Wild Mushroom Bruschetta with Sweet Onion Soubise

To start off my Vegan Thanksgiving Series, I was going to talk about the foundation of all cooking, which is making a really good stock, but I decided that I didn't want to bore you right from the start.  So lucky for you my first dish is an appetizer that can be served on Thanksgiving or any time you entertain.

It doesn't matter how much I plan my Thanksgiving dinner--including a weekly time line, typed grocery list broken down by departments, or a detailed prep list, I am always running behind.  If I tell everyone that dinner starts at 5:00pm, I can guarantee you that it won't be on the table until 6:30pm.  On Thanksgiving most people skip eating breakfast and lunch in anticipation of gorging themselves at dinner.  So if you're a guest at my house you are going to be really hungry unless I serve you something to tide you over while I'm running late.  Now my husband is quite happy eating an entire bag of chips while waiting, but how good is that for you and there's no fun in it for me either since I enjoy cooking and serving delicious food! 

Serving this bruschetta is great because the sweet onion soubise and the balsamic glaze can be made up to three days in advance.  The mushrooms only take minutes to roast and if your oven is full with other items, you can always grill or toast the bruschetta.  Also, it can be served at room temperature--just don't dress the arugula until you're ready to serve or it will wilt.

 
Balsamic Glaze:
 
1 cup good quality aged Balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp agave syrup

Method:

• In a small sauce pan over medium heat, cook balsamic vinegar and agave for about 15 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon.  You want it to be the consistency of molasses so be careful not to overcook it because as it cools, it will thicken and you want it to be pourable.

Cashew Cream:

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked four hours or overnight
1 cup filtered water

Method:

• Drain cashews, place in a blender, add water and blend on high for up to four minutes, depending on your blender.  Strain and set aside.  You'll need 1/3 cup for the recipe.  You can freeze the remaining cream, or add agave to it and serve it with your breakfast cereal.

Sweet Onion Soubise:

1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/3 cup white wine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup cashew cream
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Heat a small sauce pan on medium-low, add olive oil, onion, garlic and thyme and saute until onions are soft.  Do not brown the onions, you want them to remain light in color.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook until reduced.
• Add cashew cream and simmer, stirring frequently until onions are creamy and most liquid is absorbed.
• Season with salt and pepper and place in a blender and blend on high until smooth.
• Pour into a bowl and set aside, or store in the fridge until ready to use.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms:

1-1 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms.  I used baby shiitake, oyster and brown enoki mushrooms
1 tbsp finely minced fresh thyme
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove stems and slice shiitake mushrooms.  Rip oyster mushrooms into like size pieces.
• Toss mushrooms in a bowl with thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Place mushrooms on a sheet tray(s) and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown, checking and turning the mushrooms half way through the cooking process.

Bruschetta:

1 loaf sour dough Italian Batard, sliced into 1/2" slices
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Brush both sides of bread lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, five minutes each side until slightly crispy.

Assembly:

• Spread soubise on toasted bread and top with roasted mushrooms.
• Slice bread in half and arrange on a serving platter.
• Drizzle balsamic glaze over bruschetta and top with arugula, tossed lightly in lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.  
• Serve immediately.