Marinated Mushrooms

(mushrooms in the upper right corner of the pic)

Marinated Mushrooms

As far back as I can remember, my aunt and uncle have been serving marinated mushrooms around the winter holidays.  As I kid I always loved them, and could eat them endlessly.  Recently I requested their recipe and gave it a try myself, but with a few flavor changes that suite my taste.  These turned out really well, and I would definitely make them again... and again.  Next time I might try substituting thyme and rosemary for the basil and oregano though, because I tend to like those herbs with mushrooms.  This recipe is really forgiving, you can use whatever seasonings you prefer.  Next time I might add a bit of red pepper flakes for heat also.

-1 c red wine vinegar
-1/2 c cold water
-5 peppercorns
-1 small bay leaf
-2 tsp salt
-2 cloves garlic, peeled
-1 Tbsp dried parsley
-1/2 tsp ground mustard
-1 Tbsp brown sugar
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp dried basil
-1 lb mushrooms, cleaned... preferably small mushrooms left whole, but if you can only find large ones then cut them into halves or quarters

Combine the vinegar through the basil in a saucepan on the stove.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add mushrooms, and simmer 10 minutes.  Pour into a 1 quart jar, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for 1 week prior to serving (but they are good after 3 days).