Stew and tea and viruses!

Despite my fervent wishing, I didn't manage to dodge the multitude of germs flying around school lately. I think I'm lucky in that this only seems to be a cold (and not the dreaded pig death!) but it still means staying home today. I actually don't feel too badly but I didn't want to risk getting lynched by classmates for showing up sick. We're all just a leetle bit paranoid right now.

Anyway, I'm sure this is mostly my own fault for staying up til 3:30am on Friday, but a combination of hot wing veggie bites with bleu cheese sauce, french fries and deep fried oreos (oh yes, I did!) kept us all up til midnight and then BP pulled out the Oolong. If you've never had oolong brewed the right way, you don't know what you're missing. No way was I going to bed before that was done. I think we got about six pours out of ours, and after all that caffeine..well..yeah. I regret nothing.

I think I forgot to mention that we got more Chanterelles this Tuesday?


Well, anyway....on Saturday I cooked them up and made a yummy veggie stew. The mushrooms were just gorgeous, and the end result made me very happy. Now that I'm sick, having a big container of it leftover in my fridge is making me even happier.
So, have a recipe!

Chanterelle and Vegetable Stew

2 cups sliced chanterelles
1 small onion
1 tbsp diced fresh thyme
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

All purpose flour
1 tetra pack veggie stock (too lazy to make my own!)
1 cup half & half

4 small potatoes, skin on, cubed
1 sweet potato, cubed
3 large carrots, chopped (or equivalent baby carrots)
1/2 cups peas

If chanterelles are dry, skip the dry sautee part. If chanterelles are wet -
Dry sautee first set of ingredients (minus the olive oil) over medium heat until chanterelles are wilted and most of the liquid has been cooked out of them. Drain off liquid and set aside, then add a little bit of olive oil and sautee another minute or two. Add flour, 1 tbsp at a time until you have a roux then add drained off mushroom broth slowly, stirring as you go. Next, add veggie broth slowly, then half and half.

Add in veggies, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or more. Don't let it reach a boil.

Serve with crusty bread (or, if you're Shad, pour over leftover tourtiere and then proceed to die a little bit from happiness)