The Ultimate Mushrooms Toast and a Brief Background on Mushrooms
- Madison Rheinheimer
- Apr 27, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: May 4, 2022
Mushrooms are one of the most sustainable and efficient food options out there, and they'll outlive us all!
For this blog post I've decided to switch it up a bit and incorporate two of my favorite activities (researching and eating) into one BIG post! If you aren't much of a social-history or reading fanatic, then feel free to skip straight to the recipe for this post. HOWEVER, if you find yourself interested in learning a bit more about the food you are eating and it's rich history then I invite you to settle in and get to reading!
Mushrooms and People: How this Fungus is Viewed in the United States and Around the World
Mushrooms have long been met with strong opinions, and let's face it: you truly either adamantly love them or you absolutely admonish them. This seems to hold true for not just individual opinions, but for opinions of societies as well. In fact, an entire field of study, known as ethnomycology, is dedicated to studying the differences in "mycophilic" (mushroom-loving) societies and "mycophobic" (mushroom-hating) ones (Arora and Glenn 208). Historically, the United States has been understood to be a mycophobic society—viewing mushrooms as a less-than-desirable feature of meals. This may be due to where many mushrooms seem to take up growing residence: rotting, decaying, and dying matter. Admittedly, mushrooms seem like something straight out of an Edgar Allen Poe poem. But really, these little fungi are everywhere and are simply SO accessible to the environments that foster them. Due to the U.S.'s aversion to mushrooms, the food is often less readily available to those who may stand to benefit most from it. Mushrooms commonly found in mycophilic societies are often too expensive (and too sparse) to circulate to poorer areas in mycophobic societies like the United States, and thus, the greatest benefit of mushrooms is limited by its reception in the public eye.
On the subject of anthropology, Sveta Yamin-Pasternak agrees on the divisiveness of mushrooms in the world and adds to our discussion of mushrooms and socioeconomic status as he states that as a, "symbol of affluence and poverty at once, mushrooms have admirers at virtually any point of the socio-economic spectrum" (96). Further in his article "A Means of Survival, a Marker of Feasts: Mushrooms in the Russian Far East," Yamin-Pasternak discusses how mushrooms have become a staple of meals for people of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug area (a mushroom-loving society) in Russia. For a little bit of background on the region: although there are a few okrugs in Russia, Chukotka is considered the only one that is not directly subordinate to another federal subject within Russia. An Okrug area is similar to Native reservations in the United States, where they are seen as having some sovereignty of their own but are still mostly managed by the federal government of the dominant country (of course, it's more complicated than that so look into it more if you so choose). For the people of Chukotka, mushrooms are an accessible staple of meals and are viewed as nutritional essential within the area. Not only are mushrooms appreciated by all in this society, but they are actively enjoyed by all. They are plentiful, affordable, and easy to reach for people in all socioeconomic areas. And the people of Chukotka are not alone in their beliefs on mushrooms; many cultures around the world utilize mushrooms to fill up their stomachs. For some, the act of gathering mushrooms, "assures that the next meal has been secured," and that is a thing worth celebrating in our food-scarce world (Yamin-Pasternak 100).
Mushrooms and Sustainability: Why are these Things so Loved by Environmentalists?
Mushrooms are also a wonderfully sustainable food option, as they are often grown from composts and decaying matter. Although, "decaying matter" might not seem like the most appetizing source for your food, these little decomposers do so much to breakdown what might otherwise be considered waste and turn it into nutrients for its own benefit.
"[Mushrooms] are one of the most sustainably produced foods in the United States" - The American Mushroom Institute
The fun-fungi we are growing to love are also incredibly efficient, and through the use of growth technology mushroom-growers are able to produce mushrooms with less than two gallons of water per pound harvested ("Environmental Management"). This, especially in comparison to the 50 gallons per pound for other fresh produce, is an astonishing amount of water being saved by these growers. Mushrooms are also efficient on carbon, energy, and land use—making them easily one of the most sustainable food sources in our economy today.
Overall, mushrooms are a wonderful addition to our food production in the United States today, and I believe there's a case to be made on continuing to push our society in the direction of mushroom love. Their impact on the nutritional health of people in poverty may help our society's goal of reducing the country's high obesity rate due to poor access to low-fat and low-calorie meal options, and they are just so darn sustainable it's hard to say no to increasing production rates! But I digress, and I hope you enjoyed this little look into mushrooms. Now...
