Forest Gold

I'm the richest girl in the Emerald City this week. Why? Look what I've got:

I returned home from my travels to a deck covered in red leaves, a week of crisp, sunny days, and woods bursting with mushrooms. I honed in on my favorites--chanterelles. Their flavor memory has been teasing me all year long.

This pile of fragrant treasure is now a creamy soup, made from a recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook, a gift from my dad years ago. Since I’ve never bought chanterelles, I don’t know how many make two pounds; I just pile mushrooms into the pot until it seems like there are way too many.

Wild Mushroom Soup

 Melt 8 T. of butter in a soup pot. Add 2 c. of finely chopped yellow onions and cook, covered, over low heat until they are tender and lightly colored, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Trim the stems from 2 lbs. of fresh wild mushrooms. Wipe the caps with a damp cloth and slice thin. Add caps to the soup pot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.

Add 4 c. vegetable stock and ¾ c. Madeira wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the solids to a blender, add a cup of the broth, and purée until smooth.

Return purée to the soup pot and set over medium heat. Taste, correct seasoning, and add a pint of heavy cream. Heat until steaming and serve with slices of toasted crusty bread.

Serves 6 to 8

Bon appétit!