By Pamela Walker, writer and local farm and food activist (www.GrowingGoodThingsToEat.com)
During a recent visit to Chicago to see my children and grandchildren, one of my daughters-in-law made this salad, adapted from a Deborah Madison recipe in Local Flavors. The mushrooms, shallot, cilantro, and mizuna were fresh from the Evanston Farmers Market, and these ingredients, along with shallots, are abundant in the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market these days.
For a protein boost and a one-dish meal, you can top the salad with a poached egg.
Oyster Mushrooms with Cumin on a Bed of Mizuna, Topped with a Poached Egg
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound oyster mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion or 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- few drops sherry vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, to taste
- Egg, poached (optional)
Preparation:
- Separate the mushrooms and slice them lengthwise into pieces between 1/12 and 1 inch wide.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes over high heat, then add the mushrooms and sauté 1 minute more.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, season with ½ teaspoon salt and some pepper along with the cumin.
- Cook gently, turning the mushrooms in the pan every so often, until they are tender, about 20 minutes, and browned a bit around the edges.
- Season with a few drops of vinegar, taste for salt, toss with the cilantro, and serve on a bed of fresh mizuna or other greens and top with a poached egg (or not).