Mushroom Crostini

This recipe is courtesy of our friend Olivia over at IG: @liv_3kurtz

As the cooler fall season approaches, you may be thinking of ways to transition or revamp your selection of hosting recipes. This mushroom crostini will satisfy that quest and appease your guests’ palette at the same time!

With only a few simple ingredients, including good quality, hearty R&R mushrooms, you’ll be able to turn this recipe around in no time and with no fuss. The goat cheese provides a nice tang to the deeply caramelized shiitake and maitake mix of R&R mushrooms. If you’re not a goat cheese fan, substituting with a feta or hummus spread will certainly do! Be sure to add a drizzle of your favorite balsamic vinegar, vinegar reduction, or pearls like the recipe below follows.

This is the best kind of recipe for when you’re adapting to a new season and schedule and we hope you enjoy it! 

Mushroom Crostini Recipe

Makes approximately 30 to 40 crostinis, depending on the size of baguette  

• 3/4# R&R shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped into small 1/4 inch pieces 
• 1/2# R&R maitake mushrooms, chopped into small 1/4 inch pieces 
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for coating crostini 
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, dry white wine, or water
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste 
• 1 french baguette, thinly sliced on a bias 
• Herbed goat cheese log, set out at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Balsamic vinegar pearls, aged balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze, for garnishing 

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F with racks at the top and bottom of your oven. Remove your goat cheese from the fridge to come to room temperature. 
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add your 1/4 cup of olive oil followed by your chopped mushrooms. Toss to coat and leave undisturbed, stirring every few minutes, for approximately 10 minutes total. Your mushrooms should have some deep, golden color to them at this point.
3. Turn heat to medium and add your shallot and garlic and stir to combine. Add 1 tsp. salt and a few cracks of black pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. 
4. Once the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture has cooked through and has begun to caramelize, add your 1/2 cup of liquid and stir. Once the liquid has been absorbed, melt in your butter and fresh thyme and turn your heat to low for an additional 5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat to cool. 
5. While you cook your mushroom mixture, you can prepare your crostini pieces. Lay out each slice of baguette and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Make sure there’s enough oil lightly coating each slice of baguette for even browning. You will likely need to use two cooking sheets.
6. Toast your baguette in the oven, using the top and bottom rack, and cook for 20 minutes. I recommend taking them out halfway through to flip each slice of baguette and to move the sheet pans around. Once toasted, set aside.
7. Mix 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley with your herbed goat cheese spread. The addition of fresh parsley here is optional to the herbed spread, but will add a bright pop of color and flavor. 
8. Assemble each crostini by smearing a little goat cheese on each piece of toasted baguette, followed by a spoonful of the cooked mushroom mixture, and top with a sprinkling of parsley and balsamic vinegar pearls.
9. Serve crostini at room temperature, storing any remaining leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy!