Mushroom and Walnut Spread or Dip

Melanie D's Note:

I am not a walnut lover, but I love this. The original recipe called for 1.5 teaspoons of salt, but that was too much, so I'm going to use 1 teaspoon next time I make it. Also, the original called for 1/2 teaspoon of tarragon, but I'm going to use 1 teaspoon next time I make it... and I may use fresh instead of dried. If so, I'll use 1 Tablespoon of fresh tarragon. It is suggested that you use this on pita chips, but I think I'm going to stuff celery with it and dip vegetables into it. Maybe I'll try it on sandwiches, too. It seems really versatile. I think cayenne pepper would be good in this, but I haven't tried that yet. Please let me know how it is if you try it! We decided that 2 Tablespoons are enough for 1 serving, so that's how I've entered it here, but I'll probably eat 1/4 cup at a time. I must say that the recipe takes more effort and time to make than I would like, so I may triple the recipe next time I make it and try freezing it. As written, it makes 3 cups in total.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 24

Yield: 3.0 cups

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 ounces portabella mushrooms, the baby type, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, coarsley chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon tarragon
• black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Chardonnay wine or 3 tablespoons pinot grigio wine
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 1 1/2 cups cilantro, stems removed and lightly packed
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook for three minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, salt, tarragon, and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, then raise heat slightly and cook for about 5-7 minutes more, until fond (I had to look up this word on the internet, but I don't know how else to state it here) starts to develop on the bottom of skillet and mushrooms and onions start to brown.
3. Remove from heat; pour in wine and stir to release fond.
4. Place walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
5. Add cilantro and pulse to combine with walnuts.
6. Add mushroom mixture and lemon juice. Pulse until ingredients are blended together; it won't be completely smooth.
7. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
8. Serve with pita chips or whatever you like.