Wholesome and Delicious: Cheesy Mushroom-Stuffed Marrow Bake

Sometimes, things don't go as planned, but it is up to us to navigate our way to reach the goal.

I had every intention of heading out on a fungi hunt this afternoon, but life had other plans. By the time I was ready to go, it had already gotten dark (autumn really does have a way of shortening the days!). So, instead of venturing into the woods, I popped into the supermarket to grab some mushrooms for dinner.

In this shop, there is a section with a few assorted types of mushrooms, and I picked one. It was only labeled as "flat mushrooms."

They look like they belong to the Agaricus species, similar to Portobello mushrooms. I planned to use them to stuff the marrow I picked a few days ago from a nearby patch.

So here's the fun!

Cheesy Mushroom-Stuffed Marrow Bake 🍄 (I made this all up)

Ingredients: (adjust as needed)
1 large marrow (or 2 smaller ones), 2. 5 kg
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
600 mushrooms (e.g., chestnut, button, or wild mushrooms like chanterelles), diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1.5 cup cooked couscous ( rice or quinoa is also ok)
1 cup grated cheese of your choice, add more if preferred.
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Chilli Flakes (optional)
Crispy onion (optional)
Fresh parsley, for garnish or any preferred herbs.

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).

Halve the marrow lengthwise and scoop out the seeds to create a hollow centre.

Lightly brush the insides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the marrow halves on a baking tray, cut side up, and roast for 30 minutes or until slightly softened.

For the filling:

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms and green and red pepper, cooking until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown.

Stir in the thyme, rosemary, soy sauce, and cooked couscous.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Remove the marrow from the oven.

Spoon the mushroom mixture into the hollowed halves.

Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Return the stuffed marrow to the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Divide into portions.

The marrow holds its shape well after roasting.

I sprinkled crispy onions and chilli flakes on them.

Garnished with fresh parsley or herb of your choice and served hot.

The marrow has a slightly sweet, nutty flavour and tender texture but is not mushy. The mushroom filling adds earthiness and is complimented by the aromatic herbs and the sweetness of the caramelized onion and peppers. The couscous added a fluffy texture and soaked up all the flavours. The onion topping added some crunch, and the cheese added a creamy richness to the dish. The gentle heat from the chilli flakes added a lively kick!

And it was very nice and satisfying!

And I was pleased that we had our Fungi Friday Feast!

This post is dedicated to @fungifriday by @ewkaw and to all fungi friends. 💗

I hope you all had a good one!

Mariah 😊🍄