Published in AroundMaine.com on October 16, 2007
Published in The Washington Times on October 17, 2007
Published in the New Haven Register on October 24, 2007
Published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in December 2008
TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

With the daylight dimming and the air growing crisp, taste buds invariably start to crave heartier, meatier fare. Pot roasts. Meat loaf. A rich veal stew. For me, however, nothing else will do but a thick, juicy, earthy mushroom.

Derived from the French term “mousseron,” mushrooms have a longstanding, global following. Pre-historic sites in Germany, Switzerland and Austria contain evidence of puffball consumption. Texts indicate that the ancient Greeks and Romans deemed truffles a food of the gods, with Julius Caesar going so far as to pass laws regarding who could and could not eat them.

By the 19th century, French citizens had converted caves and quarries in Paris and the Loire Valley into mushroom farms. Meanwhile, Russians, Scandanavians and Swiss were scavenging the autumn woods in search of wild specimens. It seemed as though the all of Europe had developed “fungus fever.”

Today it is Americans who appear mad about mushrooms. Our cultivated crops bring in $956 million in sales and provide consumers with 827 million pounds of food, according to the Washington D.C.-based American Mushroom Institute. Walk into any grocery store and you will spy packages of plump white button, umbrella-shaped shiitake, sprout-like enokitake and big, brown portobello mushrooms, all commercially grown and ready for consumption.

Versatility contributes to the mushroom’s popularity. In my home. its nutty, woodsy flavor spices up sauces and stews. Sliced, it becomes a savory accent for omelets, stir fries, pasta and pizzas. As a main ingredient, it stars in such dishes as wild mushroom stroganoff, spinach-stuffed portobello caps, mushroom soup and cremini tarts.

For vegetarians such as Jason and Rachelle Hafer, farmed fungus serves as a satisfying substitute for meat. “Mushrooms can hold up well against full bodied wines, which a lot of vegetables struggle with,” says Jason, co-owner of Wolfgang Books in Phoenixville, Pa., and an ardent wine enthusiast.

His wife offers another argument in their favor. “They can absorb flavor — in the case of a marinade — just as well as any red meat can,” Rachelle says.

Jason concurs. He marinates portobellos in a mixture that his mother used for flank steak. After soaking them a marinade of olive oil, soy sauce, chopped onion, ginger and a bit of garlic for one to two hours, he grills or broils them with crumbles of feta or slices of provolone cheese on top.

In spite of the array of cultivated mushrooms available, sometimes store-bought will just not do. When desiring such exotic fare as the golden-orange chanterelle or pearl-gray oyster, I have several means of acquisition from which to choose.

Foraging is the preferred method for Dr. Kathryn McGowan of Silver Spring, Md. “Some of my fondest memories with my uncle are about trying to find a giant oyster on a damp fall morning in the Pocono Mountains and to do so before the deer beat us to the prized possessions,” the medical anthropologist says.

When Dr. McGowan and her uncle finished collecting their edible treasures, the two would return home and sauté the woody gems in butter over high heat. Cooking over medium-high to high heat ensures that the mushrooms will end up firm and browned instead of limp and submerged in a pool of their juices.

As I lack the knowledge to differentiate between poisonous and edible fungus, I choose to leave foraging to the pros. Chanterelles and honeycombed morels arrive courtesy of my mushroom-savvy neighbor who scavenges the dense woods behind our homes. I have grown delicately flavored oysters, using a kit from the online gourmet mushroom store Fungi Perfecti. Named for their resemblance to small pigs, Italian porcinis come dried from a nearby gourmet foods store.

What to do with all this fungi? Kept away from moisture, dried mushrooms remain good for years. Fresh ones should be placed in a perforated paper bag and stashed in the refrigerator. I avoid wrapping or keeping these in plastic as they will sweat and quickly deteriorate. Stored in the proper manner, they will last several days.

Before cooking fresh mushrooms, I give each a quick sniff. A sweet, earthy odor should rise from the firm, heavy flesh. Any slimy, foul-smelling ones get tossed out before they taint the rest.

