. Salt and pepper.
Add one tin of chopped tomatoes. Add a bit of vegetable stock concentrate to the can, half fill with hot water and swirl to get all the goodness out. Add to the slow cooker.
Add 4 stalks of thyme (also from the garden!)
Cook for about 4 hours on high. Taste – this was a bit lacking in taste so I added 1/2Â a teaspoon of low salt Marmite. Let it cook for a while longer and just as you’re ready to serve taste it again. Mine was lacking in sweetness (salt, sweet, sour make a dish delicious) so I added a teaspoon of balsamic reduction.
End result was delicious, and here it is with some mashed potatoes.
Rich, unctuous and enough for tomorrow at least.
Cooking and eating 