A highlight of autumn for me is foraging and field mushrooms are such a treat to gather following rain.  Foraged food added to any dish of leftovers can make the most delicious meal and is a wonderful way to avoid food waste. 

Jane Shaw – Provisions Cafe

QT Magazine food columnist Jane Shaw of Provisions Cafe in Arrowtown serves up a new autumnal recipe to inspire for the new season below;

“This mushroom, pumpkin and kale Strata recipe uses stale sourdough and was inspired by a recipe from Ottolenghi’s test kitchen cookbook with my own additions of roasted vegetables and cheeses and my favourite Al Brown mustard.” 

“Strata is a savoury bread and butter pudding and this versatile dish serves 10 to 12 people. It can be made a day in advance and baked the following day.  It makes a wonderful brunch served alongside bacon, sausages or black pudding, alternatively lunch served simply with a green salad or an easy dinner side dish alongside roast chicken or beef and crunchy beans.”

“I hope you enjoy autumn and good luck with foraging. My favourite spots for blackberries, plums and apples are top secret but if you are foraging please only take a small amount and share your harvest with friends and family.”

Mushroom, pumpkin & kale strata

500g sliced sourdough bread (discard crust ends but keep crusts on slices. I used a mixture of European Bakery walnut sourdough and our own Provisions pumpkin sourdough)

600g peeled and deseeded pumpkin sliced into thin wedges

350g whole field/Portobello mushrooms

2 tlbsps olive oil, salt & pepper

3 eggs + 3 egg yolks (I use Royalburn Station eggs)

700ml milk

300ml cream

250g mix of any cheeses you like (I used 100g gruyere grated ,80g parmesan grated & 70g crumbled feta mixed together)

75g kale leaves with stalks removed, roughly chopped (alternatively use spinach or silver beet)

3 cloves garlic roughly chopped

1 red onion approx. 75g roughly chopped

50g parsley and basil  (handful) or oregano or mix of garden herbs  

130ml olive oil

1 whole green chilli chopped and seeds removed

1 tlbsp Dijon mustard

1 tlbsp Al Brown Old Yella mustard

1 tsp salt and generous grinds of pepper

1tsp capers finely chopped

1 tlbsp white wine vinegar

3 tlbsp olive oil 

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:-

Grease a 35cmx25cm oven proof baking dish with at least 10cm high sides 

Turn oven on to 180c

Rub pumpkin with 1 tlbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and then lay out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast in oven 20mins

Add mushrooms to pumpkin and drizzle further 1 tlbsp olive oil and salt and pepper and roast all together on tray for 15 – 20 mins until soft. Remove from oven and set aside

Make the pesto by adding the kale, parsley & basil, 90ml olive oil, garlic, red onion, chilli,  3/4 tsp salt & generous grind pepper to food processor and blend until chunky.  Set aside 75mls of pesto for serving

Lay sourdough slices out on two baking trays and cook 10 mins until lightly toasted 

Let the bread cool slightly then spread pesto on both sides of all slices and place half in oven proof baking dish. Cover with pumpkin and mushrooms and cheese and top with final half of pesto spread bread slices

Whisk together eggs, yolks, milk, cream and mustard in large bowl with salt and pepper and carefully pour over the bread mix

Cover with tinfoil and weigh down with cans and leave in fridge at least 4 hours or overnight

Remove from fridge at least 1 hour before cooking, remove the weights and bake 30 mins with the tinfoil on

Remove tinfoil and bake further 25 mins until golden Remove from oven

Mix the remaining 75ml pesto with capers, olive oil , vinegar and season to taste and serve with the Strata.