Kate's Garden Kitchen

I’ve started putting mushrooms in almost everything I cook. Their meaty, savory flavor adds a little something extra to fall and winter soups, pasta and stir-fries. They blend perfectly with cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, beans and rice, sausage and winter squash. And the nutrition is phenomenal.

Mushrooms are low-calorie and packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Supposedly setting mushrooms on the windowsill to absorb some sunlight will give you an extra boost of vitamin D. They are good sources of potassium which can help lower blood pressure, they have an anti-inflammatory effect on cells, and they have high amounts of selenium and B6, both of which help prevent cell damage.

So, what’s not to like? Healthy and tasty at the same time. We have an Asian market near where we live, so a once-a-month foray brings home Asian vegetables like bok choi, spinach and all other manner of Asian greens, organic tamari, homemade kimchi, and best of all, mushrooms. They usually have shitakes on sale, so I buy a big portion and bring them home to the dehydrator or to roast.

Dried wild mushrooms bring premium prices at markets and grocery stores, but this way I can have my mushrooms ready for rehydrating and adding to whatever I’m cooking. Rehydrating is simply a matter of pouring some boiling water on the mushrooms and letting them sit for a few minutes. Then, the mushroom water is poured off (a delicious addition to soup), and the mushrooms can be chopped and added to risotto, scrambled eggs, mushroom stew or whatever you have cooking.

Roasted mushrooms

Serve as a side to almost anything or keep some of these in the frig for adding to sandwiches, salads, or scrambled eggs. Clean mushrooms and clip off the ends of the stems. It is perfectly fine to wash them – it’s a myth that they will soak up a lot of water. Slice and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides and roast at 375 for about half an hour.

Duxelles

Sauteed or roasted mushrooms keep beautifully when frozen. I like to make a riff on duxelles, a traditional French dish of sauteed mushrooms with shallots and white wine. My recipe is to chop the mushrooms and mince a couple of cloves of garlic and half an onion finely. Saute them in olive oil or butter for about ten minutes. Freeze flat in a ziplock and break off pieces to add to a dish, use alone as a dressing for pasta, or even simply to put a dollop on a baked white or sweet potato.

Oven-Baked Risotto

Go-to comfort food with an elegant umami flavor. This rendition lets the oven do the work instead of standing and stirring for half an hour.

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/4 c. finely chopped onion
• 3/4 c. Arborio rice
• 1/4 c. dry white wine, (optional)
• 3 c. stock
• 3/4 t. coarse salt
• 1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 T. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
• Additions: prosciutto, brie, mushrooms, pumpkin, butternut squash

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.