Right Now: Mushrooms

Mushroom recipes for early spring.

Welcome to Right Now

Explaining why I'm starting a substack is a lot like explaining why I left Brooklyn – the reasons are obvious. You know the story: my NYC apartment grew too small for a family of four, the city was too expensive. I wanted space, a yard, a garden.

 And substack? Likewise, you know the reason. Substack is a place where I can be myself, and don't need to write in an SEO-optimized way or court corporate sponsors. 

I've written Brooklyn Supper for nearly 15 years. In that time, I've learned to take a proper photograph and write a recipe. I've learned, begrudgingly, to repeat the title of my recipe three to four times throughout my introductory paragraphs (SEO, baby!) as I worked to hit the google-recommended 300 word count. I’m also painfully aware that the internet would prefer if (mostly female) recipe developers like me would just shut up and give them the recipe, sparing visitors the agony of scrolling through the 300 words of text that helped the recipe come up in their search results in the first place. 

But it’s not just about the hassle of running a blog in the year 2023. There are exciting reasons to start a substack. Rekindling community and comment sections. Connecting with readers and sharing ideas and recipe substitutions. And most importantly, the freedom to write about food in the way I’d like: off the cuff, real, and possibly with curse words.

What to Expect



Right Now will come out twice weekly. If you're getting this, you’re probably signed up for my newsletter. That newsletter will continue to come out most weeks and will always be free. On Mondays, I'll share a featured ingredient and a couple of approachable recipes. For now, these weekly ingredient-centered posts will be free, too.

If you've been reading and enjoying Brooklyn Supper, thank you. The support of my readers and seeing all your delicious creations are the best. If you'd like to stay on the free list, I'll drop by your inbox most Fridays. If you'd like to support my work and want a little more BkS in your life, please consider a paid subscription. $5 a month or $50 a year gets you access to Monday recipe posts and the Right Now community. I hope to see you there!

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Right Now: Mushrooms

There's an irony to launching a newsletter dedicated to in-season ingredients with year-round, mostly indoor-cultivated mushrooms, but it's early March in the Mid-Atlantic and not much is growing just yet. 

Though mushrooms do have distinct seasons – cool and rainy times in both spring and fall – a boom in indoor cultivation has made them a staple of year round farmers markets and specialty grocers. When I first moved from Brooklyn to Charlottesville, I mourned the loss of the year-round multi-day NYC Greenmarkets. Nearly 10 years on, Charlottesville finally has its own year-round markets. They happen just on Saturdays in the off season, and lack the same draw (to say the least) of the NYC ones, so pickings are slim. Even so, I'm grateful to walk away from an early March Saturday market with eggs, mushrooms, and some leafy greens.

Oyster mushrooms might be my favorite mushroom. They have a swooping trumpet shape and come in vibrant yellow or a moody gray hues. Oyster mushrooms have excellent flavor on their own and take on complementary flavors beautifully.

 At recent markets, I also picked up pioppini and shiitakes. I find shiitake, maitake/hen of the woods, and oyster to be the most flavorful and worth the extra cash. If those mushrooms are too pricey or hard to find, crimini/portobello mushrooms will work well.

Notes on Cooking with Mushrooms

Mushrooms have a high water content and you want to cook them such that they don't release it until the very end. Both of these recipes call for a sauté – this should be done in a big skillet over medium/medium-high heat (hot, with just a bit of smoke). Mushrooms will soak up a lot of oil, so I tend to add small drizzles as they cook. Cook the mushrooms undisturbed for 5 minutes or so, then toss and leave undisturbed again until the edges turn golden and crispy. Sprinkle with salt once you've removed the mushrooms from the pan.

The Recipes

Mushroom and Greens Galette

This mushroom galette feels a little fancier than it actually is, especially if you use store-bought puff pastry. The crust is flecked with black pepper and Parmesan, and the mushrooms are crisp and meaty, melding with nutty Comté.

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
Crust (or sub store-bought puff pastry)

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (halve if using another kind)

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 4 - 5 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling

• 
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 10 ounces oyster, shiitake, or cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, woody stems trimmed, and sliced 1/2-inch thick

• Salt

• Pepper

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion (about 1/2 a medium onion)

• 4 - 5 collard leaves (about half a bunch) or dark leafy greens, stems removed and sliced into thin ribbons

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

• 4 ounces Comté, Gruyere, or another flavorful hard cheese (about 1 1/2 cups grated)

• Minced chives, for serving

Directions

Crust

1. Working ahead, make the crust. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Fold in the cheese. Add the butter. Use your fingertips to flatten the butter into the flour until you have a shaggy mixture and almost all the butter has been smashed (this will take 5 - 7 minutes). Drizzle in 3 tablespoons water. Use a silicone spatula to fold the water into the flour mixture. If needed, add 1 - 2 more tablespoons, or just enough water for the dough to hold together.

3. Turn dough out and form into a rough disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Set in the fridge and chill 30 minutes.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Square the edges as best you can, and fold into thirds (like folding paper for an envelope). Re-wrap, and chill 30 minutes more. Continue this process 2 - 3 more times. This step adds some puff to the pastry, but can be skipped if you're in a hurry. 

Filling

1. When ready to assemble and bake the galette, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. 

2. Set a large skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon olive oil and half the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, flip, and cook 3 minutes more. Remove mushrooms to a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining mushrooms. If needed, as mushrooms cook, add up to 1 tablespoon more olive oil. 

Turn heat down to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, and a pinch each of salt and pepper; sauté 7 - 10 minutes. Add the greens and sauté 3 - 5 minutes, or just until they are a vibrant green and supple. Sprinkle greens with a pinch each salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. 

To Assemble

1. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch round. If using store-bought puff pastry, press a few twists of black pepper and grated Parm into dough. 

Set on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle all but 1/4 cup Comté over crust, leaving 2-inch border along the edge. Layer on the mushrooms and greens. Brush the border with egg wash and fold overhanging crust up into rough pleats. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle galette – crust and all – with remaining Comté. 

2. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, until galette dough is puffed up and deep golden, and cheese is melted and bubbly. 

3. Cool 1 hour. Top with minced chives and remaining teaspoon thyme, slice, and serve. Galette will keep well at room temperature for 1 day. Warm slightly in a toaster oven before serving. 

Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Greens

This recipe comes together in about the time it takes to boil and cook the pasta. It's best with a pound or more of mushrooms, but is also totally delicious with as little as 8 ounces. I used oyster mushrooms here, but any variety, cut into thick slices, will be great. 

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 16 ounces oyster, shiitake, or cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, woody stems trimmed, and sliced 1/2-inch thick

• Black pepper

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 4 - 5 collard leaves (about half a bunch) or dark leafy greens, stems removed and sliced into thin ribbons

• 1 pound linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti noodles

• Salt

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup grated Asiago (or use Parmesan)

• 2 tablespoons minced parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add several tablespoons salt. 

2. Set a 9- or 10-inch skillet with deep sides over medium/medium-high heat and when hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté half the mushrooms until crispy, 8 - 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside. Repeat for remaining mushrooms. 

3. Cook noodles to al dente at the same time that you're sautéing the onion and greens. 


4. In the same skillet used for mushrooms, turn heat down to medium and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until quite supple, 8 - 10 minutes. Fold in greens and cook 2 minutes more. Add white wine and let it bubble up while you scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Fold in the cooked mushrooms and cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. 

5. When noodles are al dente, use a spaghetti spoon to lift them into the creamy mushroom sauce. Tossing continuously, fold in cheese and 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Keep tossing until sauce thickens up and is velvety. If needed, add more pasta water or adjust the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley, and serve right away.