Crostini with Garlic Sauteed Chanterelles [an easy holiday appetizer!]
I brush the crumbs off my son’s shirt, grab paper towels to wipe his hands, and clean him up as best I can before he’s off to the next thing – running laps around the house, building towers with Magna-Tiles, or racing cars across the kitchen floor. I do the same with his twin sister, although it usually takes a while to convince her to let me help after she says, “Izzy do it!” four or five times.
They ate a decent lunch, but I see a few pieces of peanut butter and jelly left on their plates. Isabel didn’t touch her grapes and Elijah only took one small bite of his cheese stick. I hear Josiah start to fuss from his bouncy seat just as it dawns on me that I haven’t eaten yet. My mouth begins to water, but it’s time for the baby to nurse.
I grab the leftover PB&J and grapes, and the half-eaten cheese stick and scarf them down while I walk over to the baby. I guess that’s lunch for today. Maybe at naptime I can actually sit down.
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We wander through the giant refrigerator at Costco. Josiah lays in his car seat and I try to keep the twins content in the cart. If I let them loose in the store, they inevitably wander in opposite directions, taking my sanity with them. I forgot my grocery list at home, so we’re going by memory on this trip. It’s never a wise idea to wander Costco without being tethered to a written plan, especially when you have to find all the things and make a thousand tiny decisions before someone begins to melt down. It’s a race against the clock. How soon will the baby wake up? How long will food samples keep my twins entertained? Will the twins fall asleep in the car on the way home mess up naps for the rest of the day?
I grab the giant bag of baby carrots – way more than we’ll ever need, but whatever. It’ll save me a trip to a second store just to buy baby carrots. I toss that, a package of salad greens, and a giant container of strawberries (that will be gone by tomorrow) into the cart. And oh! They have chanterelles! Of course I need chanterelles, right? Because why wouldn’t I need a pound or two of fancy mushrooms? I add them to the pile starting to overtake the car seat and gently rearrange the produce around my infant.
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Chanterelles sound interesting and different and grown up – even though these mushrooms are relatively common. But sometimes I need something different. I need to eat more than a few toddler-sized squares of PB&J they didn’t finish. I need to eat like an adult.
This recipe for Crostini with Garlic Sautéed Chanterelles requires only a few ingredients and a simple preparation. The mushrooms have a rich, earthy, and almost fruity flavor. Add the crunch of toasted bread, brightness of thyme, and warmth of sautéed garlic for a grown-up dish that’s perfect as a holiday appetizer – or lunch on an ordinary Thursday.
Crostini with Garlic Sauteed Chanterelles
Yields about 20 appetizers
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 sprigs of thyme, plus more for garnish
16 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, large ones cut in half lengthwise
1 baguette, cut into ¾ inch slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and and thyme and cook for about 30-60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook for about 3-4 minutes without stirring until the bottom side is golden and browned. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium. Turn the mushrooms over and cook for about 5-7 more minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender to your liking. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
While the chanterelles are cooking, set your oven rack as close to your oven’s broiler flame as possible. Preheat the broiler (to high if you have a high/low setting). Lay the baguette slices out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Broil the bread for 1-2 minutes until the edges are browned and slightly crisp. You may need to turn the pan once or twice to ensure even browning. Make sure to watch this very closely. It only take a few seconds for the bread to go from toasted to burned!
Remove the bread from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Top each slice with the sautéed mushrooms, and garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Note: The olive oil left in the pan has so much flavor. Use it on leftover bread for an extra treat for the cook!
This recipe was originally featured at Lark + Linen.