On to the Good Stuff: What We're Making Today
With all the wonderful benefits and uses of mushrooms fresh on our minds, it's time to put our new-found love for mushrooms to good use! This mouthwateringly savory and decadent meal can easily be dressed up or down to your liking, and is a fun go-to on a day you are craving something hearty and beautiful. As always, modifications that fit your pantry are welcome (and encouraged). I will be giving substitution recommendations throughout this recipe, so don't sweat it if you don't want to buy something that's out of the norm for your kitchen. All you'll need to have for sure is... you guessed it: MUSHROOMS!
The Ultimate Mushroom Toast
Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons of butter
1-2 tablespoons sunflower oil (sub in olive oil, grapeseed, or any other cooking oil if needed)
6 sprigs of asparagus
1 box of cremini mushrooms
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 lemon
2 slices of sourdough bread
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or dry parsley from your pantry if desired)
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
Directions
Preheat to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash mushrooms, asparagus, and fresh parsley. Dry thoroughly.
Cut mushrooms into fourths (1/4), remove the ends of the asparagus, and roughly chop the garlic cloves.
Begin melting the butter over medium heat in a medium to large saucepan. Meanwhile, place the asparagus onto the baking sheet and cover in the sunflower oil, salt, and pepper. Roll the asparagus around to make sure it is covered in the oil and seasonings. Do not put asparagus into the oven yet.
Place garlic in pan with the now melted butter and cook until fragrant. About 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms to pan and stir to thoroughly coat the mushrooms in butter. Cook the mushrooms for about 5-8 minutes.
Place the asparagus in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or bake until the stems are easily penetrated with a fork.
After placing asparagus in the oven, add oregano, cayenne, onion powder, a squeeze of lemon, and about a 1/2 tablespoon of parsley to the mushrooms in the pan. Stir until well combined and continue cooking until mushrooms have reduced in size and butter has cooked into the mushrooms significantly (there should be very little liquid in the pan by the time you're done). This may require a change in heat, so increase or decrease cooking heat as you see fit.
Place sourdough slices in the toaster and toast for about 3-4 minutes. When they are done, spread cream cheese evenly on both slices and place on a fresh baking sheet (or the same one if well cleaned and dried).
Asparagus should be done around then, take the baking sheet out of the oven and set the oven to 350 degrees (it's okay if it doesn't get down to 350 by the time you use it again). Squeeze some lemon juice to your liking on the asparagus and roll to cover them in it. Then place three asparagus stems on each piece of toast and press a bit to cement them in the cream cheese.
Add the buttery mushrooms and garlic carefully on top of the toast. Mushrooms may take a bit longer than the other items, but it's okay to let the toast sit on the baking sheet for a bit while you wait for your mushrooms to cook (that's what the extra bake time is for).
Place the toast with all it's toppings in the oven (I also had some extra asparagus so I added that to the baking sheet as well) and let it stay in there while you clean some dishes and put things away. Leave in the oven for about 5 minutes maximum, then check it and leave it longer if you desire. No more than ten minutes, and keep an eye on it!
Once ready, carefully place toast on serving plate and top with extra parsley, a squeeze of lemon, salt, and pepper. Now it's ready to be enjoyed!
This recipe takes about 20-30 minutes in total, and is super delicious. Have fun with it and play with ingredients and cook times if you'd like! Cooking is all about experimentation, for example, next time I'm going to add toasted almonds to my end product.
Here's some pictures of the food throughout my cooking process! Please try this recipe and feel free to share your end results and thoughts with me via my Instagram page: @simplesporks!
Works Cited
Arora, David, and Glenn H. Shepard. “Mushrooms and Economic Botany.” Economic Botany, vol. 62, no. 3, New York Botanical Garden Press, 2008, pp. 207–12, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40390457.
“Environmental Management.” American Mushroom Institute, https://www.americanmushroom.org/main/environmental-management/.
Yamin-Pasternak, Sveta. “A Means of Survival, A Marker of Feasts: Mushrooms in the Russian Far East.” Ethnology, vol. 47, no. 2/3, University of Pittsburgh- Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, 2008, pp. 95–107, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25651552.
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