Fungi, lots of fungi–this week was all about mushrooms. Sam and I prepared a menu to feature the nicest finds of the season, which included royal trumpets, maitake, beech, pom poms, and white truffles.
Mushroom lovers gathered in the kitchen with us for this special occasion. Cavan and Tom from Wild Purveyors brought the mushrooms and a few delicious local cheeses. A quick introduction was given by the “mushroom guys” and we started to cook.
For an appetizer, we sauteed the royal trumpets and served them on a grilled crostini with raclette cheese melted over them. Then we threw the maitake on the grill, chopped them up, and added another treasure of the season: fiddle-head ferns. We tossed them in a roasted garlic scape vinaigrette. All this was then served over an endive leaf.
The pasta course was Sam’s handmade rustic pasta with pan seared beech mushrooms. (Sam is Italian, so, some things we can’t go without!)
Buffalo sliders were the main course: grilled patties with creamy gorgonzola and pom poms cooked in butter. They were probably the largest sliders I have ever seen–I don’t know if we can really even call them “sliders.”
And for dessert–yes, a mushroom dessert–white truffle panna cotta. I even made a truffle caramel to go over them. They were tasty if I may say so myself.
We loved having this enthusiastic group cooking with us. It was very informative as well, and if nothing else, we shared a little of us and that’s what we enjoy. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to cook with Vivo’s fans.
Buen provecho!
Dinner with Daniel 