Looks like we have company joining us today
for an afternoon foray in the refuge.
Terry's Acorn Squash with Wild Mushroom Cranberry Stuffing
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place squash cut side down in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 10 minutes. Pierce plastic to let steam escape. Uncover and turn squash halves cut side up. Season cavities with salt and pepper.
- Combine dried cranberries and hot water in small bowl.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion and sage and sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and stir until crumbs brown lightly, about 3 minutes. Mix in cranberries with soaking liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Mound stuffing into squash halves. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake until heated through and crisp on top, about 10 minutes.
Bon Appetit's Grilled Mushroom Antipasto Salad
2 pounds assorted mushrooms (such as crimini, shiitake, and/or maitake), wiped clean, trimmed, torn into big pieces if large
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Black pepper
2 ounces Parmesan, shaved
½ cup Castelvetrano olives, coarsely chopped
¼ cup drained Peppadew peppers in brine, coarsely chopped
- Prepare a grill for high heat. Toss mushrooms and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl to coat. Grill, turning occasionally with tongs, until lightly charred, 2–6 minutes (depending on size and type). Return to bowl; season with salt.
- Whisk vinegar, Aleppo-style pepper, oregano, garlic, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a small bowl to combine; season vinaigrette with salt and black pepper. Pour over mushrooms and toss to coat. Add Parmesan, olives, and Peppadew peppers; gently toss to combine.
Chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales's Braised Chanterelles and Potatoes
2 pounds chanterelles
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups smetana or European-style sour cream
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
- Fill a large bowl or salad spinner with water, then thoroughly clean the mushrooms by dunking them in and vigorously swishing them around to shake loose any debris. Remove quickly, and repeat the process with fresh water until all the mushrooms are clean. Spread the mushrooms out on clean dish towels to dry.
- Tear any very large chanterelles into halves or quarters. Heat a medium-sized Dutch oven or heavy-sided pot over medium heat, and melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook down, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and it mostly evaporates, about 10 minutes (you can cover the pot until the liquid comes out, so that the mushrooms don’t scorch, but then remove the cover to help the liquid cook off).
- While the mushrooms are cooking, whisk together the heavy cream, smetana, and salt. When the mushrooms have cooked down, pour in the cream mixture, and stir everything together. Add the potatoes and stir again, coating everything with the braising liquid. Bring the mixture to a simmer and partially cover (leave a small crack to let steam escape), then reduce the heat until it’s just high enough to maintain the gentlest possible simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the potatoes and cream have both turned a light golden brown, and the liquid has
Warm Shiitake, Arugula & Red Pepper Salad with Garlic Toasts
8 slices Italian or French bread
2 cloves garlic, halved
6 ounces fresh shiitake
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches arugula, stemmed, rinsed and dried, about 4 cups
2 sweet yellow or red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 ounces country ham or prosciutto, cut into julienne strips (1/4 cup)
1 lemon, sliced into 4 wedges
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set bread slices on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Rub each top side generously with garlic. Bake about 5 minutes longer or until golden. Cut slices in half and set aside.
- Reserve shiitake stems for another purpose. Clean caps with soft brush. Slice into thin strips. Combine with salt, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand 10 minutes, tossing now and then.
- Divide arugula among 4 salad plates.
- In large heavy skillet, heat remaining oil over medium high heat. Add shiitake and stir fry until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add peppers and toss for 30 seconds to heat through. Add ham, toss and season with salt and pepper. Quickly spoon the warm mixture onto the arugula. Place 1 lemon wedge and 4 garlic toasts on each plate. Serve at once to 4 diners.
Chanterelle-Potato Salad with Pancetta, Shallots and Thyme
12 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and torn into 1" pieces
6 ounces pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced
3 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved lengthwise (if potatoes are longer than 2 inches cut into quarters)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/2 cup white vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook pancetta in large frying pan over medium high heat until crisp and browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels, reserving drippings.
- Toss potatoes with 3 tablespoons reserved pancetta drippings, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide potatoes between two 9 x 13 inch glass baking dishes. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender, well browned, and crispy, about 25-35 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm.
- Melt butter in large frying pan over medium high heat. Add shallot and cook until soft, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5-6 minutes. Add wine, remaining salt and pepper. Scrape up browned bits and cook until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, toss potatoes, mushrooms, pancetta, tarragon and chives. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
White Wine Vinaigrette
Place in a blender: 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2/3 cup olive oil, 1 chopped shallot and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and emulsified.
8 servings.
Truffle Vinaigrette
Combine:
1 part red wine vinegar
3 parts olive oil
chopped shallot
salt and pepper to taste
truffle shavings
- Serve over mixed wild greens.
