My CSA box had an interesting inclusion this week – Brown Beech Mushrooms aka Hypsizygus tessellatus (wow, that is a mouthful… pun intended hehe).

Apparently this mushroom originates from Asia but is now grown globally. According to Wikipedia, this mushroom “should be cooked, having a bitter taste when raw which disappears completely upon cooking. The cooked mushroom has a firm, slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor. Preparation makes the mushroom easier to digest.”

I also got a big bunch of kale in my CSA basket, so I decided to saute the kale in lard and then add in the mushrooms near the end. The mushrooms and kale actually taste very similar when cooked, but have different textures. It ended up working out into a nice union and I wholeheartedly recommend pairing these two together, with a dash of salt and pepper.

The real sign of the dish winning was when my guy friend said “I would eat kale at least once a week”, after eating this dish.