Local, exotic, and wild mushrooms at The Fruitful Basket in Beverly farms Massachusetts

Exotic & Wild Mushrooms

Local, exotic and wild mushrooms are treasures of the food world!
We prize them for the robust, incomparable flavor that they add to any dish.

Mushrooms are at the heart of basic and seasonal cooking. Who could say "No" to early spring-time morels with asparagus, caramelized onion and fresh goat's milk cheese?

How about mid-summer chanterelle sauté with sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, a splash of cream, over a light egg noodle ?

Autumn is a great time for black trumpets or the robust flavor of porcini in risotto.

During the winter holidays, shave imported black or white truffles over your dishes, creating a memorable dinner.

What happens if you are not feeling as adventurous, or just cannot find what you are looking for? Cultivated, exotic and wild mushrooms are easy to substitute and bring lots of options to your cooking.

No longer do you have to forage through the woods or drive into Boston to enjoy one of nature's tastiest treats-wild mushrooms. The Fruitful Basket in Beverly Farms specializes in all sorts of wild, exotic, cultivated mushrooms shows up on their retail shelf. The cultivated and exotic mushrooms like shiitke and portabella, are available all year.

Call us for ideas and availability. Remember finding wild or exotic mushrooms while either shopping or hunting for them provides a thrill but the real fun is eating them. Enjoy !

Our offerings include

Prize Porcinis	Hedgehog	Morel	Chanterelle	St. Georges
Hen of the woods	Oyster	Shitake	Trumpet	Wood Ear
Button	Portabella	Crimini	Truffles	etc...

Morels in Cream
from The Edible Mushroom by Margaret Leibenstein

The classic treatment for morels is to cook them in cream sauce. This dish is lovely as a first course served over toast, in a puff pastry shell, or on pasta, or you can use it as is done in Europe, as a sauce over grilled meat.

Ingredients:
12 ounces fresh morels
1 tablespoon water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 grating of fresh nutmeg or to taste
1 tablespoon Armagnac or Cognac
2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream or very thick sour cream

1. Wipe the morels [as described on page 19] and cut them lengthwise into quarters. Place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and sprinkle with the water. Cover the pan tightly and sweat them over low heat for approximately 10 minutes to draw out their liquid and intensify the flavor. Drain the morels, reserving 1 tablespoon of the liquid. Set aside.
2. Using the same saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the morels, raise the heat to moderate, and toss until they are completely coated with the butter. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and nutmeg, then add the Armagnac and reserved mushroom liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook very slowly for approximately 20 minutes.
3. Combine the egg yolks and cream in a small bowl and blend thoroughly. Add this mixture to the mushrooms and, stirring constantly, cook over low heat for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Never allow the sauce to boil. Taste, correct seasoning and serve.
NOTE: To make the morels even more compatible with roasts, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat juices (clear of fat) to the mushroom before adding the cream.

Serves 4