Foraging for Mushrooms for Survival and Sauces

Mushroom sauce over steak and potato along with some greens, mushroom gravy recipes below

In The African Heritage Cookbook culinary writer Helen Mendes explains, “sauces and gravies are as intrinsic a part of Soul cooking as they had been of West African cooking. . . . Soul food is not dry food. With almost all meals some type of sauce or gravy is served. These like the West African sauces, are well seasoned,” She writes. To survive people in Africa, Europe, and the Americas have historically foraged in forest for edible berries, herbs, tubers, wild greens and mushrooms. Lately I’ve had a taste for a mushroom sauce. Here’s a southern one from Tennessee that serves about 3 to 5 people. This mushroom sauce works equally well over a barbecued steak, baked potato, or brown rice. I also provide a link to a easy but sensational port-wine mushroom sauce that goes well with various meat and vegan meat substitutes.

Tennessee mushroom sauce recipe

Ingredients

½ cup butter or butter substitute divided

2 (8-ounce) containers of fresh mushrooms ( I like portabella, shiitake, and or what’s on sale)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh scallions or Vidalia onions

3 tablespoons whole wheat or white flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cups soy or regular milk

2 teaspoons hot sauce

¾ teaspoon sea salt

¾ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Method

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and sauté 12 to 14 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add onions and sauté for two minutes. Remove from heat. Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute; whisk in dry mustard. Gradually whisk in milk and next 3 ingredients; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in mushroom mixture, and cook until thoroughly heated.

Port-wine mushroom sauce recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=223410