Mushroom & Brown Rice Casserole

I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about composting.  Last July Ari and I started a little pile in the backyard next to our garden, circumscribed it with chicken wire, and left it to stew in its own filth.  We add to it maybe twice a month and really couldn’t be bothered to stir it.  So far the only benefits we’ve reaped are a decrease in the amount of garbage we throw out: some weeks we might sneak a measely walmart grocery bag or two into a neighbor’s trash can.  But hopefully, come late spring we’ll have a little plant fodder for the garden, all thanks to a few simple composting rules.

To give you an idea of things that you can include in compost, see below.  The goal is to feed the compost with a balance of nitrogen- and carbon-based waste to nourish the tiny beasts that live inside the pile.  You want to avoid putting stuff in there that will 1) attract pests, 2) poison you or your garden, or 3) smell up the neighborhood.  There are many guides on composting out there, but here’s the simple truth:  compost needs water, air, and a little TLC.  It’s mostly vegetarian, and matures over time.  And it’s an awful mess right up until the end, when hopefully it’s worth something.  Come to think of it–it sounds kind of like Ari and me in medical school.

This is our indoor compost pile.  During the summer, we had to keep a smaller pile in the fridge to avoid a fruit fly invasion.  But since it’s been cold enough to get frostbite in our kitchen, a standing pile has been okay.

This is our outdoor compost pile.  It looks small, but keep in mind that when I took this picture there was over a foot of snow.

Hopefully you’ll be inspired to start your own compost!  We’ll let you know how ours turns out, if it turns out.  Happy almost-spring!

Ingredients (based on the 101 cookbooks version)

• 2-3 Tbsp oil
• 8 ounces brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1/2 cup cabbage, chopped fine
• 1 medium onion, well chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 1/3 cup portions grated Parmesan cheese
• For the cornmeal base, use this recipe and chill the cooked polenta in the fridge in an 8×8 pan

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Place the pan containing the polenta in the oven and let it warm up and crisp by itself for 10 minutes.   Add the oil to a large skillet and saute the onions until tender.  Remove from the skillet and use the residual oil to saute the mushrooms and cabbage until tender.  Mix the sauteed vegetables with all of the remaining ingredients (except for 1/3 cup parmesan) in a large bowl.  Take the polenta out of the oven, spread this mixture over it with a spatula, and pack lightly with the spatula or a spoon.  Layer the rest of the parmesan cheese on top, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes.  Garnish with parsley.  The two layers won’t stick to each other very well–I’d appreciate any critiques on the taste and suggestions for better architecture.

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