Grilled Mushroom Salad with Sauteed Garlic Scapes

 

I am really into fresh food right now.  Since we are still at least a month outside of tomato/cucumber/bean/corn season though (*sigh*), I have to make due with what I can get.  And what I can get happens to be mushrooms.  

I am also really into grilling right now.  Two years ago for our second anniversary I got the Resident Taste Tester a tiny, cute, adorable charcoal Weber grill, just big enough for the two of us.  We used it off and on, but nothing like this year, where it has come out once or twice a week.  Think barbecue pork chops...grilled pizza...fajitas...and these grilled mushrooms.  Tossed in a salad with fresh lettuce (from my own garden, where else?), toasted almonds, shallot vinaigrette, and those garlic scapes I may have mentioned up top, and we might have raved more about this salad than the main event that day (which happened to be the pork chops, just sayin').

Each of the components in this salad take a fairly simple treatment.  Mushrooms tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper go on the grill.  Slivered almonds toast in a skillet in a leisurely way while you cut up garlic scapes, which then replace the almonds in the skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper themselves.  Shallots soften up in white wine vinegar before being whisked with olive oil as well.  Hmm...that may have been a lot of olive oil...  But truly, it was a little bit at a time, here and there, and you don't want to miss it, not one bit.

Grilled Mushroom Salad with Sauteed Garlic Scapes

Dressing adapted from Smitten Kitchen, salad developed by yours truly.

Don't have garlic scapes?  Don't know what they are?  Not a fan of garlic or can't eat it?  Replace the scapes with a cup of green beans treated in exactly the same manner.  They will cook up in a very similar manner and will be just as delicious. 

8 ounces mushrooms (I used fresh shiitake, but any mushrooms will do)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt

Pepper 

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 cup garlic scapes (or 1 cup green beans)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1 head lettuce of choice

1 very large, 2 large, or 3 small shallots, diced small

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse mushrooms.  Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Spray a large piece of heavy duty tin foil with vegetable spray, then wrap the mushrooms securely in the heavy duty tin foil.  Grill for 15 minutes, flipping once, until soft and delicious.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, toast slivered almonds, stirring occasionally.  As long as the skillet is nonstick there is no need to grease the pan.  Watch closely, as the almonds will not appear to be toasting...and will not appear to be toasting...and then suddenly they will toast.  Toasting on the stovetop does take longer than toasting in the oven, however, this method is much less likely to produce burnt almonds than toasting in the oven.

Cut the garlic scapes into 1/2 inch lengths.  Once the almonds are toasted, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in the small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic scapes and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook garlic scapes until they have reached the desired level of doneness, anywhere from five to ten minutes.

Cover diced shallots with white wine vinegar.  Allow to sit for five minutes.  Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Place clean lettuce in a bowl.  Layer on garlic scapes, grilled mushrooms, and toasted almonds.  Toss with shallot vinaigrette.  Enjoy!