A salad to celebrate the magnificence of mushrooms

The promise of spring makes me think about mushrooms.
   Shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms start to make their appearance in the supermarket alongside the year-round mainstays of portobello, button and cremini mushrooms.
   I’ve got a terrific recipe to share for a mushroom salad that is bright in flavor, making it perfect as a side for a springtime meal.
   Fine Cooking’s Mushroom Salad with Lemon, Thyme and Parmigiano (click for the recipe) is absolutely delicious. Writing about it now, my mouth is watering.
   It is so easy to make that it suits weeknight cooking, but it is also elegant enough to serve at a dinner party.
   The advice to make the salad just before serving is a good one, because mushrooms will indeed release more liquid the longer they marinate.
   However, the marinade/dressing for the mushrooms can be made in advance, and the mushrooms added to marinate 10 minutes prior to serving.
   The recipe said to use a pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg. In the absence of this, I used ground nutmeg.
   Lemon zest (finely-grated lemon peel), lemon juice, shallots, fresh thyme, nutmeg, kosher salt and olive oil are mixed together, and sliced button mushrooms are added stirred to coat. The salad is left to marinate for 10 minutes.
   Just before serving, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is scattered on top. (Using a vegetable peeler as the recipe directs is good advice.)

Join Recipes That Worked on Facebook