Chanterelles!
One of the benefits of driving down to Falls City every week for the Bread Board loaves, aside from their awesome bread and the warm welcome I get every week… is that they are nestled in one of the more beautiful valleys I’ve seen in Oregon. They’re right up against the coastal range and there is only one road in and one road out. You could say that Falls City is as close to the middle of nowhere are we can get around here.
The Bread Board is surrounded by forest, and life moves at a different pace there. The combination is the perfect recipe for one thing.
Mushroom hunters. LOTS of them.
The rains last week and the warm temperatures this week means that Chanterelles are popping up everywhere… if you know where to look. And these guys know where to look.
When I went to pick up bread this week, Keith and John had a 30 lb mound of Chanterelles waiting for me! I WISH I had gotten a photo of it, because I’ve never seen so many all at once! But they’re gorgeous, and I tried to keep it a secret, but I can’t any longer.
First thing that comes to mind is a cheesy, soft polenta, topped with buttery Chanterelles… or a Chanterelle and winter squash risotto. Or pasta of course…
But I was excited when I saw this recipe… because you can combine a lot of elements from your CSA box. You could substitute shredded braising greens or arugula for the spinach, and I think it would be even better…
Wilted Spinach Salad with Chanterelles
Serves 4 as a first course
For color and taste contrast, golden chanterelles and deep-green spinach are a great combination . Serve on warm plates and garnish with wedges of egg, if you like.
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Parboil the chanterelles for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Marinate the chanterelles in the lemon juice for 15 minutes.
In a large sauté pan or skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Clean and wash the spinach in several changes of water. Cut away tough stems. Dry the spinach well and mix with the green onions, radishes, and marinated chanterelles. Heat the bacon fat in the pan. Add the vinegar and bacon and, while still hot, pour it over the spinach mixture and toss. Serve on warm dishes and garnish with wedges of egg. –Louise Freedman |
Or check out this link for a LOT of other delicious-looking recipes (and some info about our favorite mushrooms!) http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/chanterelle.html
Chanterelle biscuits? YUM!
