Bruschetta with mushrooms

It's amazing how something so simple, can taste so good.

Toasted bread, grilled mushrooms, parmesan, and good olive oil. That's all you need, along with a good glass of wine, of course.

You can use a single sort of mushroom or a mix of whatever you can get hold of. If you are able to pick them yourself, you can create something very special. There are few things in life more satisfying than picking your own mushrooms.

If you don't have access to a good mushrooming spot, then many greengrocers have wild mushrooms, when they are in season.

For this recipe you will need:

• 4 slices of sourdough bread
• 400 g wild mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic (1 finely chopped and 1 whole)
• 1 sprig of thyme
• The juice of ½ a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 50 g butter

Follow these steps to create this dish:

Clean the mushrooms by trimming the ends and brushing any dirt off with a brush. They must be thoroughly clean. Use a damp cloth if necessary. But try to avoid getting them wet as this spoils their texture.

Put a heavy-bottomed frying pan on a high heat. When it is hot and just starting to smoke, add 2 tbsp. oil and then the mushrooms. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and fry them until they release moisture. Add 1 clove of chopped garlic and the thyme, and cook until the moisture has evaporated. Add butter and a little lemon juice. Move the pan around in a circular fashion to make the butter, lemon and mushroom juice melt together and turn creamy and delicious. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toast the bread on both sides. Rub the slices with a halved clove of garlic, and drizzle a little olive oil over them. Place a spoonful of mushrooms on each slice of bread and grate parmesan over the top. To finish, add a few drops of good olive oil over the mushrooms and serve immediately.