Girls Just Wanna Have Fungus

When you break down what a mushroom is, it seems a bit strange that we eat it. I mean, it's a spore bearing fungus. It's not a plant. It's weird, isn't it? And yet, so delicious. I suppose the same can be said about drinking the milk from a cow or a goat. It's a bit weird.

It is a goal of mine to learn how to pick mushrooms (a mycophagist they are known as) and certainly intend on going through with it. Where I live, there are pockets of morel mushrooms which I never had growing up. But, as an adult, have become quite fond of. If you've never seen a morel, they are quite different in appearance to common mushrooms you buy at the grocery store. They have a cool honey comb look to them. However, you can buy them at most major grocers dried (much like porcini) and are usually very expensive. At least for a humble chef like me.

However, there are many other types of 'shrooms that you can eat that are much more affordable. They usually have a stem, cap and gills. We all know of the white mushroom that are usually farmed and delivered across the continent. In the same family is the ever popular cremini and portobella. I am fond of shitake, enoki and somewhat indifferent to oyster. But that's just me. In all, there are supposedly 14,000 varieties. Wow.

It goes without saying, here is a vast amount information to give about the intrepid toadstool, but that would be over-bearing. So, I will break up mushrooms 101 into several posts.

Here is a super duper easy recipe that is strictly an appetizer.

Field Mushrooms on Crostini

2 Baguettes, cut in rounds
1 White Onion, medium dice
1 Clove of Garlic, crushed
2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Juice of a Lemon
200 ml Olive Oil
25 – 30 Mushrooms, cremini, portobella and shitake
150 g Asiago Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven on roast at 400. On a baking sheet, lay out crostinis. Drizzle some oil over top and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden crusted.

In a large frying pan, heat oil. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and continue to cook.

Let cool and add thyme and asiago garnish.

Season carefully to taste.

Makes about 30 crostinis.

Variation: serve the cooked mushrooms in phyllo cups as a side to a steak. Cool.

A Humble Chef's tip: be generous with the garlic. It tastes good.