Finished with the smell test, I trim off any hard stems and brush away dirt with a damp cloth. As mushrooms consist of 90 percent water and readily absorb liquids, I refrain from dousing or soaking them as I would other vegetables.

Dried mushrooms are another tale. Unlike their fresh brethren, I allow the desiccated domes to sit in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. This reconstitutes the withered flesh and provides me with a robust stock for soup and sauces. I always strain the soaking liquid to remove impurities before using.

Mushrooms prepped, I face the dilemma of how to cook them. The simplest method is to slice and serve raw over a salad or steamed vegetable. However, as mushrooms partner well with butter, olive oil, garlic, onion and shallots, I could sauté them en masse and present them as a nourishing side dish.

After marinating some hefty portobellos in lemon juice, vinegar or sherry, olive oil and marjoram, tarragon, thyme or rosemary, I have the option of broiling, baking or grilling the caps. I can also coat the portobellos with breadcrumbs, minced parsley and black pepper and fry them in a pan. When laziness prevails, I simply skewer the caps, drizzle them with olive oil and lay them on a hot grill. Within minutes I have several substantial meals.

So many hearty combinations and easy preparations. It is no wonder that I am utterly mad about mushrooms.

SPINACH-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
Serves 6

6 portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
8 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 3 lemons
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper
1-1/2 pounds spinach, cooked and strained to remove water
2 cups diced tomatoes, drained
6 ounces Fontina cheese, cut into strips
Pre-heat the oven to 3500F.
Place the mushrooms smooth-side down in a baking dish.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and pepper. Pour the dressing over the mushrooms then place the dish in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. The mushrooms will appear soft and slightly browned when finished baking.

Turn off oven and remove pan. Turn broiler onto “medium” setting.

Put equal portions of spinach followed by tomatoes onto each mushroom and then lay equal amounts of Fontina on top of the tomatoes.

Place the dish back in the oven, under the broiler, and broil until the cheese is soft, about 1 minute. Remove and serve.

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF
Serves 8

2 large white onions, skinned and cut into quarters
5 cloves of garlic, skins removed
14 ounces cremini mushrooms
12 ounces shitake mushrooms
12 ounces portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
2 ounces dried porcini
6 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1-1/2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
5 tablespoons dry sherry
16 ounces light sour cream

Peel and quarter the onion and garlic then place in a food processor. Process the two until they have attained a smooth, soupy consistency.

Clean and remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Slice and halve the cremini and button mushrooms. Slice and quarter the shitake. Slice and cut the portobello into small pieces.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large sauté pan then spoon in the onion-garlic mixture. Cook over medium heat until softened but not browned.

Add the butter to the pan. After the butter melts, add the mushrooms and toss the ingredients together so that they are well mixed. Place a lid on the pan and cook, stirring periodically, until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the curry, paprika, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sherry and sour cream. Stir well. Heat on medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until stroganoff is hot and well combined. Serve over linguine, egg noodles or rice.

MUSHROOM PUFFS
Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen

2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, cut into 2-1/2-inch circles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
20 ounces cremini or white button, cleaned and trimmed
1-1/2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon water
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
Several sprigs of fresh parsley, minced
Thaw frozen puff pastry sheets.

Pre-heat oven to temperature recommended by puff pastry manufacturer.

Melt the butter in a large frying or sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté over medium heat until slightly softened.

Add the shallots, salt and pepper and continue cooking over medium until mushrooms are soft. Remove pan from heat.

Using a 2-1/2-inch pastry cutter, cut out approximately 30 circles. Half will be used as the bottoms of the mushroom puffs. The other half will serve as the tops. Place the bottoms on ungreased baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Add one tablespoon of water to the beaten egg and set aside.

Place one tablespoon of the mushroom filling on the center of each circle. Sprinkle Gruyere cheese and parsley over the mushrooms.

Taking one of the puff’s tops, apply the egg wash to the edges then place the moistened side on top of the mushrooms and press down on the edges to seal the puff. Repeat until all the puffs are assembled.

Bake in the oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, until puffs have risen and turned golden brown. For best results,
serve immediately.

© 2007, KATHY HUNT. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.