Rustic Kitchen Presents Warm Mushroom, Asparagus & New Potato Salad

A Mushroom for All Seasons By Janine MacLachlan, Rustic Kitchen

I am a longtime mushroom lover, but I admit I used to think of them as a cold-weather food, using them in a mushroom barley risotto, or a rich mushroom ragout to go with pasta or aside roasted chicken.  They’re perfect for settling in for a long afternoon in the kitchen of the weekend farm in Michigan where I also teach cooking classes, and thus they’re a mainstay on my winter menu.

Now I’ve come to embrace mushrooms as an all-season food, and I find they marry well with springtime ingredients like asparagus and new potatoes.  White button mushrooms are cultivated, which means they’re always in season.  And since there are producers across the U.S., they don’t have to travel as far as many ingredients.

In creating my cooking class recipes, I always strive for attention-getting dishes that are easy to make but impress on the plate.  When I include mushrooms, I urge students to think of the most patient person they know, and channel that person for a few minutes.  Here’s why:  Most people feel the need to move things around in the pan, and with mushrooms you need to relax, let them rest to achieve the gorgeous golden sauté you’re looking for.  Moving them around before they brown will just get you a lackluster batch, when what you want is the oohs of delight when people see your golden brown presentation.  So relax, have a sip of wine (pinot noir goes really well with mushrooms) let those mushrooms brown completely, then turn them only once, and repeat.  When you think they’re ready to turn, give it another minute.  Five minutes or so per side does it for me.

This is a lovely simple salad, great as a starter or a side.  I like to sauté each ingredient separately to be sure each is cooked to delicious perfection, then toss everything in the pan to make sure the salad is warm and fragrant.

Warm mushroom, asparagus and new potato salad

Serves four to six

• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ½ pound new red potatoes, quartered
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, onion and mushrooms to form a single layer, working in batches if necessary (I find one pound of mushrooms requires two batches in my big sauté pan).  Season with salt and pepper, and let mushrooms cook until golden brown, about five minutes, then turn and cook the reverse side.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Sauté remaining mushrooms and transfer to the same bowl.  Add the potatoes and cook until golden brown and fork tender, then lastly repeat with asparagus, cooking until bright green and fork tender.

While vegetables cook, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with lemon juice, mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Once asparagus is cooked, return mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and stir in the vinaigrette.  Gently toss until coated.  Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.

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