Green Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

Green Garlic Confit (Molly Wizenburg's method)

• 1 1/2 cups quarter inch sliced green garlic stalks (I had about 14 medium)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a small sauce pan with a lid, melt the butter and add the sliced green garlic, water and salt. Cover and gently cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring often until the liquid is almost all evaporated. This should take about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit while you prep the mushrooms.

For the mushrooms and stuffing

• 24 white or brown button mushrooms, caps about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
• The green garlic confit
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1. Remove the stems from the mushrooms (save for another use) and then clean the mushrooms with either a mushroom brush or wipe them with paper toweling.
2. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and toss them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then place them, cap side up on a baking sheet. In a pre heated 425F oven, roast the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn them over. Lower the oven temp to 350F.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, panko, parmesan and green garlic confit. Distribute the filling into the mushroom caps and then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each mushroom.
4. Roast the filled mushroom caps at the 350F temp for about twenty minutes or until the filling just begins to brown. Let cool for a minute or two before enjoying warm.