Mushrooms 101: From growing them on your kitchen counter to hunting your own.
What are your plans this weekend? I’m doing my homework in order to become a Mushroom Hunter (not an official term 😉).
I’ve been reading a lot about this hobby and I have to say, it’s pretty intriguing, not a mention a naturally socially distant activity! It all started with the North Spore Mushroom Kits — did I mention we just got a new shipment in after selling out of our first batch immediately? In about 12 days, my Pink Oyster Kit started growing tiny mushrooms…and then literally took off overnight. Our first harvest was robust AND delicious. A simple sauté in wine and butter with some fresh herbs and garlic created the perfect topping for grilled salmon.
The next batch, produced within a few weeks, was again sautéed, but this time topped over some crusty, sliced baguette and mascarpone cheese. TDF. Scroll down to get the recipes.
We felt pretty proud of our mushroom growing skills, even though all we had to do was literally spray the kit daily with some water. And they just took off. The kits come in 4 varieties (which make awesome gifts, btw) and are a perfect gateway to hunting in the wild.
The New York Times had a really great piece with solid information to get one started on foraging. Not a lot of fancy equipment needed. But some background knowledge is important, such as knowing what kind of mushrooms are edible. The article points out that “getting educated” is the first step, followed by assembling some gear.
We have some Foraging Starter Kits, as well as, the knife that the NAMA (North American Mycological Association) President recommends the French-made Stainless Steel Mushroom Knife (and brush) from Opinel. Species Guides like this one or that one are obviously good. And nice mesh bag or basket. That’s really about all you need. Maybe some patience, too?
Warmer weather and some rain will apparently get things growing, and I understand it to be a little early to find much now. But it won’t be long, and I’m really looking forward to taking on one of Mother Nature’s coolest scavenger hunts.
And obviously, I’m really looking forward to preparing and eating my “catch.” Until then, you can find me happily cooking up the recipes below with my own kitchen counter grown variety.
IngredientS:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces cremini mushrooms (or home grown from your kit), stems trimmed
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1/3 dry white wine
Garnish: 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Step 1: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, without stirring, or stirring very little, until caps are caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 2: Reduce heat to medium. Toss mushrooms, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until mushrooms are well browned, about 5 minutes more. Add garlic, butter, and thyme. Cook until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add wine. Return skillet to heat, and cook until wine is evaporated about 4 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve warm. We loved ours on top of grilled salmon, but these are great on their own, on top of baked potatoes, pasta, rice, and even toasted baguette.
Mushroom & Mascarone Cheese Toasts
via Tasty Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 whole baguette, sliced (1 loaf should yield about 24 slices)
1/3 cup olive oil (basically, enough to brush on toasts + an additional 1-2 T. to sauté)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Baby Bella Mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms from your Mushroom Growing Kit), sliced thin or diced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread baguette slices out on a baking sheet and lightly brush the top side with olive oil. Toast at 400 F for 6 minutes. You may be tempted to toast them longer, but resist, or they will become too crunchy! When done, remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
Step 2: In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil until fragrant (about a minute). Add the mushroom and sherry vinegar, and sauté until mushrooms are soft and a lot of liquid has cooked out. Stir in the chopped parsley and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Spread a thin layer of mascarpone on each slice of toast and top with a spoonful of the mushroom mixture. Serve hot!