Autumn Skies And The Autumn Harvest

The late summer is lingering. Fine weather, wildflowers and all sorts of mushrooms everywhere. Large cumulus decorate the sky everyday. Every time you put your foot out the door you feel like taking another photo of the clouds. This scene of clouds over the recycling station and cement works on the way to the arboretum made such a colourful picture that I could not resist taking a snap of it.

In the evenings a few picnickers rug up to enjoy the evenings outside next to the river before it gets too cold. Next to the bay, near the rapids, all the old Vikings are fishing for pike-perch and trout. Some use a huge net and others a line. I love listening to them and watching them. Some of those men are artists with their fishing lines.

Everywhere the animals and humans are busy harvesting and preparing for the winter. Along the river trail I saw a few squirrels running around with pinecones in their mouths. Characteristically shy, they never let you get near enough to get a photo. I finally managed to sneak up on one and use my digital zoom, but he had already buried his treasure.

Simply hundreds of Barnacle Geese are gathering in the bay. Very, very early in the mornings, when a keen jogger or cyclist disturbs them, the loud quacking chorus wakes everyone who thought they could sleep in for a while. Another sign that harvest time is almost over and the big cold approaching, is the fact that all the roadside stalls that sell peas, berries and dried mushrooms are closing. Quite a few of the ice-cream kiosks have also closed already even though most days are still warm enough to want to snack on some icy delights.

Obviously, the abundance of fresh berries for sale everywhere is one of the pleasures of living here. But to my opinion, the fresh peas top the list. I have never eaten such delicious fresh peas anywhere else. I end up buying big bags full and we eat them like sweets or snack on them with our drinks. The Finns like to make pea soup but I simply cannot imagine cooking them. I have several great recipes that use fresh peas, but we never get round to making them. They always get eaten, as is, before I get round to even take a saucepan or wok out of the cupboard to start cooking them. The problem of cooking peas then being resolved, I decided to use some of many mushrooms currently available everywhere, from growing wild to the stalls and stores.

Chanterelles are the most common, but I also bought some tiny shiitake mushrooms. It was time to bake another bread, so I baked mushroom bread.

　

Wild Mushroom Bread With Jalapenos

250g Chanterelle Mushrooms
150g Shiitake Mushrooms
1 Tablespoon Jalapeno - chopped finely
1 Tablespoon Butter
30g Fresh Yeast
1 Cup of Lukewarm Water
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Egg
2 teaspoons Sea Salt
1 teaspoon White Pepper – finely ground
1 teaspoon Nutmeg – freshly grated
2 Cups Wholewheat Flour
2 Cups Bread Flour

• Melt the butter over a medium heat in a pan.
• Trim the mushroom stems and chop roughly. Leave the smaller mushrooms whole.
• Gently fry the mushrooms till all the juices have been released and cooked dry.
• Set the mushrooms aside to cool.
• Beat the egg with the maple syrup.
• Add the jalapenos and cool mushrooms to the egg mixture.
• Dissolve the yeast in the cup of lukewarm water.
• Put the wholewheat flour, salt and spices in a bowl.
• Add the yeast and egg mixtures to the flour and mix well.
• Add the bread flour, half cup at a time till the dough becomes firm.
• Gently knead in the rest of the flour and knead the dough for a few minutes till elastic.
• Let it rise till doubled in size - it will take approximately 2 hours.
• Deflate the dough, knead a few times and form a loaf.
• Put the bread in a loaf pan and let it rise for another half hour.
• While it is rising, preheat the oven to 200 C.
• Put the bread in the oven. Afer few minutes, when back up to temperature, turn the heat down to 180 C and bake for 30-40 minutes till it sounds hollow when tapped.
• Let it cool a while in the pan and turn out.
  

I used preserved jalapenos and the taste was mild and not overpowering. Together with the pepper and nutmeg it adds a subtle warm and spicy flavour that complements the taste of the mushrooms. Serve with a mild soft goat cheese or cream cheese and pickled gherkins.