I’m always on the lookout for new and unusual ingredients. I spotted these mushrooms in the market the other day. How beautiful are they???  I had to buy them! They had all the qualities I’m looking for: discovering a new flavor, gorgeous appearance, and the opportunity to research more mushrooms. I’ve always loved mushrooms and wish I could grow themSeveral years ago I received a gift from Priscilla and my son of a shiitake growing kit. It was great fun to see them sprout, and we actually got quite a few crops before it got too funky to live in the house. It was relegated to the garage, and someone forgot to water it…so it was history.  I’ve heard that you can grow mushrooms if you can grow moss. Well, we have plenty of that in our yard, so…more reading and figuring out which ones would be feasible and how to do it.  In the meantime, I keep searching out new varieties in the markets to add to my repertoire.

Mushrooms have a long history of being prized for health reasons and were held in high esteem by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. We include them in our diet for their great flavor and texture. They can be found in appetizers, soups, sandwiches, pizzas, casseroles, sauces, and even extracts used in health drinks. They are an excellent source of potassium and copper. Riboflavin, niacin and selenium are also a big part of their makeup.

The mushrooms pictured include enoki (the tiny white ones), brown beech mushrooms, (the beautiful clusters of small caps), and the king trumpets, which is the largest variety of oyster mushrooms. Asians have used mushrooms  for centuries, and thus I decided on an Asian flavored dish. It was loved by the whole family…toddler to grandma.

Print Recipe Here

Mushroom Noodles

Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes

1/2 pound whole wheat linguini or soba noodles
1 crown of broccoli, separated into florets
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 pound mixed mushrooms
1 tablespoon sweet sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with an equal part cool water

garnishes and condiments

Fish sauce—renders it not vegetarian, but a nice addition
Soy sauce
Cilantro
Sesame seeds

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 pound of noodles. Cook until just tender, about 7-8 minutes, depending on your noodles. Start checking after about 5 minutes by tasting. When the noodles are almost done add the broccoli. Cook for another minute and drain in a colander. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add 6 cloves minced garlic and 1 bunch (about 6) sliced scallions. Sauté for about a minute to soften. Add 1 pound of mushrooms, sliced or diced, according to size. (I sliced the king trumpets and simply cut off the bottom of the beech mushroom clusters to let the tiny caps separate on their own. I held back on the enoki until the very end, as they are so small, and add crunch when left somewhat raw.)

Cook until the mushrooms are tender and starting to brown. Add 1 tablespoon sweet saki, (you could substitute white wine) 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch slurry, made from 2 teaspoons cornstarch stirred together with about 2 teaspoons water. Cook until thickened. Add the noodles and broccoli and heat through, tossing thoroughly.

Garnish as desired.

Serves 4