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The vegetarians are coming, the vegetarians are coming!
Just when I thought I had an easy meal of comfort foods planned for a Friday night get-together (roasted chicken, potatoes au gratin, apple tart), my plans were thrown askew by those four words. It’s not difficult (and certainly not unpleasant) to make a main course out of vegetables (heck, I was vegetarian for several years) but the news threw me for a momentary loop. I wanted a dish that wouldn’t have me hovering over the stove while everyone else was enjoying the cheese and wine, and I also didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen peeling and preparing veggies beforehand.
Thumbing through one of several vegetarian cookbooks on my shelf, inspiration hit when I came across a recipe for mushroom ragout. As usual, I’ve taken the gist of it and added ingredients that I personally love, like slowly caramelized onions and a pinch of nutmeg. However, I can’t take credit for the idea of serving it over toast — I have fond memories of my mom’s Welsh rarebit, a decadently cheesy sauce served over thick slices of oven-warmed bread — so this serving suggestion struck a deep chord with me. Pick up an artisan loaf from your favorite local bakery (mine is the Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley, CA) and enjoy the rustic simplicity of this comforting melange of flavors.
