Spruce Up Shiitake and Make a Mushroom
Streusel!
Written by Mary Ellen
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| A typical winter scene at F&FP |
Our daughter Phoebe was home from college for the holidays
and thanks to feed-yourself- apartment living, she has taken the great leap from
cookie baking queen to vegetable diva. This is nice because while it's only January
15, I already start to feel the tedium of post-holiday austerity, and I am thrilled to
find Phoebe slice and crumble her way into a January meal with a Shiitake dish
that is a little apart from the same old same old. It’s a new dish that I will be making whenever
I want something a little special and healthy as a salad topping, a side dish
or crunchiness to eat straight from the pan. I will always be satisfied with
the memory of Shiitake Streusel making, a random winter night sparkling with
creativity, accomplishment and mushroom cookery beautifully handed down to the
next generation.
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| Phoebe's recent streusel creation. |
Shiitake Streusel
Phoebe’s apartment kitchen is minimally equipped,
so all of her recipes are approximate. She gives us visual tips to let us know how
much is enough.
Ingredients:
1 to 1 ½ lbs fresh Shiitake
1- 2 T oil
1- 2 T oil
Feta cheese, best quality - 4 oz. crumbled
1/4 to ½ c chopped toasted pecans or an amount to taste
Balsamic vinegar, about 1/2 to 1 T
A rimmed, oiled or parchment lined baking sheet
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)
Trim stems from Shiitake. Slice caps into ½ inch pieces.
In a large bowl, toss caps with the oil until the
sides of the bowl and mushrooms are glossy. Season well with salt and pepper. Spread
mushroom slices out in a single layer on the tray and put them in the hot
oven, turning the mushrooms with a
spatula after the first 10 minutes. Let both sides approach golden brown and
chewy.
Remove Shiitake and combine with cheese and pecans. Sprinkle
with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve warm or room temperature as
a side dish, salad topping, steamed vegetable or casserole topping, wrap or omelet
filling, etc.
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