2025 marks the 100th volume of the Agricultural Review, the free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. To celebrate, we’re taking a journey back in time. We’re digging out some old papers, dusting off their pages and looking back at what has happened in agriculture in the last 99 years. Each month, we’ll share an article, recipe or other piece of content “From the Archives” of the Ag Review. We can’t wait to see what we find!
When I think about cooking with mushrooms, savory comfort food is what comes to mind. From cheesy stuffed mushrooms to Salsbury steak with mushroom gravy to hearty beef stew with vegetables, mushrooms add a key element of earthiness to that you would certainly miss if they weren’t there.
According to the NC Cooperative Extension, North Carolina has seen a resurgence of interest in mushroom production and consumption in recent years. For decades, when N.C. farmers asked about growing mushrooms, they were typically talking about shiitake mushrooms. Now, farmers are interested in growing a much wider variety of mushrooms, including oyster, enoki, chaga, reishi and truffles.
The two most popular mushrooms being cultivated in North Carolina are shiitake and oyster, but some of the other varieties are becoming increasingly popular. Our state’s high humidity, rainfall and moderate temperatures make outdoor production successful.
From coffee to jerky to vegan burgers, are a multitude of ways to cook with mushrooms. I went hunting through the archives of the Agricultural Review for hearty recipes that featured fresh mushrooms. Here are two that I found.
The June 15, 1980, edition of the paper featured a recipe for Chicken Escalope Gourmet, a chicken dish featuring a mushroom and shallot sauce. Talk about comfort! Here’s the recipe:
Chicken Escalope Gourmet
2 whole broiler-fryer chicken breasts, halved, boned, skinned
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
1/16 teaspoon ground white pepper
8 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 small shallots, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 cup heavy cream
On hard surface with meat mallet or similar flattening utensil, pound chicken to ¼-inch thickness. Rub with 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In frypan, place 3 tablespoons of the butter and melt over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning, about 3 minutes or until firm and opaque and fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. Remove to heated serving dish, cover, and keep warm. In same frypan, add 2 tablespoons of the butter to drippings and melt. Add mushrooms, shallots and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Cook about 2 minutes or until tender; spoon mushrooms and shallots over chicken. Make sauce in same frypan by adding remaining 3 tablespoons butter; melt over medium heat. Add flour, stirring, until absorbed. Stir in wine, chicken stock, tarragon and thyme; cook, stirring, until mixture boils and becomes thick. Simmer uncovered, oyer low heat about 9 minutes. Gradually stir in cream and cook until sauce reduces to about 1½ cups. Pour sauce over chicken to serve. Makes 4 servings.
The December 1, 1980, issue featured a recipe for a Loveable Chuck – a barbequed chuck with sauteed mushrooms. Here’s the recipe:
Loveable Chuck
3-3½ Ibs. boneless chuck, sliced through center
2/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons dried onion soup mix
1 teaspoon fine herbs
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup butter
½ cup green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
4 ears fresh corn, broken into 2½-inch sections
1 tablespoon dried onion soup mix
For marinade, mix wine, oil, dried soup mix, fines herbes, pepper in a large, shallow baking dish. Add meat and let marinate several hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
For stuffing, sauté mushrooms in butter. Add green onions and parsley, stirring to blend. Spoon mushroom mixture over a piece of chuck and arrange the other piece of chuck on top. Tie securely with string. Barbecue over medium coals about 45-60 minutes. The chuck roast will be dark brown on the outside and slightly medium rare on the inside. To serve, remove string and slice on the diagonal in ⅛-inch thickness. Serve mushroom stuffing and onion buttered corn-on-the-cob with the barbequed chuck.
Blend one tablespoon dried onion soup mix with one-half cup butter. Spread mixture on corn sections and wrap in foil. Roast on grill about 30 minutes turning occasionally.
