Autumn Lunch

The first nip of fall weather and the change in leaf color makes me want to whip up a batch of mushroom bisque. This has been my go-to Autumn food for ever and day, even more so as all the ingredients are readily available at market. The versatility of the recipe works for both animal protein consumers and veggie only folks with a slight tweaking of the recipe here and there.

Let’s start with the cooler temperatures and damp conditions. How many weeks in a row has it rained at market now? And we’re looking at yet another one this weekend. That damp weather brings out the fungi. While many of the mushrooms found at market are cultivated, quite a bit is foraged or grown outdoors on logs.

Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal falling into their own taxonomic kingdom of fungi. The actual part that is visible, and that we eat is the fruiting body, much like a fruit or a vegetable in the plant kingdom. However, unlike plants mushrooms do not grow from seed. They reproduce through spores released from the fruiting bodies.

Another big difference between mushrooms and plants is that mushrooms do not conduct photosynthesis. They must derive their nutrients as saprophytes or parasites. Years ago, when I had a huge outbreak of maitake mushrooms in my woodland, revered for both their culinary and medicinal properties, I was saddened to learn that their appearance was indicative of the tree dying. Mushrooms are also becoming the sustainable alternative to getting rid of food waste instead of trucking it off to a landfill. Currently food waste accounts for a quarter of all materials going to landfills, far surpassing both plastic and metal. In the United States approximately 60,000,000 tons of food waste each year ends up as solid waste.

Despite their lack of chlorophyll, mushrooms are in good source of vitamin B, and one of the few natural food sources for vitamin D. They also carry trace minerals such as potassium, copper, and selenium. I would much rather regularly enjoy a mushroom omelette instead of choking back a supplement pill.

With perfect weather for outdoor activities, I shelved my farming this week for an afternoon of hiking in the nearby State Park. One of the benefits of going out into the woods on a weekday is we had the whole place place to ourselves. A nice bowl of mushroom bisque washed down with a glass of fresh apple cider provided enough energy yet was light enough to facilitate an entire afternoon of trekking through the forest, which is now beginning to turn from the usual dark green into red, orange, and gold. Best of all, the ingredients came from the market, making them local as well as nutritious and delicious.

Here is my recipe for mushroom bisque with alternative ingredients for my vegan friends. It is easy to make and lends well to tossing in a few chunks of protein, such as seafood, meat, tofu, or tempe.

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Mushroom Bisque

6 Tablespoons fat (butter, tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.)

½ cup allium (onion, leek, shallot), minced

½ cup celery, minced

3 cups mushrooms, chopped

2 quarts stock or broth

1 cup cream or coconut milk

Directions

Melt butter or oils in a Dutch oven or stock pot. Sauté celery, and and onion until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until limp. Add stock. Simmer for five minutes and finish with cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and fresh herbs if desired.

Additionally, prior to adding the stock, the pot can be deglazed with white wine and a dusting of a few tablespoons of flour for a thicker bisque.