Mushrooms !

The Mushroom. A quick definition that I spotted in a book was fleshy body of any of numerous edible fungi. To look at a mushroom and then here the definition, why would anyone want to eat it? Also, who was the first human that came upon a mushroom and actually decided to eat it? When that human was foraging the forest floor how did he know which mushroom was safe and which one was not? Did he take a buddy with him and said, “Here, you try this one” and did the buddy reply “no, it is your turn”…

Whoever decided that mushrooms were safe to eat, I surely am thankful. Mushrooms may not be the “prettiest” veggie, or should I say fungi, out there, but they are surely packed with flavor! They add that touch of mother earth to so many dishes, cooked or raw. On that note, I want to share with you THE easiest and totally packed with flavor appetizer I muster up.


Grilled Mushroom Caps With a Pesto & Pepper Filling.



That is it! Remove the stems from some medium sized cremini mushrooms (they have more flavor than the white button ones) rub a bit of olive oil on the shroom and place on your grill for about 2 minutes flat side down. Meanwhile, take a jar of your favorite prepared pesto, add some to a small bowl and, to that, stir in some freshly chopped chili. I happen to grow cayenne’s year round so I finely chop one of those little red beauties and add it to the bowl of pesto. Bring your warm mushrooms in from the grill and put a little spoon full of your pesto mixture onto the shroom and sit them round side down back on the grill for another couple of minutes. Remove to a plate and serve.



The juicy goodness of the mushroom combined with the pesto is a succulent party in your mouth. If you wanted to get real fancy with them, you could sprinkle a touch of parmesan cheese atop the pesto or you could also add a couple of toasted pine nuts for a little crunch!


Speaking of mushrooms, I will use this as my entry to Holler and Lisa’s April event over at No Croutons Required. The theme this month, of course, is mushrooms! If you would like to participate in this exciting event, hop on over to either one of their sites for the rules.



Foraging for mushrooms on a forest floor is on my list of “Gee, I would like to do that!” If any of you have had the experience of this, I would love to hear about it!
Cheers!