WAYS WITH MUSHROOMS

Chronicle (Levin), 25 March 1946, Page 3

WAYS WITH MUSHROOMS

(Contributed by Sarah Anne Ehodes Fellowship in Home Science). Go' early, oefore breakfast, and search for mushrooms in the sheep paddoeks where the early mornmg or iate afternoon sun strikes, for there are niany v/ays of serving them, giving a delicious product which makes that effort worthwhile. But in the enthusiasm remember to distinguish between mushrooms and toadstools, oue edible and the other not. The prepare: Trim ofE discoloured euds of stalks, elean by brusliing or washing quickly in eold water. If skin i.i thicK and coarse, peel with a silver knife. If stems are" solid and tender, peel and cook with caps, otherwise the stems and peelings can be cooked separately in a smali amount of water and this stock used in making soups and sauces. To serve, try some of these recipes. They are good: Sauteed Mushrooms. — Use mushroom caps, whole or cut in pieces. Allow 2 tablespoons of butter or fat for I pound of mushrooms. Saute slowly (i to 10 minutes, or until just teuder, turuing frequently. Mushroom and Cheese Casserole. — Combine .11 pounds of sauteed mushrooms with 1 cuj) of medium white sauce. Add . 1 tablespoon of cliopped chives, 1 tablespoon cliopped mint and 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. Turn into a greased casserole, cover with 1 cup oi grated cheese and 2 tablespoons buttered bread crumbs; bake in a moderately hot oven (375deg.) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and begins to brown. Approximate yield (5 serviugs. Savoury Mushroom Toast. — Two cups of mushrooms fried in butter or fat for not niore tliau 5 minutes. Add juice of 1 lemon and cook slowly until the inushroom.s are done. Place on slices of bread that liave been toasted, dippod into boiliug water, and fried lightly. To the liquid in the pan add 1 tablespoon of water and season with salt, pepper aiul a little onion juice. Thicken with a beaten egg stirred into the mixtnre until it is creamy; pour over the mushrooms ou the toast and serve at ouce. Mushroom Rolls. — Take 11b. ot mushrooms, peel and remove stems and put through a food ehopper, or chop fluely. Fry very lightly for not more than 5 minutes. Season with salt, then make a thiek cream sauce, put mushrooms in and let cook. Cut very fresli bread iu thin slices, remove crust and cover with mushroom mixture aud' roll up. Toast under grill and serve hot. Mushroom Soup. — Jlb. mushrooms, or stcins of 11b., 1 cup of butter or fat, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 quart of milk, salt and pepper, cayenne. Wash and chop mushrooms; saute iu fat 5 minutes. iStir in flour, add milk gradually aud cook 5 minutes, stirring until mixture thickens; add seasoning and straiu if desired. Approximate yield 0 serv-

mgs. Mushroom Sauce. — Jlb. mushrooms, 2 tablespoons butter or fat, salt and pepper, 1 cup of stock from peelings and stems cooked in water, 1 tablespoon of flour. Break cleaned mushrooms in pieces. Fry (saute) 5 minutes in 1 tablespoon of butter or fat. Add stock simmer 5 minutes. Rub through sieve and add to remaining butter and flour cooked together. Sea,son with salt and pepper. If vour supply is great here is a nietliod for preserving mushrooms, well tried and proven to be a great success. This is an excellent recipe. Pickled Mushrooms. — Prepare mushrooms, peel and chop. Pack into a stone or earthenware crock, sprinkling each J layer with salt. Put into cool oven ! and leave for some hours till brine covj ers mushrooms. Boil up in a saucepan, ' adding spices in the proportion of 4 1 cioves, 1 blade mace, i teaspoon ground i ginger, i teaspoon all spice to every pint of liquid and mushroom. Boil for l hour. Bottle and cover. This mushroom pickle can be later used in soups, j sauces, or combined with other ingredients in savouries or savory dishes.