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Amy’s Thorian Burdock Casserole

3-4 burdock roots (depending on size)
1 lb. fresh mushrooms
2 cups wild rice
1 cup goat cheese
medium onion
minced garlic to taste
olive oil and sherry

Prepare burdock: scrub, don’t peel, under running water and cut into matchstick sized pieces. Soak in cold water with a splash of vinegar (to retain burdock’s color while cooking) for about 15 minutes.
Drain and boil the root in water for about 20 minutes and strain. You can save the cooking water which leaches vitamins and minerals from the root. I add two handfuls of bitchy nettles to the strained cooking water, cover the pot, and steep overnight for a very rich cold infusion (drink within two days)
Boil the burdock for another 15 minutes in fresh water, and drain again.
Cook rice in separate pan, adding bullion if you like, and set aside (wild rice takes three parts water to one part grain and needs about fifty minutes cooking time).
Saute the garlic over very low heat in a small pan and set aside if you tend to burn it; or add later to onions and mushrooms.
In a larger skillet, sauté mushrooms and onion, adding oil in small amounts as needed. Add a splash of sherry. Tilt the pan as the mushrooms cook, checking for and removing excess fluid. Mushrooms should be moist but not soggy.
Add garlic, burdock and rice to the pan, folding gently and adding salt and pepper if you like.
When contents are warmed, spoon into a casserole dish, and top with cheese. Cover and heat in a low-medium oven until cheese is melted.
This can also be made the day before in its entirety and refrigerated.