Mushrooms in Ginger Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced
12 ounces of fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
steamed vegetables such as green beans
- In a large skillet heat butter over medium high heat. Add green onions, cilantro, ginger and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute.
- Stir in mushrooms and soy sauce. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice.
Salmon Salad after Six
Raspberry Vinaigrette
1/2 cup sweetened rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon raspberry jam
3 drops chili oil, or to taste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
Salad
6-8 medium shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2-4 tablespoons sesame oil
raspberry vinaigrette, divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 4-6 ounce boneless salmon fillets
12 asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed if necessary
2-3 cups meschun mix salad greens
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2 inch squares, or other fruit of your choice
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, or other nuts of your choice
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion tops
1/2 cup cooked basmati rice, divided, about 1/4 cup raw, or other rice of your choice
To make raspberry vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, jam, chili oil and water. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until thickened. Set aside. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
To make the salad: In a small saute pan, add the shiitake mushrooms and sesame oil and saute over medium heat until mushrooms are well done, almost caramelized, about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly, watch carefully and do not burn. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Mushrooms will have a slightly leathery appearance.
- Prepare a barbecue grill with medium hot coals. Oil grill rack. Pour 1/2 cup of the prepared vinaigrette into a small bowl and whisk in the soy sauce. Brush salmon with vinaigrette. Place fillets on grill, flesh side down, 3 inches from the heat source, and cook for 5-7 minutes, basting with the vinaigrette mixture. Turn fillets over, baste again and cook until fish flakes easily, another 5-7 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Meanwhile, grill asparagus about 5-7 minutes, basting with the vinaigrette mixture.
- In a mixing bowl, toss the salad greens, pear, almonds and green onion tops with 1/2 cup vinaigrette. Divide the mixture between 2 dinner plates. Place 1/4 cup rice on each plate in the center of the greens. Divide the mixture between 2 dinner plates. Place 1/4 cup rice on each plate in the center of the greens. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the rice. Arrange 6 asparagus spears over each plate of rice and crown each salad with a fillet. Garnish with prepared shiitake mushrooms and serve.
Soy Braised Mushrooms
2 ounces dried whole shiitake mushrooms, 2-3 inches wide
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons sugar
8 thin slices ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon sesame oil
thinly sliced green onions
- Rinse mushrooms well and place in 2 quart pan. Cover with hot water and let stand until soft, 15-20 minutes. Lift mushrooms out and trim off and discard tough stems. Slowly pour 2 cups of the soaking water into a glass measure and reserve. Discard remaining water with sediment.
- Rinse pan and return mushrooms and reserved soaking water to it. Add soy sause, sherry and sugar. Lightly crush ginger and garlic with the flat side of knife and add to pan.
- Cover pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms are tender to bite, 15-20 minutes. Uncover and boil over high heat until most of the moisture is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Remove garlic. Stir in sesame oil.
- Pour mushrooms into serving dish and sprinkle with green onions. Serve hot or cool.
Chef Renee Erickson's Pickled Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme
2 pounds small button mushrooms
2 cups organic distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 thyme sprigs, divided
4 dried arbol chiles
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- Prepare a wide mouth canning jar in the following manner: Wash jar in hot, soapy water. Set a round metal rack in a large stockpot (or use a canning pot with a rack), fill with water, and bring to a boil. Lower jar into water, add lid with ring and boil 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and keep jars and lids in water until needed. Even though these pickles will be kept in the refrigerator, "you should always be cautious," and make sure your jars are thoroughly sanitized.
- Immerse mushrooms in a large bowl of water and swish around quickly to remove any dirt. Lift out to a colander to drain, then cut mushrooms in half.
- Put mushrooms, vinegar, 2/3 cup water, the garlic, 2 thyme sprigs, the chiles, and salt in a 4-5 quart nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until mushrooms have shrunk considerably and are glossy and more tan in hue, 8-10 minutes "When the mushrooms buoy up, push them back into the liquid."
- Put remaining 2 thyme sprigs in jar and set a wide mouth funnel in neck of jar. Spoon in mushrooms, chiles, and garlic (discard thyme from pot). Pour brine over mushrooms, leaving about 1 inch airspace at top of jar. You can also make a richer pickle with oil instead of vinegar: After cooking the mushrooms, take pot off the heat and let pickles sit 15 minutes. Put them in the jar with a slotted spoon and cover completely with extra virgin olive oil. "Keep the vinegar for salad dressing or another round of pickles."
