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20 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2017 SPINACH & MUSHROOM WONTON RAVIOLI Yield: 12 ravioli INGREDIENTS 6-8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound baby spinach 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 large egg, beaten to taste salt and black pepper 1 package gyoza or wonton wrappers 3-4 large basil leaves, thinly sliced I came upon a mountain stream, Was born up high in melting snow. As souls that start somewhere unseen, The spark of life to them bestow. The mountain's womb from whence it came, Gave forth this child of water clear, The babble of this bubbling brook, Like coo of baby did I hear. With downhill flow it grew in rage, In swirling curls like silvery hair, On rust, brown rocks advanced its age. Descending from its mountain lair. Through forests green it rambled down, Toward graveyards dug in oceans deep. On polished stones it sang its song, Its promised journey's end to keep. I thought about this stream I found, So, destined to merge into sea, And my own soul, so earthward bound, To blend into eternity. Chef Jan Hill, Resident We should all lose the notion that we can't cook delicious, gourmet meals at home. For this dish, I'm cheating by using gyoza or wonton wrappers. Both are easily found in most major supermarkets. It cuts your prep time and it still tastes and looks like freshly made pasta. Throw some flour on your counter tops and smear some on your face before your friends and family show up. Serve them a glass of wine and they'll never know you didn't make the pasta yourself. Questions, comments, or suggestions for future recipes can be emailed to me at orangeblossomschef@gmail.com. DIRECTIONS In a large pan sauté mushrooms and garlic over medium high heat for 5 - 7 minutes, or until mushrooms have browned slightly and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the spinach in batches adding more as it wilts. Do this until all the spinach has been cooked. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool and drain any excess liquid. In a small bowl combine the cooled mushrooms and spinach with the ricotta cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Line up wrappers on cutting board. Top with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Brush edges of wrappers with water and place another wrapper on top of the filling. Press edges of wrappers together tightly and squeeze out as much air as possible to seal in the filling. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli in batches and cook 2-3 minutes, or until wrappers are cooked through and filling is hot. They should float to the top as they become ready. Remove from water, drain well, and toss with a little olive oil and black pepper. Garnish with sliced basil. *Ravioli can be served with your favorite pasta sauce or just tossed with olive oil and parmesan cheese. POETS CAVE WITH JOHN WRIGHT A Mountain Stream

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