During one of my many trips to the Scranton Farmers’ Market this season, I was introduced to Mountain View Mushrooms. What a find!!!
The young man who started the business is Hunter Vargo, a handsome, delightful gentleman, whose hobby became a passion during Covid..
A 2021 graduate of Wallenpaupack Area, Vargo grows a variety of mushrooms including Lions Mane, Blue Oyster, King Pearl, Pearl Oyster, Enoki, Shitake, and Pink Oyster. I thoroughly enjoyed touring his website mountainvmushrooms.com, where one can view the process from start to finish, including some of his trial-and-error experiments. Being a retired teacher, I admired his scientific process.
Arriving home after the market, I prepared ribeye steak with his oyster mushrooms for dinner. I prepared them simply with butter and salt, so I might have the best tasting experience. Honestly, they were meaty and dense…..what a difference from the white button sold in every grocery store! This has spoiled my tastebuds forever…..
Vargo not only sells to the public at the market and near his growing building in Hawley, but also to numerous high-end restaurants. Mountain View Mushrooms are sure to perk up any meal you prepare.
Here are some recipes I’m planning on making:
Heavenly Mushroom Soup:
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1-2 bay leaves
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped onion
3 Tbsp. cooking oil
4-5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp. dry sherry or Madeira
2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream
In a 2 quart saucepan melt butter and stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in broth until smooth. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute’ celery and onion in oil until tender. Add mushrooms and cook and stir until tender. Add veggies to broth mixture and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sherry. Then add cream and heat through. Discard bay leaves and serve. Serves 4.
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Mushroom Risotto:
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, chopped
3 oz. butter
½ onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
½ cup white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock
3 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped Italian parsley
Start by lightly frying mushrooms in butter until tender. In another pan, saute’ onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add rice and toss to coat. Add wine, reduce until dry. Start adding chicken broth, 2 ounces at a time, until rice is tender. Add mushrooms. Finish with butter and Parmesan off the heat. Season with salt, pepper and parsley. Serves 4.
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Mushroom Saute Over Puff Pastry Shells:
3 Tbsp. butter
½ cup chopped onion
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce
Puff Pastry shells, baked according to package directions
Melt butter in skillet and add onions. Saute’ over medium heat for about one minute. Add mushrooms and continue to saute’ over medium heat for another minute. Turn down heat and let cook, uncovered, until mushrooms begin to draw water. Continue to cook until almost all water has evaporated, and add salt, sugar and soy sauce. Serve atop a pastry shell.
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Baked Lump Crabmeat with Mushrooms:
½ cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp. melted butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Soy sauce to taste
2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. prepared Dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lb. fresh or pasteurized jumbo lump crabmeat
¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tsp. paprika
4 Tbsp. white wine or sherry
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Saute’ onions in butter until transparent. Add mushrooms and saute’ over medium heat. Allow mushrooms to release their water, but do not evaporate it. Add soy sauce, stir, and thicken with cornstarch-water mixture until mushrooms are very thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Blend together egg, green pepper and mustard in blender or food processor. Add mayonnaise to this mixture blending with a wire whisk. Do NOT use food processor. Add mushrooms to mayonnaise mixture, blend, then fold in crabmeat very carefully into that mixture. Place in large ovenproof casserole. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top evenly until completely covered. Dust with paprika, then sprinkle with wine or sherry. This keeps the bread crumbs from burning during the baking.
Place crabmeat in oven, and bake for 15 minutes if casserole is shallow. If deep, add a few more minutes until heated through. Serves 4.