Seriously, the staff at La Madia must think I’m such a pimp. On a near-weekly basis I arrive for an early dinner, a new beautiful tattooed lady on my arm, and order up some warm niçoise olives with toasted garlic, thyme and chilies and a wild mushroom pizza. Then I disappear for a week only to return again with another girl. It’s not easy wooing every woman in Chicago, but I do my best for a straight married lady. My secret weapon? A pile of fungus and some smoked mozzarella. Works like a charm.
Now, I’m no Jonathon Fox, although I make a decent pizza dough – but sometimes a lady wants to enjoy her pizza while wearing her jammies and watching a little Walking Dead. But those mushrooms… those fresh, woodsy, beautiful mushrooms! Where’s a gal to find them in early November in the heart of the Midwest?
Like a knight in fungal armor, the BTTR Gourmet Garden from Back to the Roots came to my rescue. I actually heard about the company through Social Venture Network – I loved their sustainable approach to home gardening (especially for us no-yard-havin’ city slickers) and I ordered my pearl oyster mushroom kit right away. Because I am a notorious mushroom pimp, they got in touch to let me know about something really cool they’re doing through the end of the year, to offer up some savings to you guys, and to give a kit away to one of my lucky readers.
Throughout this November and December, BTTR is donating 5% of their sales to breast cancer research. It’s been almost one year since I lost a good friend to cancer, and I’ve spent the last 12 months doing anything and everything I could think of to help run cancer off this planet. I think it’s wonderful that a company that is already using its business model to make the world a cleaner, happier place is taking this extra step. Additionally, they’re offering Bake and Destroy readers 20% off their grow-at-home kits – just enter bake20 at check out!
As we were exchanging emails I saw the photo of the pasta dish above and said, “So, it’s cool that you’re encouraging people to grow their own food, donating money to cancer research, giving my readers a deal and offering one of your kits but um – could I also have the recipe for that pasta dish?” Man, these are generous people, they forked it right over. So here’s the recipe for Oyster Mushroom Pasta in Pink Sauce (for four):
You’ll need:
- 1 pound spaghetti (you can also use fettuccine, angel hair or any long pasta shape)
- 1 cup minced onion (1 small onion)
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups almond or dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup organic tomato paste
- 5 ounces BTTR Oyster Mushrooms, left whole or sliced
- ¼ bunch parsley, finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Then you:
- Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions. In the meantime, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 teaspoon of salt over medium heat until completely soft, stirring frequently to avoid browning. Add garlic and cook a few minutes longer.
- In a blender, combine the onion/garlic mixture, milk, nutritional yeast, and tomato paste. Process until very smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauté mushrooms in 2 tablespoons olive oil and pinch of salt over medium/high heat until soft and browned.
Toss pasta with the pink sauce, mushrooms, and garnish with parsley. Serve hot and creamy! (Thanks to Chef Chloe for sharing that!)
Obviously you’re all going to buy a kit right now so you can do your part to fund breast cancer research. But for those of you who’d like another kit to give your favorite sexy pizza date, BTTR is giving a kit away to one of my readers. Leave me a comment about your favorite mushroomy dish and I’ll choose a random winner to receive the kit. (US residents only, please.) Leave additional comments if you like BTTR on Facebook or follow them on Twitter – those will count as additional entries! Good luck and happy sporing.
I had ramen for dinner. That picture is torture. I just licked the screen!
I love mushroom ragout. And thanks to Lisa’s comment, I’m glad the food photo isn’t loading 😉
OMG, that looks amazing. My favorite mushroom dish is mushrooms in a lovely salmon cream sauce over linguine. The mushrooms have to be sauteed until all the water is out and OMG, the flavor is so amazing. Just brings a tear to my eyes. 🙂
I’ve blended mushrooms and chickpeas together in the most amazing gravy – I might have eaten half of it with just a spoon.
My fave mushroom dish is Giovanna: garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, herbs & white wine! I was just talking about BTTR with a friend today!
Also, I like BTTR on Facebook! 🙂
I follow ’em on Twitter
And now I like ’em on Facebook
I’m a fan of the mushroom tofu stroke-n-off. Fungus, noodles and cream. Big serious slurp.
And I like them on Facebook.
And following on Twitter.
I dont really like mushrooms, however my wonderful boyfriend loves them so much, on everything. Pizza, pasta dishes, in salads and a mushroom burger. I myself love growing stuff we can eat/cook with. This would be perfect for us.
I also like them on facebook!
OMG, FOOD BONER TO THA MAX.
