Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Chevre and Bee Balm Flatbread
A blend of sauteed summer wild mushrooms flavored with garlic and herbs, with whipped cheese, and flatbread is a great wild mushroom recipe that will serve a crowd after a long day in the woods.
Pickled rampsor other pickles, such as gherkins or whatever you like, thinly sliced about 1-2 Tablespoons
Cheese
8ozHigh quality fetasuch as Bulgarian. *See note.
⅓ cup Thick Greek yogurt
Green Salad
4ozfreshsmall salad greens
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
Fresh lemon juiceto taste
Flatbread-see recipe below (use some pre-made naan in a pinch)
Instructions
Cheese
Put the feta and yogurt into the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth and fluffy. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to help it blend. Add a little extra whey or a splash of milk if it needs help getting a smooth consistency. Reserve the whipped cheese.
Clean the mushrooms
Fill a sink with cold water. With a paring knife in hand, swish each mushroom individually in the water to loosen any grit, then pare and trim the knife, putting cleaned mushrooms in a single layer on a tray lined with paper towels.
Cut the mushrooms into thick slices. If you have chanterelles, do your best to keep them whole or in large pieces.
Cooking
In a large 10 inch pan, heat the mushrooms and the water on high until the mushrooms are wilted and have given up their juice.
Add the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, then cook until lightly browned. Move the mushrooms to the side of the pan, add the garlic and butter and cook for 2 minutes more.
Finally add the herbs and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, double check the seasoning for salt, and serve.
Salad
Quickly toss the greens with a stingy amount of oil, a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Serving
To serve, spread a thick swoosh of cheese off-center on a large plate, arranging the mushrooms in the middle. Cut the flatbreads into wedges and arrange around the side. Sprinkle the pickles over the mushrooms.
Mound the salad greens where you can. Smear each piece of flatbread with a bit of the cheese, which will help the mushrooms adhere. Spoon some mushrooms on top of the cheese, and eat with the salad on the side.
Video
Notes
On the Cheese If you don't have a store that sells good feta held in whey in large blocks (Mediterranean markets carry it) use a 4 oz tube of chevre mashed, and then whisked with heavy cream until spreadable. You can use regular feta, but it's saltier. 8 oz of cheese will make a little more than you need, but it's basically the smallest amount you can make in a food processor which incorporates more air and gives the fluffiest result.