Miso Soup with Napa Cabbage and Udon

1 cup sliced dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
2 cups boiling water
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger (from about a 2-inch piece)
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 (12-ounce) package udon noodles
1/2 medium napa cabbage (about 12 ounces), cored, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup white miso
4 large eggs (optional)
 
Place the mushrooms in a medium heatproof bowl and add the boiling water. Let sit until the mushrooms have softened, about 12 minutes.
 
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high. Add the stock and soy sauce and stir to combine. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms from their liquid and add them to the saucepan.  

Measure 1 cup of the mushroom liquid, being careful not to include any sediment from the bottom of the bowl, and add it to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. (Discard the remaining mushroom liquid.)

 
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the udon to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and, while stirring, rinse the noodles with cold water until they’re cooled and no longer sticky. Divide all of the udon among 4 deep soup or noodle bowls; set aside.
 
When the mushrooms are ready, add the cabbage to the pan, stir to combine, and simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the miso and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed. Crack the eggs, if using, into the simmering mixture and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the soup and eggs among the bowls of noodles, being careful not to break the egg yolks. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

From Chowhound.com

Maple Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces or 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed)

1/3 cup maple syrup (darkest grade possible)

2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons cream, half-and-half, milk, or evaporated milk, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring, optional

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the brown sugar has dissolved.

Remove the syrup mixture from the heat and let stand until completely cooled.  

Pour the cooled syrup mixture into a mixing bowl.  Gradually beat in 2 1/2 cups of the confectioner's sugar and the cream or milk.  Add the vanilla, and maple flavoring if using, and beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add more confectioner's sugar or more cream or milk as needed to make a spreadable frosting.

Makes enough to frost an 8-inch two-layer cake, a 9x13-inch cake, or 12 cupcakes.

From TheSpruceEats.com

Autumn Ramen

1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, cremini, and white button, trimmed or torn into pieces about 1/2-inch thick
4 ounces Brussels sprouts (8 to 10), trimmed, and halved if large
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup unflavored, good-quality soy milk
3 tablespoons light-colored miso paste
1 1/2 quarts Vegetarian Dashi

8 ounces dried or 12 ounces fresh Ramen Noodles
14 ounces firm tofu, blotted dry and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup tender sprouts, shoots, or microgreens

Heat oven to 425 F.

Drizzle the mushrooms and Brussels sprouts with oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes.  Toss until well-coated.  Roast in oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring periodically, until mushrooms and Brussels sprouts are tender and crispy around the edges.

In a large saucepan, combine the soy milk and miso.  Puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  Add the dashi to the saucepan.  Bring to a bare simmer.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, or add more to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and salt it generously.  Add the noodles, in a strainer basket or pasta insert if you have one, and cook until tender, usually about 4 to 7 minutes for dried, or 60 to 90 seconds for fresh.  Lift the noodles out, reserving the cooking water, and rinse the noodles thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess starch.  Quickly dunk them back into the cooking water to reheat.  Divide among bowls.

Divide the roasted mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and the tofu over the noodles.  Ladle the hot broth over each serving and top with sprouts.

Serves 4.

From Bowl by Lukas Volger, with a few changes

Vegetarian Dashi

Four 2-inch squares kombu (about 1 1/2 ounces)
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 quarts cold water

Combine the kombu, mushrooms, and water in a large container and let stand for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.  It gets stronger as it sits and taste can vary depending on what type of kombu you use.  If you plan to let it stand for more than 4 hours, place it in the refrigerator, lidded or covered with plastic wrap.

Alternatively, bring the water to a bare simmer in a saucepan.  Remove from heat, add the kombu and mushrooms, and let stand for 30 minutes.

Discard the kombu.  Pick out the mushrooms and trim off and discard the stems; you can reserve the mushroom caps for another use.  

Stored in an airtight container, the dashi will keep for 2 to 3 days.

Makes 2 quarts.

From Bowl by Lukas Volger

Ramen Noodles

2 cups bread flour, or 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons kansui (or subsitute baking soda water*)

Cornstarch, for dusting

Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Stir together the water and kansui in a small bowl, then pour into the flour and stir until combined.  The mixture will be crumbly.  Gather the crumbles into a bowl and knead for a few moments. Return dough to the mixing bowl, switch to the dough hook, and knead for about 5 minutes, until the flour has absorbed all of the liquid and you have a cohesive, slightly shaggy-looking ball.  You can add additional water by the teaspoon if the dough is too crumbly, but this should be a dense and fairly dry dough.

Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic, and let rest for 30 minutes.  

Divide the dough into quarters.  Work with one quarter at a time and keep the remaining dough covered with plastic to prevent drying.  Flatten the dough into a rectangle, dust with cornstarch, and roll through a pasta machine on its widest setting.  Fold the sheet in half, flatten it out, and repeat.  Do this once more.  Reduce the thickness setting by one notch and pass the dough through the machine.  Repeat this process once, then reduce the setting again, pass the dough through, and repeat, dusting the sheets lightly with cornstarch if they start to get stuck.  You'll want sheets slightly less than 1/16 inch thick, which is typically the number 3 setting on a pasta machine, and about 12 inches long.  Dust sheets lightly with cornstarch, fold them up without creasing them, and keep covered with plastic to prevent drying out as you repeat with the remaining 3 quarters of dough.

Pass a pasta sheet through the pasta machine's spaghetti or linguini setting.  Toss the noodles with cornstarch, then curl the strands loosely around your hand to make a nest.  Cover with plastic and proceed with the remaining sheets.

If not using immediately, store the noodles in resealable bags in the refrigerator or freezer.  They will keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator, and about 2 months in the freezer.

To cook the noodles, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil.  Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, or until just tender.  If possible, remove from water using a strainer basket or pasta insert, reserving cooking water.  Rinse under cold running water to remove excess starch.  Dip back into reserved cooking water to re-warm, then divide among bowls and serve.

*Kansui substitute: Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda with 4 teaspoons water.

Makes 4 servings.

From Bowl by Lukas Volger, with minor changes

Fresh Black Grape Lemonade

4 cups seedless black grapes
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
7-8 cups cold water, divided
Zest of 3 lemons
Juice of 7 lemons (about 1 cup)
 
In a large saucepan, add grapes, 1 cup of the sugar, 1 cup of the water, and the lemon zest.  Simmer over medium heat, mashing grapes as they soften.  Once all the grapes have been mashed, let the mixture simmer gently for an additional 10-15 minutes so that the grape skins release more of their color.  Remove from heat and strain, discarding the solids.  Let cool.
 
Add grape mixture to a pitcher.  Stir in lemon juice, and remaining sugar and cold water.  Taste, and adjust the water and sugar to your liking.  Refrigerate until chilled.
 
From DivasCanCook.com

Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pie

4 tablespoons butter
1 sweet onion, diced
2 large zucchini, sliced very thinly (about 4 cups)
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 ears sweet corn
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces shredded cheese
4 eggs, beaten

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, zucchini, and mushrooms. While the veggies sauté, cut the corn kernels off the cob. Add them to the pan and continue to sauté until the veggies are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Once the mixture has cooled for a few minutes, stir in the basil, oregano, salt, cheese, and the beaten eggs. Butter a pie pan (9-inch or larger). Transfer the mixture to the pan. Arrange the top so the zucchini slices lay flat and look nice. Top with a little extra cheese for looks. Cover with greased foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting into slices.

Serves 6 to 8.

From Pinch of Yum blog