Stuffed Portobellos just the way I like them

I just love mushrooms; they can be cooked just about any way. 

Last week at the Farmer's Market, I came across these beautiful portobello mushrooms, discounted because they were picked the day before. Gotta love that kind of value.

I looked through cookbooks to find a recipe to use for stuffing them, but none of them appealed to me. Since none of them quite fit the bill, I decided to improvise.

First, I cut off the mushroom stems, and put them into the freezer for soup stock. I brushed the caps to ensure they were clean. Using a spoon, I gently scraped out the gills, which makes more room in the caps for the stuffing. I brushed them with olive oil and placed them into the oven, cap side up at 350º for 10 minutes while I made the stuffing.

I used a tomato, diced; a garlic clove, finely diced; a few fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips; 1/4 cup of Balsamic vinegar; a splash of Extra virgin olive oil; a handful of Panko bread crumbs, enough to balance the liquid consistency; some salt and pepper.

Depending on your taste, any of these ingredients can be varied. 

Upon stuffing all of the mushroom caps, I topped them with shredded Mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese. 

I returned the mushrooms to the oven to cook until the cheese melted. 

These were so delicious. Now that my tomatoes are starting to ripen, and the basil is growing well, I think it will be back to the Farmer's Market this week for more mushrooms. 

Visit the caves--a must see

My daughter, Jenny and her fiance, Mike came to visit us from Illinois this week. 

One of the places we had to visit was Blanchard Springs Caverns. They had never been there before, though my husband John and I are frequent visitors. Just about whenever anyone comes to visit, the caves are always a must see.

The caverns are spectacular, but they aren't the only draw. The scenic drive on  AR 5 from Mountain Home is so beautiful. 

I have lived in Arkansas for nearly seven years, and I will never take for granted the beauty that is all around me. It abounds here in the natural state. By the way, I love calling Arkansas by its moniker because to me, there is nothing better than 'natural.' I am honored to live in a state that prides itself in being natural.

The caverns' environs were even more enticing than normal, since we've had  such an abundance of rain. The creek was rushing and was so typically Arkansas--beautiful. I truly love Blanchard Spring and Mirror Lake. I wish such a setting was in my own backyard. We have the forest, and even a similar water feature, but only when it rains. It has been pretty spectacular lately, keeping the window open at night as the water rushed rapidly down the hillside and on to the river. 

I feel such a sense of pride when I visit this government facility. Our national parks and its amenities are something to be heralded, especially in these times of economic stress, foreign intervention and all other national issues. 

I think Jenny and Mike were surprised by what they saw. A living cave is not something that is easily imagined. The tour is always informative, professional, and interesting.