More on Mushrooms
Still waiting here in Wyoming for the morels to emerge, but my husband John had great luck last week in central Pennsylvania. He left some to dry for a month before we get home and gave many away to friends unwilling or unable to brave the rigors of crawling through the forest floor to find them. He did manage to bring home a hitchhiking tick, which is quite the scourge in our Mid-Atlantic region. Ticks that carry Lyme disease seem unable to withstand the Wyoming winters which is one blessing of all those sub-zero temperatures.
Wyoming local media are circulating morel stories, so it is time to watch out. And I heard from a wild mushroom enthusiast in Alpine that a friend found some last week in their greenhouse. Soon come!
Meanwhile, other mushroom dreams will suffice. The Whole Foods in Jackson carries a large supply of interesting fresh mushrooms as well as dried porcini and chanterelles. Even our local Broulim’s in Alpine carries a decent array of dried varieties and the standard fresh mushrooms—cremini, portobello (big cremini), and button. It is always best to buy the mushrooms whole and slice them right before you use them. If you buy them in bulk so you can choose the size that you prefer and store them in paperbags in the vegetable drawer for best keeping qualities.
This pickled mushroom recipe from Alton Brown is an interesting variable on a charcuterie board or in a martini. After a bit of experimentation with gin, my preferred martini ingredient, I realized that vodka is much better in this cocktail. The floral and herbal nature of the gin interferes with the complex mushroom pickle notes and my Polish heritage called out the vodka. Perfect!
A Dirty Pickled Mushroom Martini
2 ounces vodka
½ ounce dry vermouth
½ ounce pickled mushroom brine
Sprig of thyme
Pickled mushroom or two for garnish
Add vodka, vermouth, and brine to a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake vigorously for a bit and set aside while you spear the pickled mushroom with the thyme. Shake again and strain into a martini glass and add the garnish. Dzięki!
Another unusual mushroom recipe is one that my sister Mary made and sent to me for Candy Cap Mushroom Cookies. Always a brave experimenter, Mary made this recipe and sent me some with the holiday nutrolls that we simply call Babci Cookies. I had frozen a few of the mushroom cookies and it was a happy day when I found them in the recesses of the freezer. Candy caps are native to the Pacific Northwest and are not a mushroom that I know, but I was impressed with the flavor of the cookies, sweetly maple and earthy at the same time. They are expensive to order online but you need just a small amount in the recipe for a huge flavor punch.
So, until you find some morels locally, eat—and drink--more mushrooms in any form. There are more and more options all the time.
