Mushroom Spread

It's appropriate that today is Labor Day because, after over two weeks of working myself into exhaustion, I am taking the day off. It all started when Mr. O-P took off for a two-week trip to his native homeland of New Jersey, for a visit with family and friends. No sooner had his car rounded the corner than I set to work. A lot of things needed doing around here, most of which were not particularly convenient when another rather needy person is on hand. So, my goal was to paint the deck, stain the deck floor, paint two Adirondack chairs and matching foot rests that my dad had made me, decorate the entry hall, and move furniture around, the latter of which was not simply from room to room, but one floor to another. Is was a LOT of work! Every morning as I moved the paintbrush from one deck rail to the next, I couldn't help but realize that when the deck was last painted, it was done so by a team of three, and it took three days. I kept wondering, day after day, as my hands went numb and legs began to shake if, perhaps, I had taken on too much.

I did little cooking during this time, ever so thankful for those individual servings of casseroles that I had put into the freezer the past couple of months, but I did take time to relax, and have a cocktail and tasty snack late each afternoon. This recipe came from my mother's recipe box, and drew my attention because it was written in a handwriting that I didn't recognize and it was clearly written in haste as it was on the wrong side of the recipe card. Because a recipe card was even used, my guess was that this was from the seventies, and because of the haste, I deduced that this must have been something mother had tasted and enjoyed at one of her weekly bridge luncheons.

I like mushroom anything, so decided to make this to enjoy along with a tasty Sangria (recipe coming soon), I altered it slightly, creating my own version that made half as much as the original (that supposedly served 12!). It's also “make ahead” because the flavors need at least a day to meld. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Mushroom Spread

1/2 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/8 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 stick butter
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of salt, to taste

Melt butter in a medium saute pan. Add mushrooms and sprinkle with steak seasoning. Saute for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are soft, but not mushy. Drain on plate lined with paper towels. Put mushrooms into a medium mixing bowl. Add cream cheese, scallions, a few gratings of black pepper, and pinch of salt. With a hand mixer, beat everything together until well blended. Turn out into a 1-cup ramekin and refrigerate overnight. Serve with crackers.

This post is linked to:

Munching Mondays
Busy Mondays

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays At Our Home

Tweak it Tuesday

Tickle my Tastebuds
Two Cup Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday