Pickled Mushrooms

As a snack or as part of a dinner buffet, pickled mushrooms bring an attractive piquancy to the table. They keep refrigerated for weeks.

Ingredients

Serves 8

11⁄2 pounds small white mushrooms, halved

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into julienne

1 tablespoon olive oil

1⁄2 cup canned pimientos, cut into 1" × 1⁄2" strips

1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder

1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper

What Are Truffles?

Truffles are so special, only pigs and dogs can find them! Truffles are fragrant underground fungi related to mushrooms. Their musky aroma is heavenly to some. Extremely expensive due to their rarity and inability to be cultivated, they are sold fresh, dried, or canned, usually imported from France or Italy. The Italian white truffle from Alba is the most highly prized, and is worth, literally, more than its weight in gold. Like black truffles from France, the Alba truffle is usually shaved paper-thin over simple foods like pasta, polenta, or eggs, the better to appreciate its rare character.

1. Boil mushrooms and carrots in separate pots until fork-tender and then drain.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet and add carrots. Cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes more, then add pimiento, oregano, garlic powder, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook until everything is heated through. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.