Chanterelle Bruschetta

I love sitting on the porch with a glass of wine and a simple appetizer in the summer.

Note: Since it is mid summer and some of the events in past few weeks have been intense, I’m choosing to keep things light. Thanks for reading!

The nutty, woodsy taste of chanterelle mushrooms, when sautéed with butter, sweet onions, fresh parsley and cream creates unbelievable flavor in this simple appetizer.

Five gallon buckets of chanterelles. Photo credit: Collette Greystone.

I love sitting on the porch with a glass of wine and a simple appetizer in the summer.

I also love chanterelle mushrooms.

I used to hunt mushrooms, back when my knees worked reliably. Mushroom season in South East Ohio this year was non existent because of the lack of rain and excessive heat. But in the past, I used to collect buckets and buckets of chanterelle mushrooms to sell at the farmers market.

Cinnabar chanterelle. (Cantharellus Cinnabarinus). Photo credit: Collette Greystone.

Chanterelles are golden in color and range from yellow to red to bright orange. They are trumpet or cup shaped mushrooms. The flavor of chanterelle mushrooms is like peach or apricot (without the sweetness). But most chanterelle mushrooms tend to have a subtle earthy taste. Preparing them with minimal ingredients will help bring out their natural flavor at best.

They’re rich in vitamin D. Their high content of vitamin D makes chanterelle mushrooms an ideal option for improving bone health and supporting the immune system. Additionally, chanterelles are also a good source of fiber and have great anti-inflammatory properties. If you want to reap these vitamins at maximum opt for wild-harvested chanterelles instead of store-bought. Who knows how long store-bought have been sitting around? The more vibrant the color, the fresher the chanterelle is.

The season starts in Mid-July and goes through August in my area. In the Pacific Northwest I understand one can find chanterelles into November.

You probably can find them at farmer’s markets right now in the Midwest and East Coast in the United States.

Photo credit: Collette Greystone.

Raw chanterelles are cleaned by taking a paper towel and rubbing the dirt off.  Don't soak them, mushrooms are like little sponges and will get "slimy" fast. 

Never eat a raw mushroom!

The best way to enjoy chanterelles is to sauté them in butter. But this recipe takes things one step further.

At the farmer’s market We always used tell people there are three stages to sautéing. Initially they release all the water they’re made of, then there’s a mix of butter and water, finally you’re down to actually sautéing them in butter.

You can use any mushroom with this - or even a mix of wild mushrooms is fun too!

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 medium (or 2 small) yellow onion, finely diced

1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, finely diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic vinegar for drizzling optional

Good baguette, sliced into manageable pieces, drizzled with olive oil. (This recipe generously covers ten slices.)

Melt the butter over medium heat, then sauté the mushrooms and onions, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes.

Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly, to get rid of the raw flour taste.

Add the cream and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool to room temperature (spreading on a plate and popping in the fridge or freezer speeds this up).

Place mix into a pretty bowl with a serving spoon when cooled to room temperature.

Meanwhile grill or toast the baguette slices. Place toasted baguette slices on a pretty plate.

Assemble the appetizer by placing some of the mushrooms on top of the toast (at your table on the deck watching the sun go down). It will be a good earthy crunch, I promise!

I usually drink an earthy red wine with these, but in summer months I like a light, very chilled Pino Grigio.

Enjoy!

View from my front porch. Pond life is always amusing. Photo credit: Collette Greystone.