Wow I had a craving for mushroom stroganoff yesterday and made a decent vegan version, but this sounds even better! Guess I know what I’ll be making tomorrow:)
This is one kick ass post! I have a sick obsession with stuffed mushrooms! I fill them with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onion and bacon bits and then throw them in the oven! It usually ends in me having to make one tray for the party and one tray for just for me to eat myself!
Hmmm…I’d have to say Smitten Kitchen’s Mushroom Bourguigon. It’s awesome! Thanks for the giveaway.
That idea of the easy to grow mushroom is pretty cool…
Anyway, my favorite mushroom dish – which I prepare on a weekly basis, almost, as my wife loves it – is a porcini risotto. it is quite simple to prepare. You take a cup of dried porcini (if you can find the fresh one, even better, but it is not going to be easy), and you soak them for 1/2 an hour in lukewarm water.
In a pan, you heat 1tbs of butter and 1 tbs olive oil, and when it is hot enough you throw in 1 finely chopped onion. When the onion is golden brown, you stir in the mushroom, and you stir them for a few minutes. You then add 1 cup of rice (arborio type) and stir it so that every single grain is toasted, for a few minutes. You then add as many cups of chicken broth as you need to cover the rice, and you let it simmer, without EVER moving it, for 15 minutes. Now and then you will need to add more broth, so that the rice is always covered.
After 15 minutes, you add 1/4 cup of red wine, and you start stirring the rice, and make sure the alcohol evaporates. you may need to add more broth if the rice is dry. After 5 minutes, turn the fire off. Only when the fire is off throw in 1 tbs of butter and 1 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and stir so that it all melts. Let the risotto rest for five minutes and then serve.
Here you go!
wow! i reallly want one of those kits! i’ll have to order one for my dad too if i don’t win, Both of us have a secret love for mushroom pizza and it is high time to roll out some dough!
Blerg! BTTR doesn’t ship to Canada!
This is awesome! Love the kits and the pasta dish looks delish!
Mmmm. I love mushrooms in general, but a good mushroom risotto is probably my favorite dish.
I love Mushroom Risotto – been making it for years, and it’s one of the few things my teenagers ask for on a regular basis.
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My favorite mushroom dish is a mushroom frittata! 🙂 I would be DELIGHTED to win!
My fav. mushroom dish is portobello caps broiled or grilled with a little olive oil and salt then filled with hummus and topped with grilled red peppers and feta and placed back under the broiler until the cheese gets just browned. I also love grilled mushrooms in soft corn tortillas with peppers, corn, avocado, lime and cilantro.
Looking like I’ve found a Christmas present for my sis!
Mushroom pizza with taleggio cheese and caramelized onions is a definite front runner for favorite. But at the end of the day I’m simple girl, happy with some good cream of mushroom soup and crusty bread.
Mmmm, shrooms are delish. One of my faves is a marinated portobello mushroom burger with roasted red pepper and goat cheese.
This is so simple I don’t even know measurements — you just go by taste.
White mushrooms + Worcestershire sauce + butter (REAL please) + garlic salt. Throw them all together and sauté them until there’s lots of shrinkage (heh heh) and the mushrooms are tender and nearly black.
They are divine. Good with steak, asparagus, or as a side dish with anything that can stand up to their powerful flavor.
My kids loved watering their mushrooms everyday! To see them grow, make something with them, and eat them was like having our very own little farm in our kitchen! Thanks BTTR! 🙂
Tonight I’m making mushroom pesto pasta; last night was mushroom + olive pizza. Both are really just an excuse to saute up a bunch of mushrooms and nom nom nom! Then I try to cover with “mushrooms lose a lot of volume when you cook them.” Ahem.
P.S. Love your blog, adore your writing.
That looks so yummy! One of my favorite mushroom dishes is a vegetarian Shepard’s pie with lots of portobello, oyster, and shitake mushrooms!
My favorite is just sauteing oyster mushrooms and cippolini onions in olive oil with a little salt. Hooray mushrooms, boo cancer.
I love a good mushroom burger. Just as filling as red meat, but much healthier. 🙂
I like them on Facebook a
I’m following them on Twitter
Favorite mushroom dish..
Sauteed with Butter Balsamic Vinegar, garlic ( and wine if you got it) & Peas. Put it on anything or eat them just like that.
I like to eat them just like that.
Thanks, that sounds absolute delicious! I tried one from this lasagna recipes site before but it wasn’t so hot. I think I’ll try a different one tonight though!
I think is a fantastic back to our roots (haha) item. I have always want to from my own fungus other than what I have mastered in the fridge. Natalie you are always awesome and we all love ya xox
That was a fail of a post : Lets try again I have always wanted to GROW my own fungus. There that may make better sense. I would use them in a veggie quiche, well roasted ontop. I could send over the recipe its a gooder
I followed and followed =o)