- Close jar and let cool, then chill "just until tight: Don't crank on them" or they'll be hard to open once cool. Let the pickles cool to room temperature, then chill at least overnight and preferably 1 week before eating. Pickles made this way will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Chef John Eisenhart's Ligurian Bread Salad
6-8 slices ciabatta
About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
6 medium to large porcini mushrooms, wiped of sand and chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 small to medium radishes, diced
3/4 cup fresh herbs, such as fennel fronds, chervil, chive flowers and/or basil, washed, torn apart and loosely packed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the ciabatta slices on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil (approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup) and sprinkle with salt. Place sheet in oven until slices are lightly toasted but not brittle, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove ciabatta slices from sheet and set aside to cool.
- Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a wide saute pan on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the porcini in one layer. Adjust the heat to medium and saute, turning, until evenly brown, approximately 3-5 minutes. (If you are using shiitake or portobello mushrooms, you may need to add additional olive oil to prevent sticking; cooking time may be as long as 8-10 minutes.)
- Place the browned porcini in a large salad bowl. Add the shallot. Cover with plastic wrap and allow mushrooms to cool to lukewarm.
- When ready to serve, crumble the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces into the bowl. Add the lemon juice, radishes and herbs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and up to 1/4 cup additional olive oil if desired. Toss and serve.
Chef John Ash's Wild Mushroom Salad with Fried Capers and Parmesan
Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Wild Mushroom Salad
1-1/2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms, such as oyster or chanterelle, cleaned
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups loosely packed mesclun or other young greens
Fried capers, for garnish (see NOTE below)
Shaved Parmesan or dry jack cheese, for garnish
To make Honey Lemon Vinaigrette:
- Whisk shallots, rice vinegar, honey, lemon juice and olive together. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes 1 generous cup.
To make Wild Mushroom Salad:
- If the mushrooms are large, halve them. Otherwise, leave them whole. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and saute the mushrooms until they are barely tender, 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside and keep warm.
- Lightly toss greens with some of Honey Lemon Vinaigrette and arrange on plates, then top with mushrooms. Spoon a little more the vinaigrette around the edge of the plate. Garnish with fried capers and cheese. Serve immediately.
NOTE: To fry capers, blot 2 tablespoons capers on a paper towel. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the capers and cook until they begin to crisp; many will pop. Remove right away with a slotted spoon and drain on towels again.
Candy McMenamin's Warm Steak and Mushroom Spinach Salad with Spicy Walnut Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely minced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Salad:
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, sliced
4 beef strip loin steaks, cut about 3/4 inch thick
1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shitake, and button), sliced
6 ounce package baby spinach
4 ounces cotija cheese (substitute good quality Parmesan cheese if not available), crumbled
Garnish:
Chopped walnuts and cilantro sprigs
- In a small bowl, whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together, except walnuts. Fold in walnuts. Set aside.
- Melt butter in 12" skillet over medium high heat. Add steaks and cook 4 minutes per side until browned and medium rate. Remove to a carving board.
- Place mushrooms in hot skillet and saute 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Arrange spinach on four serving plates. Evenly distribute mushrooms over spinach.
- Carve steaks into 1/4" strips and arrange over mushrooms. Sprinkle cotija cheese over each salad. Evenly drizzle walnut vinaigrette over salads. Garnish with chopped walnuts and springs of cilantro.
Roxanne Chan's Winter Wilted Shiitake Salad
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
6 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 can (15 ounces) whole baby corn, drained
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/2 cup sliced red radishes
1/4 cup snipped cilantro
2 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Garnish: lime zest
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Saute the mushrooms 5 minutes or until tender.
- In a large bowl place the spinach, cabbage, corn, carrot, onion, radishes and cilantro.
- To the skillet add the vinegar, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Pour over the spinach mixture and toss to evenly coat.
- Serve immediately with garnish. Serves 4.
America's Test Kitchen's Roasted Mushrooms with Parmesan and Pine Nuts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds crimini mushrooms, trimmed and left whole if small (under 1 inch), halved if medium (1 to 2 inches), or quartered if large (more than 2 inches)
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps larger than 3 inches halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Dissolve 5 teaspoons salt in 2 quarts room-temperature water in large container. Add crimini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms to brine, cover with plate or bowl to submerge, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Drain mushrooms in colander and pat dry with paper towels. Spread mushrooms evenly on rimmed backing sheet, drizzle with oil, and toss to coat. Roast until liquid from mushrooms has completely evaporated, 35 to 45 minutes.
- Remove sheet from oven (be careful of escaping steam when opening oven) and, using thin metal spatula, carefully stir mushrooms. Return to oven and continue to roast until mushrooms are deeply browned, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
- Combine melted butter and lemon juice in large bowl. Add mushrooms and toss to coat. Add Parmesan, pine nuts, and parsley and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.
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