Visiting a farmers market can be a feast for the senses. Among the most visually stunning and surprising items on offer are the array of mushrooms, which come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
Growers often are inundated with questions about how to cook these fungi, which can look remarkably different from their grocery store kin, with broad, fan-like, shaggy or fluted caps in vibrant pinks, yellows and muted shades of blue and black.
Growers often are inundated with questions about how to cook these fungi, which can look remarkably different from their grocery store kin, with broad, fan-like, shaggy or fluted caps in vibrant pinks, yellows and muted shades of blue and black.
Southwest Mushrooms owner Michael Crowe hosted cooking classes before the pandemic to help people understand the many species of fungi and how they can be prepared in everyday meals.
Crowe, along with mushroom farmers Arizona Mushroom Co., Hypha Foods and Sun Valley Harvest, sells mushrooms at markets around the Valley, in addition to providing them to restaurant kitchens.
While Crowe has not restarted his cooking classes, he shared a fan-favorite recipe for mushroom flatbreads. Crowe says any gourmet mushrooms can be used in this recipe, but he finds oyster mushrooms, which offer a meaty flavor, to be the best fit.
Michael Crowe says oyster mushrooms are the most versatile in the kitchen, offering meaty flavor that works well across cuisines.
Sara Crocker
Ingredients
2 naan, whole8 ounces gourmet mushrooms of your choice, sliced or chopped
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
2 ounces feta cheese crumbles
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the glaze:
1. Mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved.2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until glaze is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
For the flatbreads:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.2. Add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion slices, and saute over medium to high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add thyme, salt and pepper, and saute for a few more minutes or until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked and soft. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. Brush the tops of the naan with the olive oil. Add half of the mushrooms and onions to the top of each bread, spreading evenly over the top. Sprinkle 1 ounce of feta cheese crumbles on each naan.
4. Place flatbreads on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook in oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is softened.
Note: You do not want to overcook the bread. Watch carefully, and remove from oven once crust starts to brown.
5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze over each flatbread. Cut into halves or fourths and serve warm.
