Mushrooms

Well I was going to post about Wainuiomata eh? Well, I kindof said it yesterday. There's now officially a house occupying land where there once was this amazing garden. It was going to happen and it happened. The people have done an ok job actually of the subdivding thing - and from a quick look from the Alleyway - they seem to have made some imrpovements to the house I lived in also. In some respects its better to have another home on that land than see it parked up with cars on the land. At least it means there's new life there. The story is much bigger but for now thats enough about the Wainui house.

So, Mushrooms. yesterday when I was in the Hutt I went to the Italian Bella or whatever it is called in Petone. All I know is that it may be run by Italians, but heck it is occupied by Wellington people. Took an effort to pick the Hutt people. Anyway, so I order this Italian dish of pasta, mushrooms and Italian sausage. It cost $17.00. It was ok, but defientely not amazing. the mushrooms were about one or two dried, the sausgae some crumble effect of a good old pork sausgage not falsh pastrami or chorizo or anything.

So, today (becasue I am not at work....) I made took this Italian dish and I made it my own. Here is how you make authentic mushroom pasta. First you source your field mushrooms from the mushroom honesty table outside one of the hosues in the main st. The mushrooms may come in a pak n save bag but they are 100% authentic field mushrooms clearly picked this mornning. Cost $5.00 Second, source 100% pork sausges from the young buthcher guy in Greytown. Cost $4.00. When you get home source half a packet of Italian penne from cupboard. Cost: free. Have some left over cream: free. Parma cheese in fridge: free. OK. the cheese and cream did incur some expense at one stage but not on the actual day.

Stir fry mushrooms until they reach a deep dark jet black consistency - the whole exercise is worth it just to see this amazing mushroom black colour. Boil water and cook pasta and bake sausages. Throw pasta into mushroom mixture. Add cream. toss over cheese. Slice sausage and serve on side - because hello I am a carnivore - but actualy the sauagses weren't really needed.

volia - three meals for the price of one.
I've lost my Jamie Oliver book - but who needs it when you can make magic with the freshest of ingredients and who needs that Italian place in Petone?

The mushrooms are spectacular - becasue of course you can only get them at this time of year, becasue its an autumnal thing becasue they are genuine field mushrooms what with grass and everything on them.

Respect to the honest box. I'm glad they can still exist in my community. I now buy mushrooms, pinecones, and horse manure via the hoensty box. This is saying something because the honesty boxes are generally placed on main roads, so "naughty" and dishoinest people could abuse them - as happens in some place. But they appear not to in my community and I think thats great - I really do!