Homework day gain.

   I have been reading till my eyes bled. I read three chapters & did two tests. I think I hurt myself. Normally this would be nothing for me. I would read over 2000 pages in just 6hours, but it was networking & we are on protocols. It all makes my head hurt. Sub-netting, protocols, ports, hosts & DNS. Ouch! I got it done though! I swear I did, I think I did..... I did. Its just a little bit hazy at the moment. I also read my chapter due for my technical writing class. The person that wrote that book so knows how to write like dried out toast. No jam, no butter to make it go down any easier, just facts upon facts. At lest my teacher is really nice & can explain things so that everyone can understand them.

Spring Wish
By John Farrar
A frog’s a very happy thing,
Cool and green in early spring,
Quick and silver through the pool,
With no thought of books or school.
Oh, I want to be a frog,
Sunning, stretching on a log,
Blinking there in splendid ease,
Swimming naked when I please,
Nosing into magic nooks,
Quiet marshes, noisy brooks.
Free! And fit for anything!
Oh, to be a frog in spring!

Oh, to be done & on my trip to Yellowstone.Soon, very soon I will be making plans to travel to Yellowstone & camp (yes, me camp.) for two weeks, I think Clay is insane, but he has been wanting to go for a long time. Someone make it spring so that the snow till melt & the green will come back. Please?

   I had to take a brake after all that reading. (Ok, I was avoiding, who's counting.) I made the best meal I have had in a while.

Grilled Mushroom Risotto

 

Ingredients

• 6 1/3 cups chicken stock (homemade is best)
• Handful dried porcini mushrooms
• Olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
• 14 ounces risotto rice
• 2/3 cup vermouth or white wine
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large handfuls wild mushrooms (try chanterelles, shiitake, black trumpet or oyster - definitely no button mushrooms, please!), cleaned and sliced
• Few sprigs fresh chervil, tarragon or parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 handfuls freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Heat stock in a saucepan and keep it on a low simmer.
Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour in just enough hot stock to cover. Leave for a couple of minutes until they've softened. Fish them out of the stock and chop them, reserving the soaking liquid.
In a large pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion and celery. Slowly fry without coloring for at least 10 minutes, then turn the heat up and add the rice. Stir in the vermouth or wine - it'll smell fantastic! Keep stirring until the liquid has cooked into the rice. Now pour the porcini soaking liquid through a sieve into the pan and add the chopped porcini, a good pinch of salt and your first ladle of hot stock. Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring will massage the starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite (toothy). This will take about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, get a dry griddle pan hot and grill the wild mushrooms until soft. If your pan isn't big enough, do this in batches. Put them into a bowl and add the chopped herbs, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Using your hands toss everything together - this is going to be incredible!
Take the risotto off the heat and check the seasoning carefully. Stir in the butter and the Parmesan. You want it to be creamy and oozy in texture, so add a bit more stock if you think it needs it. Put a lid on and leave the risotto to relax for about 3 minutes.
Taste your risotto and add a little more seasoning or Parmesan if you like. Serve a good dollop of risotto topped with some grilled dressed mushrooms, a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.