Mushrooms, wild garlic & cream on toast

As I was chatting with my brother about the delights and vagaries of spring weather I remembered a phrase our old neighbour in Carraroe, Co. Galway used to use. Bartlai Sheamuis Shorcha O Cualain, was a wise man who had spent his life observing nature and the sea, and was a wonderful native Irish speaker. On a fine day, at any time of the year he would remark, “Ta se ina shamhradh !” (It’s summery! What a clever way of acknowledging the summer- like feel of the day rather than suggesting that there was such a warm sunny season as summer in Connemara!
Indeed, the weather has been confusing lately, and though it was a mild winter it is quite a late spring apparently. We have just experienced unseasonable warmth, and now, suddenly a chillingly cold breeze in bright sunshine.

It’s a strange time in the kitchen too; we’re coming to the end of winter vegetables, and the wonderful delights of spring, asparagus, baby greens, spring cabbage etc have yet to appear. In our house we have been enduring the challenges of a non-Covid flu – headaches, coughs and low energy, and I have undertaken food preparation with great reluctance. I have had to dig deep to find the energy to make something soothing and nourishing, and to resist the temptation to live on a diet of scrambled eggs or baked beans on toast every day.

To my delight a friend dropped in a bag of early wild garlic which spurred me to use it straight away. Given my energy levels, I needed a recipe that was quick and easy.
This recipe spans the seasons from autumn – mushrooms - to spring - wild garlic

Mushrooms, wild garlic & cream on toast
by Katie Verling

Recipe serves 2

• 200 grams of mushrooms, sliced, (any mushrooms will do, though brown/chestnut mushrooms have a deeper flavour)
• A good know of butter
• A dollop of olive oil
• A big handful of fresh wild garlic leaves rinsed, then loosely chopped
• A cup of cream (150 -200mls)
• Salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper
• 2 large slices of toasted sour dough bread

Melt the butter and oil in a saucepan until it foams then add the sliced mushrooms and swirl around until they’ve absorbed all the oils. Resist the temptation to add more butter and keep turning on a relatively high heat. Once the mushrooms begin to release their juices keep turning then add a good pinch of sea salt, then the chopped wild garlic and stir again for another minute. Finally add the cream and allow it to bubble up and begin to thicken as it evaporates and cook for about 5 minutes. Finally, put on the toast, warm your plates and spoon the delicious fragrant mushroom mixture onto the toast (no need to butter – though you may if you must) and eat with relish.
Dig in!
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