“Falling in love is like eating mushrooms. You never know if its the real thing until it is too late” – Bill Balance
A few weeks ago, I got home from teaching at the school and had an impulse to make some food in the Dutch Oven (DO) over a fire in the back yard. I started this process by digging through the kitchen and pantry to find ingredients that I may be able to turn into something. Then I opened the back door and reality fell from the sky.
SNOW! Yes, the weather in the Pacific Northwest is about as predictable as Lady Gaga’s next outlandish outfit. So, I adjusted my plan. Dutch oven dish in the house. Yes, it is cheating but, seriously, it was snowing.
Several months ago a fellow member of the camp-cook.com forum posted a link to a free camping cookbook. I always collect new material so I downloaded it. Inside its pages I found a recipe entitled “Baked Wild Mushrooms”.
Those who know me, know I am a sucker for mushrooms. I can make mushrooms an entire meal. Maybe this strange behavior is because I like the taste of a spongy, moist, earthy, tasting fungus. Or maybe it is because my diet is “not normal” since I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy. It doesn’t really matter to me. I love them.
Any kind, shape, style, method of cooking, I’m there. They are kind of like little sponges for flavor. Yet, they add their own earthy aroma. I’m drawn to these pale little darkness dwellers like Anthony Bourdain is to bone marrow, brains, and intestinal sausages.
Here is my version of the “Baked Wild Mushrooms”
- 1/2 lb mushrooms
- 1/2 bunch chopped parsley
- 2 bulbs garlic
- 4 tbs miso paste
- A handful of fresh basil
- 1 C bread crumbs (rice bread)
- 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Chop the mushrooms in half, mix with the olive oil, and add to a hot 10″ Dutch Oven.
- finely chop and mix the parsley and fresh basil.
- Press the garlic and add to the herb & mushroom mix.
- Mix in the Miso paste.
- bake for 15 min then add the bread crumbs.
- Bake another 5 min.
- Eat it!
I also made hasslebacked potatoes with a sea salt and olive oil rub. I topped them with a spinach pesto that I made from scratch.
