Mushroom Tacos and the Farmer's Market

So our farmer's market, the Haywood County Historic Farmer's Market, has decided to add Wednesday hours! I am excited!

Today's Farmer's Market 6/19/2018 -tab opens in a new window

Can you guess where I got my mushrooms?

Every Saturday, I wake my husband up early and race to the farmer's market for the best produce. We wander from vendor to vendor, waiting in line, discussing recipes. Asking about kids and dogs. We talk to our farmers. We wander over to a stall from a local bakery, Just Simply Delicious and grab a pastry for breakfast. Usually a hand pie, but sometimes a muffin or cinnamon roll instead. I grab a loaf of bread or naan for the week.
We wash our breakfast down with a soda from the Waynesville Soda Jerks. I happily buy chicken or duck or quail eggs. Sometimes I buy the chicken or duck or quail itself to cook for dinner. We get pork from Keela at Woorley Farms, and then I sigh...because after all the chatting and the investigating and the eating....I get lettuce! All of the "good" stuff has sold.

So now there is Wednesday, little known, little attended. No meat, less eggs. But the vegetables! Picked just this morning (or maybe even after lunch). Even though I know the vendors have that squash or those cucumbers, maybe that tomato on Saturday, for some reason it just doesn't look as good as when I am in the market on a Wednesday afternoon, wandering slowly, trying to decide the inevitable question: What's for dinner?

So earlier today, I went to Lott farms both at the market. "Oysters!" I exclaimed. No, not ocean oysters, but oyster mushrooms. Golden oyster mushrooms to be exact. I bought a pound. Then Paul looks around conspiratorially and pulls out a small brown paper bag. "Do you want these?" he whispers? "Chanterelles!" I am practically jumping up and down with excitement. A little early in the season at these high elevations, Paul has brought them back from a recent camping trip somewhere...secret, and warmer obviously. I told Paul "You hide all the good stuff!". He replied "I save it for my favorites". I'm honored. And then I bought all of the chanterelles to go with those golden oysters. 

I wandered around, bought some baby kale, patty pans, some cucumbers, carrots, and early tomatoes. Then I went home. "Guess what!" I called out to my husband, Price. "What?" he asked. "I got Chanterelles and Oysters!" By this point, Price knows not to ask what kind of oyster...he knows. So...What's for dinner?

With a little feta left from the Saturday market, a Thai chili given to me by my favorite sushi chef, and some tortillas. I made magic. Mushroom Tacos. 

Mushroom and Kale Tacos-

Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients for the mushroom filling:

·      4 cups chopped mushrooms-about 2 grocery pints (I used chanterelles and golden oysters, which are wild, but feel free to sub Portobello or cremini mushrooms from the grocery)

·      2 onions (any type)

·      1 small hot pepper, such as thai chili or serrano, sub jalapeno for a milder dish

·      1 tbsp minced garlic (about 1 ½ garlic cloves)

·      2 tbsp butter-divided or 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil (yes, you must use butter!)

·      1 tsp cumin powder

·      1 tbsp parsley

·      1 tsp dried oregano

·      1 ½ tsp thyme

·      salt to taste

·      1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for the kale filling:

·      2 bunches baby kale or regular kale (about 6 cups chopped)

·      1tbsp minced garlic (about 1 ½ garlic cloves)

·      1tbsp butter or 1 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tsp cumin powder

·      ½ tsp dried oregano

·      1 tsp chili powder

·      Salt to taste

Other taco ingredients:

·      ½ c. feta or Mexican queso

·      8 flour tortillas

For the mushroom filling:-takes about 15 minutes once everything is clean

·      Gently clean mushrooms really well. Slice

·      Chop onions and dice pepper

·      In a non-stick 12” skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter or 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil on med-low heat

·      Add the onions, mushrooms, pepper, and 1 tbsp garlic. Sautee on med-low until the moisture from the vegetables starts to steam

·      Add cumin, parsley, oregano, and thyme. Add salt to taste.

·      Sautee on low an additional 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently

·      Increase heat to med-high, and brown mushroom mixture for 3-4 minutes. Stirring once.

For the kale filling:

·      Melt the butter in another large non-stick skillet on medium heat

·      Add ½ the kale. Then the spices. Add the other half of the kale

·      Stir frequently until the kale is wilted and slightly brown (but not crispy or burned)

For the Tacos:

·      Put about ¼ c. kale, ¼ c. mushroom filling, and a sprinkle of cheese on each tortilla

·      Enjoy!

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Mushroom Cream Sauce

Tonight for dinner Price and I had Alaskan salmon over couscous topped with a mushroom cream sauce. It is important to note the Alaskan part of the salmon, because Alaskan salmon is wild caught. Atlantic or farmed salmon is something no one should ever eat. Not only does it taste icky, it's bad for the environment too! Anyway, while Price and I were at GreenLife grocery this weekend, I pick up a 6oz pack of King Oyster Mushrooms. And so the salmon with a mushroom cream sauce was born. The recipe for the cream sauce is something I picked up this summer while taking a fungi class. It works with most types of mushrooms and is especially good with oyster, king oyster, and shitake mushrooms!

Salmon with a Mushroom Cream Sauce over Couscous
Ingredients for 2:
2 4-6 oz wild salmon filets
1/2 c. couscous
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp minced onion
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 c. water
6 oz mushrooms, stipes (stems) removed.
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c. white wine
1 tbsp flour
1 c. milk (not skim!)

Directions:
Bring the couscous, oregano, minced onion, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and water to a boil. Stir once, cover, and set aside off the heat.
Meanwhile, slice the mushroom caps and melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. While they are heating up, add the remaining olive oil to another pan and add the salmon, skin side down. Salt the salmon just a little. Cook the salmon 5-10 minutes until flaky, flipping at least once. Stir the mushrooms around like a stir-fry. Add the wine. Turn up the heat! When the wine has boiled away, whisk the flour into the milk and pour into the mushrooms. Add a little more oregano if desire. Turn the heat to low. When the sauce has reached sauce consistency, dinner is ready (if the salmon is cooked that is!). Fluff the couscous with a fork, spoon half onto each plate. Top with a salmon filet and the mushroom cream sauce.

Enjoy!