Words Hari Jacquot, Local mom and food fan
Photo Janis Jean
Do you know my favourite room in the house? The mushroom! So abundant, earthy and delicious. Vancouver Island has an exceptionally rich mushroom diversity because of its temperate rainforest, coastal climate and mature forests. Here are three sure-to-please ways to take the versatile mushroom and transform the taste and texture!
Mushroom Pate
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 lb mushrooms (I used cremini and button)
1/2 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup cottage cheese
small handful fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Roughly chop mushrooms, onion and garlic and sauté in oil on low heat until fragrant (1-2 mins).
Add in dried herbs, salt and pepper. Allow mixture to cool. Use hand mixer to blend mushroom mixture and cottage cheese until desired texture is reached. It should be smooth with some small texture. Put in fridge to chill for 30 mins. Enjoy with crostini.
Mushroom & Green Pea Curry
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, chopped
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp butter or ghee
12-15 cremini mushrooms, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp dried fenugreek
1 cup frozen green peas
cilantro to taste and garnish (optional)
Sauté quartered mushrooms in butter or ghee until browned. Remove mushrooms and set aside. In same pot, sauté onions, garlic and ginger with ground cumin until fragrant (1-2 minutes on medium heat). Add crushed tomatoes and garam masala. Cook on low, stirring occasionally with lid on for 10-15mins. If tomatoes reduce too much, add small amounts of water to ensure mixture doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and blend with hand blender until smooth. Return to heat, add sautéed mushrooms, fenugreek, green peas and salt and pepper to taste. Finish with whipping cream and cilantro. Serve with naan or rice and enjoy.
Chanterelle Mushroom Soup
2 tbsp butter
1 large handful of chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
4-6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp green onion or parsley to garnish (optional)
Melt butter and sauté mushrooms, garlic and onions until fragrant (1-2 minutes on medium heat). Lower heat and add flour. Cook flour down until absorbed by mixture. Slowly add chicken broth until desired thickness is reached. Simmer on low, add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Remove 1 cup of soup and blend. Return blended soup and cream to mixture and simmer for 1 – 2 mins more. Garnish and serve with your favourite bread.
