Name: Wild Mushroom Crostini Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 7 ounces mixed salad greens; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or Champagne vinegar); Pinch coarse sea salt; 8-10 grinds black pepper; 2 ounces butter; Olive oil; 2 pounds wild mushrooms (cleaned and thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons chives (finely chopped); 3 tablespoons crème fraiche; 3 ounces Manchego (or Gruyere cheese, grated); 16 thin slices baguette (toasted)

By Pascale Beale

Photos by Pascale Beale

Colorful wild mushroom crostini salad set on a wooden cutting board on a wooden tabletop. — Photo: Pascale Beale

My long-time friends Frederic and Fatos owned one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara. The setting was hip and romantic, a mix of jazz bands played on a weekly basis, serenading guests to Django Reinhardt riffs and bluesy vibes. It was the place where you’d pop in for a savory nibble at the bar, or lounge over a long Mediterranean-styled meal on the terrace. It was my bistro du coin. One of my favorite items on the appetizer menu
was a deceptively named dish, a single Mushroom Toast. The toast in question was piled high with a giant mound of shaved mushrooms that had been mixed with truffles and some grated cheese. It was so succulently decadent. This salad is a little tribute to that dish, and the lovely times spent with everyone at The Little Door.

Ingredients

For the Salad

7 ounces mixed salad greens

For the Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or Champagne vinegar
Pinch coarse sea salt
8-10 grinds black pepper

For the Crostini

2 ounces butter
Olive oil
2 pounds wild mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
3 tablespoons crème fraiche
3 ounces Manchego, or Gruyere cheese, grated
16 thin slices baguette, toasted

Instructions

Cover a large platter or shallow bowl with the salad greens.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients to form an emulsion. Set aside.
In a large skillet placed over medium heat, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil until the butter foams. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to do this in batches, as you do not want to overcrowd the mushrooms in the pan. If necessary, add a little more olive oil to the second batch if the mushrooms seem too dry.
Place the cooked mushrooms, chives, crème fraiche and two-thirds of the cheese into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Spoon the mixture onto the toasted baguette slices to make the crostini.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad greens. Place the prepared crostini on top of the greens and top with the remaining grated cheese. Serve while the crostini are still warm.