Mushrooming Together

Wine Cap Mushrooms are one of the milder flavored mushrooms you can grow https://www.fieldforest.net/Wine-Cap-Stropharia-rugosa-annulata-Sawdust-Spawn/productinfo/SSR/, but the crunchy texture and adorable red button caps add to the charm and flavor-likeness of sweet peas and asparagus. Normally, you would look for clean, simple recipes with bright flavors to bring out the culinary characteristics of this mushroom. If you are looking at this blog right now though, you may be already looking for other ways to use this mushroom because when the crop is on, the baskets fill up fast! This recipe is unusually spiced. Where many side dish recipes for mushrooms include butter, cream, sherry, and thyme or tarragon, this recipe opens the spice cabinet to cardamom, mint, nutmeg and anise. After cooking, freeze it in cupfuls to herald the traditional flavors of fall, but leave some out to dress up a summer cooked pork chop. The flavors deepen as it sits, so don't be in a hurry to use it the minute you make it. This recipe is adapted from naturalist Steve Brill's website, Wildmanstevebrill.com, who had the misfortune of being arrested for eating a dandelion in Central Park back in the '80's. The publicity for the arrest did not necessarily bring us his mushroom recipes, but it's still a good story :)