Mushroom Soup

 Mushroom soup is one of my favourite things to make after a day of mushroom picking. Bolete, aka porcini, aka cepe, is probably the best mushroom you can use to make a very flavourful broth. Add in some chanterelles and you've got yourself a piece of heaven. However, we do not always have access to wild mushrooms and have to make do with what is available. Consequently, this recipe is for an alternative mushroom soup. I promise, I will post up my wild mushroom soup recipe soon enough.

Serves 2 as a meal soup:
- 3 cups of mushrooms of choice, chopped (chanterelle, crimini, and oyster mushrooms were used for this soup) *Chanterelle and oyster mushrooms are both mild and delicate in taste; you cannot make a broth out of these mushrooms.
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 glove of garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cups broth (I will be posting broth recipes soon. You can also use organic store-bought vegetable, mushroom, or chicken broth.)
- 3/4 cup noodles of choice (I will also be posting a noodle recipe soon.)
- 1/2 cup of fresh dill and coriander, chopped

1. In a pot, on medium-high heat, throw in butter.
2. When butter begins to bubble, throw in onions. Cook for about 4 min while stirring.
3. Add in mushrooms, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 min, covered.
4. Add in broth. *Do not use salt if your store-bought broth is not low-sodium.
5. When the broth reaches its boiling point, uncover and throw in noodles. *Never recover a pot once you have thrown in noodles or pasta.
6. Cook noodles according to instructed time (it is best to check the noodles after a few minutes since time instructions tend to be off more than not).
7. Remove off heat. Add herbs. Serve.

This is tasty. However, wild mushroom soup is mind-blowing. Coming soon.

Butter & Garlic Oyster Mushrooms

 

Oyster mushrooms are probably the cleanest mushrooms you can find since they generally grow high atop of trees (in Quebec, they generally grow on maples; however, the oyster mushroom, aka pleurotus, is not restricted to maple trees). Also, like other gilled, upright growing mushrooms, the oyster mushroom tears easily into shreds; hence, no need to cut them.  Oyster mushrooms are probably the quickest and easiest mushroom to cook. Simplicity is key when cooking these guys.

 Serves 2:
- 2 handfuls of oyster mushrooms, hand-torn
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh herbs (a combination if dill, coriander, chives, or green onion)

1. Preheat oven to high broil (500 C) or prepare BBQ.
2. In aluminum foil, add mushrooms, butter, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Remove off heat. Add herbs.
5. Serve immediately (since they get cold fast).





An even simpler and as excellent recipe involves replacing the butter with olive oil and omitting the garlic and herbs. It is probably the easiest thing to make and doesn't even involve a knife (camping idea perhaps).

Mushroom Picking Season

Mushroom picking season is my favourite. From late July until the frost falls, eastern Canada and north-eastern US flourishes with various kinds of delicious mushrooms. Wild chanterelles and porcinis (aka boletes) are some of the most flavourful foods to existence.  However, I highly discourage people who do not know their funghi to venture out there to a possible death sentence. You can always go to your local farmers' market to purchase wild mushrooms. Wild mushroom recipes coming up.