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3. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with the croutons.

garlic and parmesan croutons

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring, until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

2. The croutons can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. To store, cool completely and keep in an airtight container.

1

tablespoon canola oil

1

garlic clove, minced

2 to 3

heels country bread, lightly toasted and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

1

tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

* * *

COOK’S NOTE: You don’t have to use country bread for the croutons. Use any 2- to 3-day-old bread you have in the pantry. Remember, waste not, want not.

To make bread crumbs: Thaw frozen bread. Rip into small pieces, 1- to 2-inch cubes, and place in a food processor. Process with a series of 5- to 10-second pulses until you achieve the desired crumb consistency. To remove excess moisture from the crumbs, spread crumbs in a thin layer on a baking sheet and lightly toast in a 300 degrees F oven for 10 minutes.

* * *

wild mushroom soup with peas and sweet potatoes

SERVES 6 TO 8

When I was in my early twenties, I worked for a wonderful small catering company called Reel Food Productions. My boss, Darra Crouch, was a true inspiration to me because she was very creative with the food. This soup is a take on a mushroom soup she showed me how to make. You wouldn’t think that mushrooms, peas, and sweet potatoes go together but they do; the soup is at once earthy and sweet. Feel free to experiment with different types of mushrooms.

21/2 to 3

cups mixed wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, baby bella, and chanterelles

2

tablespoons unsalted butter

1

shallot, minced

1

medium yellow or white onion, minced

1/3

cup dry sherry

4

cups Chicken Stock (page 112)

1

small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1/4 cup)

1

cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed if frozen)

1/4

cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2

tablespoons chopped fresh chives for garnish

1. Put the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until a paste forms, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a medium or large pot over medium heat and add the shallot and onion. Sauté until the shallot and onion are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sherry and then the mushroom paste and stir for 1 minute. Add the stock and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potato, peas, and cream and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve the soup in individual bowls, garnished with the chives.

magic mushrooms

The renowned mycologist Paul Stamets makes an interesting case for mushrooms in his book Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. He argues that through mushroom cultivation, permaculture (an agricultural method that mimics the structure found in natural ecologies), ecoforestry (which emphasizes holistic practices that strive to regenerate ecosystems), and bioremediation (the process of bringing fungi to improve a natural environment that has been chemically altered by contaminants and soil enhancement), people could create very special mushroom farms. These farms could, according to Stamets, become “healing arts centers, steering ecological evolution for the benefit of humans living in harmony” with the environment.

That is a lot of responsibility for each little mushroom. Until that happens, we can enjoy these magical fungi in our kitchen. Mushrooms are the fleshy, spore-bearing bodies of fungi, produced in soil or a food source above ground, except for truffles, which grow beneath the surface of the soil. No one can accurately say how many types of mushrooms exist, but in North America alone there are more than 10,000 species, and about