His mushroom bourguignon is almost
identical to the classic beef version, with
a selection of wild mushrooms of various
types and shapes substituting for the meat
in the red wine sauce. “We’re not using
the real expensive fancy mushrooms—
personally, I like hen of the woods, even its
name is cool,” Knight says. “Mushrooms
are wonderful as both background and
foreground flavors.”
Going beyond a vegetarian bourguignon,
Knight has created Panade of Fennel,
Wild Mushrooms and Oranges ($18),
reminiscent of a basic rustic French soup
and served at Feast in large individual
cassoulet bowls. The mixture is chunky
with croutons, sweated-down kale, Swiss
chard, mustard greens, leeks and fennel,
to which Knight adds orange zest, nutmeg
and fresh thyme. A layer of croutons, then
winter greens, then the mushroom mixture
is followed by a second layer of each.
Sapphire Laguna
Tunisian Warka at Sapphire Laguna is onion, garlic, celery, carrots, raisins, potatoes, yellow
split peas, dried apricot, squash and preserved lemon seasoned with fresh ginger, cumin,
coriander, harrisa and ras el hanout and wrapped in dough.
centered place in the universe,” she says.
Nevertheless, Tooker points to the ease
of creating a vegetarian stew with a meaty
texture while omitting the meat.
coarsely chopped, and cook an additional
two minutes.
“Using liquid reserved from the mushroom
mixture, pour in cream, add croutons,
plus a combination of grated goat cheese
and grated Manchego,” Knight says.
“Then, the bowls go into the oven to
bake—you’re breaking down the greens
while gratinating the cheese. When done,
and just as it’s going out the door to the
dining room, sprinkle with fresh thyme
and nutmeg—it looks very cool bubbling in
those big bowls.”
“Our green gumbo—a traditional dish in
the Creole community—usually includes
all sorts of meat—chicken, sausage, ham,
stew meat,” she says. “But you can prepare
Gumbo Z’Herbes from smoked red beans.”
Next, bring about a gallon of water, plus the
reserved bean water, to a boil. Add collard
greens and cabbage and boil until tender.
Add mustard greens, turnip greens and
green onions, and return to a boil. “Carefully
stir the roux mixture—into which the
mushrooms have been incorporated—into
the simmering greens, and return to a boil,”
Tooker says. “Add beans, parsley and a
bit of soy sauce, and, yes, bring it to a boil
again. Then remove from the heat. Serve
it—preferably the next day—over rice.”
NOLA’S GUMBO
Native New Orleanian chef/educator
Poppy Tooker has several vegetarian stew
staples in her gumbo pot. “Of course New
Orleans is the most meat-and seafood-
Tooker includes a recipe for Gumbo
Z’Herbes, created by Richard Stewart,
chef/owner of Gumbo Shop restaurant,
New Orleans, in her Crescent City Farmers
Market Cookbook ( marketumbrella.org,
2009). To prepare, rinse, sort and cook red
beans in boiling water. Set them aside and
retain the water. Prepare a dark, peanut-
butter-colored roux, adding onion, bell
pepper, celery, shallots, garlic, bay leaves,
salt and white, black and cayenne peppers,
and simmer about five minutes. Add the
mushrooms, which have been smoked
for about 45 minutes, then cooled and
Tooker, who has been a prime mover-and-
shaker on the post-Katrina restaurant-
recovery scene, is a classically trained
chef who stands by her Classic Creole
Sauce recipe. “You could serve an
eggplant Creole stew by adding cubed
eggplant (skin on), or add okra, instead. It’s
a substantial enough stew with its meaty
texture,” she says.
