We are extremely fortunate to live in an area where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Even more of a deal is the fact you can go off into the woods and get fresh wild mushrooms for free. These wild mushrooms have a delicate and unique taste, we usually eat them within a few hours of picking them, the fresh flavor is beyond description.
First thing; if you don’t know what you are doing, DON’T EAT ANY MUSHROOMS UNLESS YOU KNOW THEY ARE SAFE TO EAT! Some mushrooms are delicacies, some will make you very sick, don’t eat any old mushrooms you find in the woods.
Once you know which mushrooms are edible, here’s how we cook them. Wash all the dirt off the shrooms, if you see any black or purple parts on them, throw them out.
Once the mushrooms are thoroughly cleaned, cut them in half. We like sauté them in olive oil with garlic and onion powder and a touch of thyme. You can use butter instead of olive oil, but we think olive oil is a little healthier.
We like to add a touch of the Pacific Northwest to the menu, so we add a little beer to the sauté. Our personal favorite is Deschutes Brewery Inversion IPA. It seems to make a special dish that much more special.
Wild mushrooms go great with anything. We like them with chicken breasts on rice, they would be great in an omelet or on a big, fat hamburger. Maybe a chicken breast or burger with shrooms on top, a slice of swiss cheese on a nice bun. So tasty.