mushrooms for the Mayans

How about a fun salad to celebrate that the world didn’t end yesterday?

Wild mushrooms and citrus may seem like an odd pairing, but they are delicious together, especially in this light and lovely salad where the mushrooms are grilled and the salad is garnished with a touch of goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts.

Grilled Wild Mushroom, Chèvre, and Citrus Salad

Citrus and Nut Oil Vinaigrette
1/3 cup toasted hazelnut or walnut oil
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
A few drops of hot sauce, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mushrooms and Salad
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons finely minced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1  1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms; white and crimini mushrooms, halved;
oyster mushrooms stems removed; and portabella mushrooms, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups mixed greens, such as a mesclun mix
3 cups orange, grapefruit, and/or tangerine sections
1/2 cup hazelnuts or pecans, lightly toasted
8 ounces cold chèvre (goat cheese), crumbled

Vinaigrette:  In a bowl, whisk the oil, grapefruit juice, and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the mint and add drops of hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Mushrooms:  Heat a large grill pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Add the mushrooms all at once and quickly toss to coat. Add to hot grill pan and cook on all sides until tender and golden brown.

Remove the mushrooms from the grill pan and transfer them to a baking sheet.

Salad:  In a large bowl, toss the greens with the vinaigrette and arrange them on eight salad plates. Top with citrus, grilled mushrooms, and toasted nuts. Sprinkle each serving with crumbled cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 8