Healing and Comfort Food: Mushroom Paté

I have been busy trying new recipes using the local foods of the season from farmer’s markets—lots of root vegetables and squashes. The cooler weather makes it easy to move to hearty, comforting dishes—so you’ll be seeing new posts with lots of beta-carotene filled foods in the coming weeks!

This past weekend, while pots simmered and squash roasted in the oven, I came across some mushrooms in the fridge and decided to make an old favorite recipe from my vegetarian days—mushroom paté. This simple, richly flavored paté is great on baguette, crackers or crostini, and makes a delicious dip for crudités. And--mushrooms are great in the healing department, with plenty of vitamin B2 and B3, and selenium—powerful allies for cancer prevention.

According to World’s Healthiest Foods (www.whfoods.org), “phytonutrients in mushrooms have been the object of anti-cancer research. Most of this research has centered on the "specialty" mushrooms, including Shiitake, Maitake, and Reishi. More recently, however, common button mushrooms, including crimini, have been shown to have anticancer properties as well. In particular, adding these mushrooms to the diet may help protect against the development of breast cancer by preventing circulating levels of estrogen in the body from becoming excessive.”

As if that weren’t enough of a reason to eat more mushrooms, this paté is quick, easy and foolproof. If you are not eating dairy, it can be made with tofutti instead of cream cheese. And did I say delicious? It’s got that going for it, too.

Mushroom Paté

8 oz. mushrooms, rinsed with woody bottoms removed (I like to mix the mushrooms, using a combination of crimini, button, shiitake and portobello)

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped chives (for garnish)

½ cup chicken stock

8 oz. package cream cheese

sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and ¼ cup chives. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and sauté until liquid is absorbed, about 7-10 minutes more. Allow mushrooms to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, add cream cheese and mushrooms and blend. Spoon mixture into a bowl and garnish with 1 tbsp. chopped chives. Serve with crackers, bread or crostini.