Recipes #2 & #3: Morel & Mushroom Stack and Peppercorn Cheese

I'm a little behind schedule, with vacation and all, but I did two recipes today.


First, the "Three Peppercorn Crusted Cashew Cheese with Honeycomb and Balsalmic"

I started the recipe weeks ago, when I soaked the cashews, but then we went on vacation, so I hauled the poor nuts up there and then remembered I didn't have any Rejuvelac. I didn't have any wheat berries to make any rejuvelac either.

So I saved the nuts in a bag...ten days later...well, let's just say I did a wierd thing for me: I threw them out and started new.

So this turned out beautifully...pretty straight forward until she says to "press the cheese into a ring mold" What ring mold?

I lined a ramekins w/paper instead. I put the peppercorns in first, then the cheese, pressed. Refrigerated, then inverted it. Perfect! and tastey too.
I made one for Deb, my electrician friend who is also now getting turned onto live foods, but I pressed nasturtium flowers into with the peppercorns...pretty.

Second, the "Layered Morel Mushrooms and Fennel with Two Vinaigrettes: Opal Basil and Mustard Seed"

Luckily, because of Draeger's just down the street, I was easily able (if not expensively) to procure dried morels.

This recipe was lots easier than I had imagined and not as tasty as it looked.

I made it easier, for example, Opal basil? I don't think so. Regular basil will do. Crushing mustard seeds to make the vinaigrette? Nah. I used my taragon mustard and it was yummy. I couldn't deal with the honeycomb thing either. So as I was slicing the fennel, wondering how I was going to get the pureed fennel to stack up on the morels, I hear the dreaded sound: 'hack, hack, wretch' No! I scream. Our stupid cat has this throw up thing she keeps doing. Why can't she be like our dogs and head for the door when she has to puke? No, she has to ALWAYS vomit on (first choice) 1) upholstry 2) persian rug 3) carpet 4) bed (sheets and pillows preferred) and lastly is the floor. And I bet she NEVER pukes outside. So in the middle of three dogs (yes, I'm babysitting Jimmy again) and trying to make this new recipe, I'm scraping vomit off the chair cushions and trying to squirt Nature's Miracle into the cane chair where the puke has leaked into the crevaces.

Newcomers beware: she doesn't mention to core the fennel! (Sorry I had to delete the photo, folks, it was blurry and not shot from the side (as I had instructed husband) so sort of looked like a plate a vomit. Really, it looked quite gourmet in real life.

The flavors were good, but the morels tasted watered down...next time (if ever there is one) I will dry them carefully and marinate them in a mixture of both her vinaigrettes first. (bad photo, I'm sorry, blame it on husband, as I do with all things).

With the leftovers, I mixed it all together and it was delicous...voila!