The big day - August 17

The big day.  The Annual Mushroom Festival Chef Cook-Off.  Us against the chefs.  We had 60 minutes to prepare 100 samples, with eager consumers wandering around asking questions.  It felt like Iron Chef.  While being introduced, I watched a couple of the chefs in action, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the delicious ingredients… bacon, gnocchi, cheese, cream, butter—all things that make food yummy.  We didn’t have any of that goodness.  We just had crackers, which were pretty amazing, but still I felt like I’d spent too much time thinking about the “plate” and not enough on the topping.  This wasn’t a cracker cookoff, after all, it was a mushroom cook-off.  Whatever.  I wasn’t in this to win.  I was in this to teach people that they could prepare a delicious and nutritious all, or nearly all, foraged meal.  Our secret ingredients, besides the acorn crackers, were bluebell greens, wild onions and herbs (wild oregano gifted to us by the infamous Katrina Blair), and beautifully fresh chanterelles and hawks wing mushrooms.  Simple pate, topped the simple crackers.  People were impressed and had lots of questions, and many were inspired to try acorns at home.  This in and of itself was a win.

During the announcement of the winner, we learned that we were in the top 3—voted best by the people.  Then the judges spoke—the winners dish “embodied the spirit of the festival.  You could taste the Earth when you took a bite.”  We won.  I couldn’t believe it!

So many people asked for the recipe for our dish.  I’ll try to recreate it here.  Keep your eyes peeled…