On Thu, 27 Jun 2013 08:29:04 -0700 (PDT), Kalmia
> wrote:

> I found a brown paper bag of mushrooms which had retreated to the back of the fridge and a bit shriveled. Hating to toss food, I wondered if there's a way to plump 'em up or salvage somehow? Let dry some more, chop and toss into some omelet affair? Soak in white wine?

Throw them into a soup or sauce to cook and nobody will know they were
going over the hill. You can always chop them up in the food
processor (again, no one will know). Here's a recipe for mushroom
caviar that's on my todo list. I would eliminate the pine nuts,
unless you can buy American.

Mushroom Caviar
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mushroom_caviar/

Serves four Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup of minced shallots
1 Tbsp dry white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
A couple dashes of cayenne pepper, to taste


Method

1. Melt butter in a large skillet on high heat. Add the mushrooms and
shallots. Sauté for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

2. While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a small skillet on high
heat. Add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until they begin
to get a little toasted. (Keep your eyes on the nuts, they can burn
pretty quickly.) As soon as they begin to toast, remove the pan from
the heat and put the pine nuts into a small bowl. Set aside.

3. While the mushrooms are cooking, sprinkle lightly with salt and
pepper. Once they have cooked for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and
a tablespoon of dry white wine. Cook for an additional minute and
remove from heat. Put mushroom mixture in a bowl, add the toasted pine
nuts, and set aside to cool.

4. Once the mushrooms have cooled down a bit, mix in the lemon juice,
sour cream, and parsley. Add more salt and pepper, if needed, to
taste. Sprinkle on cayenne pepper, to taste. Chill before serving.


Spoon onto a large butter lettuce leaf and serve with crackers. (Use
rice crackers for gluten-free option.)



--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.