It’s easy to think of disincentives for being late: a tapping foot, the flustered greeting, that feeling of being out-of-step with everyone else. But sometimes there are advantages, too. I couldn’t make it to last week’s Farmers’ Market, so I don’t know if they had chanterelles for sale, but I do know I couldn’t find them anywhere else all week. This afternoon, though, there were several baskets of the beautiful fungus sitting front and centre on Wild Foraged‘s table. I scooped up a box, but I admit I almost gave up on the idea of this week’s dish when I found out they also had Chicken of the Woods on hand.
My better angel prevailed and here we are, with an appetizer that is sweet and savoury, meaty and vegetal, all at once. I made a small portion of the dish for the two of us to share, substituting savoy cabbage for the napa and using some vegetable stock in place of bouillon. I’d forgotten to pick up hazelnuts on the way home, so I used chopped almonds instead. I think they were as nice as hazelnuts would have been. I also took Dorie’s bonne idée and threw in some green grapes, which added another lovely layer of flavour to the dish.
The hardest thing about this dish is obtaining the mushrooms. The easiest thing is deciding to make this again before chanterelle season is over. See for yourself, here.
And because we’re heading into the home stretch of Around My French Table, I’m trying to do at least one catch up a week until I’m up-to-date:
Lyonnaise Garlic and Herb Cheese
I’m sort of glad I waited so long to make this one, or else it might have become a staple item in my refrigerator. Fromage blanc (or in my case, ricotta drained overnight until thick) mixed with alliums and herbs makes a wonderful spread for crudités, breads, or crackers. I loved it with oatcakes and slow-roasted tomatoes. If Kevin wasn’t adhering to his vegan diet of late, I’d have filled tomatoes with the stuff for him. I’ve still got quite a bit left and I’m thinking it might find its way into a savoury tart very soon.
Find out what the rest of the French Fridays crew thought about their Chanterelles with Napa and Nuts
And here’s where you can find the verdict on Lyonnaise Garlic and Herb Cheese
One Wet Foot 
Everything looks wonderfully delicious. I forgot all about that lovely cheese recipe, must revisit again. Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Great looking results for this week’s dish! Cheeses are totally out of my leaque!
Sounds like your perseverance paid off, beautiful looking dish!
Your dishes look beautiful! I missed the grape idea… interesting. And that cheese is delicious. I’d forgotten! Hope your weekend is wonderful.
Great looking mushrooms…glad you were able to find them! I also chose the grape option…loved the flavor they added to the mushrooms. I remember really enjoying that cheese spread! Enjoy your weekend!
How exciting that you found the right mushrooms! I think this is a good “formula” for any mushrooms, cabbage, and nuts. So delicious. I look forward to making it again. I love the Lyonnaise cheese. I haven’t made that in a while, so thanks for the reminder of another delicious one from Dorie. what’s an oatcake? Is it a cracker you buy or something you make? Have a great week.
They are sold as oat crackers in North America, actually. I just call them oatcakes as a throwback to the ones imported from the U.K. when I was a kid. The ones I used were from the batch I wrote about here: https://onewetfoot.ca/2014/07/31/ginger-peach-crisp-and-nairns-oatcakes-a-review/
The chanterelles are just so gorgeous – it’s a shame we just don’t have them here (at least, as far as I know). I like that you used the grapes too – I missed that. This recipe is very forgiving – any combination of mushrooms, cabbage and nuts would be good, I think.
I love, love, love chaterelles. Never made them with cabbage though, but this looks like a wonderful combination of textures and flavors!
Lucky you finding the chanterelles. And, seriously, your photos are marvelous!!! Love how colorful yours is!!!
See now I NEED to make this with the proper recipe – yours looks fab!
This dish is simply divine!
Those are some lovely mushrooms – sounds like it was worth the delayed gratification 🙂
I remember the herbed cheese being dangerously delicious as well.